Women's Hoops Hits The Road
1/28/2000
Panthers tackle conference foe Boston College Saturday.
Pittsburgh (12-6, 3-4 Big East) vs. Boston College (16-4, 5-1 Big East)
Jan. 29, 2000
4 p.m.
Silvio O. Conte Forum (8,606)
All-Time Series
This marks the 33rd meeting between Pittsburgh and Boston College in a series that dates back to the 1982-83 season. The Eagles hold a 17-15 edge in the series, including wins in six of the last seven games. Boston College carries a 9-6 record on its home court and a 8-7 mark at Fitzgerald Field House. The two have met twice in the Big East Tournament and the Panthers have taken decisions in each.
Pittsburgh and Boston College faced off twice last season with the Eagles winning both contests. The first was an 86-65 win at Fitzgerald Feb. 13. The two teams met just 10 days later in the regular-season finale. Pittsburgh led with just under five minutes to go, but ultimately fell, 72-66, to the Eagles.
The Panthers' last victory in the series was during the 1995-96 season, a 72-69 decision on their home court.
Pittsburgh's largest margin of victory is 19 points, achieved during the 1993-94 season, while their largest margin of defeat was 36 points in 1986-87.
Pittsburgh Head Coach
Traci Waites is in her second season as head coach at Pittsburgh where she has compiled a 20-25 overall record.
This season, Waites has guided the Panthers to their second-best start ever and best in six year with an 11-3 record.
During her debut last season, Waites sent the Panthers on a dramatic 4-0 run to start the year, a feat that had not been accomplished since the 1982-83 season. She additionally led Pittsburgh to eight victories on the year, marking two more than it achieved in all of the prior season.
Waites joined the Panthers after serving four seasons at the University of Arizona as an assistant coach, including the last two as associate head coach. While there, Waites was instrumental in the Wildcats' emergence as a Top 10 program, helping them to three straight 20-win seasons and two NCAA Tournament berths.
Prior to Arizona, Waites was the head coach at Santa Monica Community College in Santa Monica, Calif., from 1993-94 after serving the program as an assistant for three years. During her tenure, Waites' teams finished second in the Western States Conference and qualified for the state playoffs each year.
Waites enjoyed an outstanding collegiate playing career, first at Georgia and then at Long Beach State. She played in the NCAA Tournament each of her four seasons and went to two Final Fours. She holds the distinction of being the only player to appear in the Final Four for two different teams.
Boston College Head Coach
Cathy Inglese is in her seventh year as head coach at Boston College where she has compiled a 102-84 record. In 14 seasons as a head coach Inglese holds a 222-158 career mark.
Inglese led the Eagles to their most successful season in school history last year with a 22-8 record which highlighted a win over then-No. 2 Connecticut. The season culminated as Inglese earned Big East Coach of the Year honors and her squad made its first-ever berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Prior to Boston College, Inglese served seven seasons from 1986-93 at Vermont. While there, Inglese compiled a 120-74 overall record and led her team to the NCAA Tournament twice. Additionally, her teams recorded back-to-back regular-season undefeated records in 1991-92 and 1992-93.
A 1980 graduate of Southern Connecticut State, Inglese also served one season as an assistant at New Hampshire.
Sinking Shots
Pittsburgh had one of its best overall shooting performances in a game when they took an 80-66 decision over Syracuse Jan. 25.
The contest marked only the second time this season the Panthers have shot 50 percent or better both overall and from 3- point range. Against the Orangewomen, Pittsburgh was 50.9 percent (29-of-57) from the field, and 50.0 (7-of-14) percent on 3- point shots. Pittsburgh also shot 50 percent from both areas against St. John's Jan. 5.
The Panthers also put up a strong performance from the free-throw line. Pittsburgh, who is making only 62.6 percent of its shots for the season, was 15-of-21 from the charity stripe (71.4 percent).
Taking Care of the Rock
Pittsburgh has done an excellent job at taking care of the basketball in the last two games.
Prior to the contest with Notre Dame, Pittsburgh was averaging just over 23 turnovers a game. The Panthers have drastically improved that as they averaged only 13.5 in the last two contests. They had a season-low 12 turnovers against Syracuse and 15 versus the No. 5 Fighting Irish.
Dishing it Out
Pittsburgh has been very successful at distributing the basketball this season. The Panthers currently rank third in the conference with their 17.06 assist per game average behind Connecticut (20.56) and Notre Dame (20.00). Also, Pittsburgh has dished out 20 or more assists in six games this year.
Several Panthers have been a part of this success. Junior Monique Toney leads the way with 4.44 assists per game, while freshman point guard Laine Selwyn is not far behind with 3.5. Senior Gina Montesano is also in the mix with 2.44 per game.
Batting them Away
One of Pittsburgh's greatest defenses this season has been its ability to block its opponent's shots. The Panthers are averaging 3.72 per game, good enough for fifth in the Big East.
Senior Nickeia Morris is leading the way with her 43 blocks this year. She has recorded five blocks in two games - Lafayette and Campbell. Morris is tied for second in the conference with 2.53 per game and is 10th nationally.
Depth Perception
Pittsburgh has the benefit of depth in its lineup this year, something it has not seen in recent seasons. This is evidenced by eight Panthers who are averaging over 15 minutes of play. Additionally, seven are seeing more than 19 minutes of action per game. Leading the way is freshman Mandy Wittenmyer who is playing 29.6 minutes.
Panther Points
The Panthers have fared well this season when they have put 60 or more points on the board. Pittsburgh holds an 11-2 record in those games which includes a 3-0 mark when it sinks more than 80 points. In contrast, the Panthers are 1-4 when they score less than 60 points in a game.
For the season, Pittsburgh is averaging 66.2 points, while it is allowing 62.6.
The Panthers' highest scoring output was 86 points against Hampton on Dec. 12. Their second-largest was an 80-point effort in the season-opener versus Lafayette and also versus Syracuse.
Bouncing Back
Pittsburgh snapped a three-game losing streak with its 80-66 decision over Syracuse. The stretch was the Panthers' longest without a victory this season. Pittsburgh went on a five-game winning streak beginning Dec. 29, before it suffered three-straight setbacks, which included two against top-five teams.
Shutting them Down with a Little "D"
The Panthers have always put an emphasis on defense, but this season they are starting to see the effects of their hard work.
Pittsburgh has been very strong when it comes to defending its opponents shots. The Panthers have only allowed two opponents to shoot above 45 percent so far - top-ranked Connecticut (54.4 percent) and Syracuse (51.0 percent). Number-five Notre Dame was the only other team to come close with its 44.1 percent shooting. The lowest an opponent has shot was Campbell with 27.9 percent.
In games against unranked teams, the Panthers are limiting its opponents to 36.1 percent shooting from the field.
Superb Start
Prior to the Providence game, Pittsburgh had an 11-3 record, marking its best start in six years and its second- best start (tied) ever. (The Panthers also started 11-3 in 1976-77 and 1993-94.) Their best start ever after 13 games was 12-2 during the 1980-81 season.
The Panthers' start is their best since the 1993-94 season. That year, Pittsburgh finished 21-10 overall and went to the National Women's Invitational Tournament (NWIT).
Pittsburgh's best start ever was a 13-2 record, achieved during the 1980-81 season. The Panthers went on to play in the NWIT that season and finished with a 22-7 overall mark.
Following is Pittsburgh's best records after 14 games:
12-2:. . .1980-81
11-3:. . .1976-77, 1993-94, 1999-2000
10-4: . . .1979-80, 1981-82, 1992-93, 1994-95
The Panthers' 12 victories have already surpassed their win total from all of last season when they finished 8-19. The 1998-99 Panthers achieved their eighth and final win of the season Jan. 20 in a 75-58 decision over St. John's.
Bright Spots
Even though Pittsburgh suffered an 88-36 loss to top-ranked Connecticut, the Panthers had a few bright moments in the contest.
Despite the loss, the Panthers outrebounded the Huskies, 31-30. They were led by freshman Mandy Wittenmyer who had a game-high eight rebounds. Connecticut's 30 rebounds marked a season-low for the Huskies this year.
Pittsburgh also had its best performance from the free throw line in several games. The Panthers have struggled from the line this season and in its two previous games made just 56.8 percent against West Virginia and 52.2 percent versus Providence. Pittsburgh connected on 14-of-20 shots at Connecticut for 70 percent shooting.
Snapping Streaks
Pittsburgh's 77-76 loss to Providence Jan. 12 snapped a five-game winning streak for the Panthers.
Pittsburgh won consecutive games from Dec. 29 through Jan. 8. During the stretch, the Panthers captured the Georgia Tech/Atlanta Marriott Northwest Holiday Classic with wins over Campbell and Georgia Tech. They also posted victories over Duquesne, St. John's and West Virginia during the span.
Pittsburgh has put together a five-game winning streak six times in the program's history. The last time was the 1994-95 season.
The Panthers' longest winning streak is nine games during the 1980-81 season.
Following is Pittsburgh's longest winning streaks:
Nine Games:
Once, 1980-81
Eight Games:
Once, 1988-89
Six Games:
Twice, 1982-83, 1993-94
Five Games:
Six Times, 1974-75, 1980-81, 1982-83, 1990-91, 1992-93, 1994-95
Big East Best
Pittsburgh's 20-point (74-54) win over West Virginia Jan. 8 marked the Panthers' largest margin of victory in a Big East game since the 1994-95 season. That year, Pittsburgh won a 78-51 victory over Providence Jan.18 for its third-largest margin in the history of Big East play.
The Panthers' largest margin of victory in a Big East game is 40 points, achieved in a 90-50 win over Georgetown Jan. 26, 1985.
Following is Pittsburgh's five largest margins of victory in a Big East game:
40 points: 90-50 vs. Georgetown, 1/26/85
30 points: 89-59 vs. Connecticut, 1/23/85
27 points: 78-51 vs. Providence, 1/18/95
26 points: 76-50 vs. Seton Hall, 2/13/85
22 points: 78-56, Connecticut, 1/28/84
Shooting Stars
Pittsburgh recorded its best overall field goal percentage in its last-second loss to Providence Jan. 12. The Panthers converted a season-high 31 of 54 shots from the field for 57.4 percent accuracy.
For the season, Pittsburgh is converting 47.6 percent of its shots (157-of-330) in Big East play to rank third behind No. 1 ranked Connecticut and No. 5 Notre Dame. In games overall, the Panthers are 438-of-979 from the field for 44.7 percent which ranks them third as well.
Fabulous Frosh
Pittsburgh is getting outstanding play from its freshmen this year, particularly Mandy Wittenmyer and Brooke Stewart.
Wittenmyer, a 6-2 forward, is leading the Panthers with 11.4 points per game. Stewart, who comes off the bench, is third in scoring with 8.6 points. Wittenmyer is also the Panthers' leading rebounder with 7.6 boards per game.
Second Comings
The Panthers have come out of intermission refocused and on a swift pace in several games this season. Pittsburgh rallied from a first-half deficit to record five key victories.
Most recently, the Panthers captured an 80-66 win over Syracuse by rallying from a first-half deficit. The Panthers used a 20-3 run in the second half top pull away after trailing by two at intermission.
Pittsburgh mounted its most furious second half rally of the season Dec. 8 against Rutgers, but ultimately fell to the 13th- ranked Scarlet Knights. The Panthers outscored Rutgers 21-1 and held the Scarlet Knights without a field goal over the final nine minutes of the game. Despite outscoring Rutgers 35-29, the Panthers fell, 58-52.
The Panthers also used second-half scoring rallies to take games over Duquesne, Georgia Tech, Robert Morris and Cincinnati.
Scoring Surge
The Panthers have outscored their opponents 677-594 in the second half this season. They are averaging only 28 points in the first half, but sinking 37.6 points in the second half.
The second-half scoring surge has keyed five Panther victories, including a recent win over Syracuse when Pittsburgh had 44 points compared to 28 of the Orangewomen's. Pittsburgh also Georgia Tech by 11 points in the second half for a 75-69 victory. Pittsburgh used a surge at Cincinnati as well, outscoring the Bearcats, 36-17, to go on to a win and at Hampton, Pittsburgh held a 52-35 scoring advantage.
Freshmen Impact
This season's freshmen have made an immediate impact. The youngest class has accounted for almost half (49 percent) of Pittsburgh's scoring this season. They have 579 of Pittsburgh's 1,191 total points scored this year. The freshmen's largest scoring output came against Duquesne when they had 52 of the 62 points scored. Brooke Stewart led the way with her 20 points, while Mandy Wittenmyer added 15 and Dallas Williams chipped in 13.
Their second-largest output came when they had 39 of 56 points against sixth-ranked Penn State. In that game, three freshmen scored in double-figures, including Wittenmyer with 12 points and Laine Selwyn and Williams who each had 11.
Pittsburgh's frosh have also been solid on the boards. The freshmen are grabbing 48 percent (323-of-676) of the Panthers' rebounds.
Three freshmen have emerged in the starting rotation. Forward Mandy Wittenmyer has earned the nod in 16 games and Dallas Williams has started in seven. Laine Selwyn has taken over the starting point guard position in 11 games.
Balanced Scoring
The Panthers are benefitting from depth in their lineup this season. Pittsburgh is receiving a solid contribution from its entire lineup, not just the starters. So far, the Panthers' offense has been balanced with nine different players posting double-figure scoring totals in games.
A Thrilling Win
Pittsburgh forced a game into overtime for the first time this season and it came out with a 62-57 victory over Duquesne Jan.1.
After trailing for the better part of the second half, the Panthers rallied from a 10-point deficit to tie the game on Brooke Stewart's 3-pointer with 55 seconds remaining in regulation. Pittsburgh prevailed in the extra period, outscoring the Dukes, 10-5.
The last time the Panthers played an overtime game was the 1996-97 season when they lost a 74-67 decision to Georgetown Jan. 9. Pittsburgh's last overtime win came Feb. 2, 1988 with an 83-82 victory at Robert Morris.
Y2K First
The Pittsburgh women's basketball team etched its name in the history books with its New Year's Day contest versus Duquesne. In addition to the game being the first sporting event of the millennium in the city of Pittsburgh, the Panthers also recorded the first points of any Division I women's basketball team.
Freshman Mandy Wittenmyer sank the first layup of the game at the 19:52 mark for the first points of 2000. Bethune- Cookman and Maryland-Eastern Shore also tipped off at 2 p.m., but the game's first basket did not come until 19:02.
Happy Holidays
Pittsburgh closed out the millennium in style when they competed in the Georgia Tech/Atlanta Marriott Northwest Holiday Invitational. The Panthers walked away with two victories, including one over the host Yellow Jackets, to take home the tournament title.
Pittsburgh faced Campbell in the first round of action and won a 70-60 decision. It went on to take a 75-69 win over Georgia Tech in the championship game.
The last time the Panthers captured a tournament on the road was during the 1991-92 season when they won the St. Francis Red Flash Classic with wins over George Mason and Massachusetts.
Ranked Foes
Ranked opponents have provided tough competition for Pittsburgh this season. Four of the Panthers' six losses have come at the hands of top15 teams in Connecticut, Rutgers, Notre Dame and Penn State, but Pittsburgh has had some solid play in each of those games.
The Panthers held top-ranked Connecticut to its lowest rebound total of the season with just 30 boards while Pittsburgh grabbed 31.
Pittsburgh put up an impressive second half effort against the then 13th-ranked Rutgers, but ultimately fell, 58-52. The Panthers stunned the Scarlet Knights in the second half, cutting their deficit from 24 to three points with a 21-1 run and held Rutgers without a field goal for the final nine minutes of the game.
Pittsburgh did not fare as well against sixth-ranked Penn State, but did set some season-high marks in the effort. The Panthers put together a strong second half in the game, dropping in 39 points compared to 17 in the first half. The Panthers attempted 68 shots from the field in the game, including 18 from behind the arc to mark a new season-high for each.
Setting New Marks
Pittsburgh's 86-65 win over Hampton Dec. 11 witnessed a series of season highs for the Panthers.
The 86 points scored were the most for Pittsburgh this season. The Panthers have scored 80-plus points only one other time - in their 80-43 win over Lafayette in the season-opener.
Pittsburgh also recorded its best 3-point field goal percentage of the season at Hampton. The Panthers were 8-of-16 (.500) from behind the arc. (Pittsburgh recently tied the high with its 4-of-8 3-point shooting versus St. John's.) Their previous high was 42.9 percent against Ohio on 6-of-14 shots. The eight 3-pointers made also set a new mark and was paced by freshman Brooke Stewart's stellar shooting. She was 6-of-9 from 3-point range.
The Panthers also put up their strongest performance from the free-throw line this season. They shot 83.3 percent from the charity stripe making 20-of-24 shots.
Noting Non-Conference Foes
Pittsburgh compiled an impressive 9-2 record in non-conference play this season, including a 5-1 mark in away contests.
The Panthers rounded out its 11-game non-conference schedule versus Duquesne on Jan. 1 for their ninth win.
Last season, the Panthers did not fare as well. They were 5-4 overall against non-conference foes, but had a 3-0 mark on their home court. Their home wins included decisions over Robert Morris, Miami (Ohio) and an upset-win over Penn State.
Down the Stretch
The Panthers have remained focused in the final minutes of the game this season and their intensity proved to be a factor in games versus Providence, Cincinnati, Kent, Georgia Tech and Duquesne.
The Panthers battled Providence in the last seconds of the game on Jan. 12, but ultimately fell to the Friars' buzzer-beating shot. Mandy Wittenmyer hit a layup with four seconds to go to put Pittsburgh ahead by one point, but Providence sank the last second shot.
Pittsburgh came alive in the final eight minutes of the game against Duquesne on New Year's Day. The Panthers rebounded from a 10-point deficit to tie the game with 55 seconds remaining and send it into overtime. They prevailed in the extra period for the victory.
Pittsburgh held off a late Georgia Tech surge by sinking eight free throws in the final 31 seconds to hold on to its victory.
Trailing by three against Cincinnati with under a minute to go in the game, freshman Laine Selwyn hit a 3-pointer at the 15- second mark to tie the game. Monique Toney came up big just moments later sinking another 3-pointer with five seconds on the clock to win the game, 58-55.
Pittsburgh showed its composure through the waning minutes of the game against Kent, but the outcome was not as desirable. The Panthers began to rally from a 14-point deficit with 1:50 to go in the game to pull within five with 53 seconds to go on three 3-pointers. Brooke Stewart hit back-to-back treys while Monique Toney hit one of her own. The Panthers, however, could not pull any closer and ultimately fell to Kent.
In the Rankings
The Panthers face some tough competition on their schedule, including six teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 1998-99. Among those teams are Connecticut, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Penn State, Boston College and Cincinnati.
Additionally, five of Pittsburgh's opponents have been ranked throughout the season in the USA Today/ESPN and Associated Press polls, including Connecticut, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Penn State and Boston College.
Pittsburgh has 13 home games on its slate this year, the most since the 1996-97 season when it had 15 home contests, and it will face three of its ranked opponents at Fitzgerald.
Pittsburgh Ranked Opponents
Connecticut (First - AP and USA Today/ESPN)
Notre Dame (Fifth - AP and Fifth - USA Today/ESPN)
Rutgers (13th - AP, 12th - USA Today/ESPN)
Penn State (Seventh - AP and Seventh - USA Today/ESPN)
Boston College (19th - AP and 22nd - USA Today/ESPN)
*Note - AP Rankings through games of Jan. 24 and USA Today/ESPN through games of Jan. 24.
Panther Player Notes
Moving on Up With her five assists in the win over Syracuse Jan. 25, junior Monique Toney cracked the top 10 on Pittsburgh's all-time career assists list. The 5-5 Toney, who serves primarily as the Panthers' off-guard, has 228 assists in three seasons to place her 10th on the list.
This season Toney leads Pittsburgh with her 80 assists and ranks sixth in the Big East Conference in league games with 5.0 per game.
Senior Gina Montesano could also break into the top-10 career assist leaders this season. She has dished out 196 assists since 1995-96.
Following is a breakdown of the all-time assist leaders:
Career Rebound Leaders
Name Years No. Toney Needs
1. Debbie Lewis . . . . 1977-81 638 . . . . 411
2. Kim Tirik. . . . . . 1982-86 592 . . . . 365
3. Carol Morton . . . . 1991-95 534 . . . . 307
4. Jennifer Shingler . .1986-90.393 . . . . 166
5. Kathy Paczkowski. . .1976-80.340 . . . . 113
6. Jo Jo Guzman . . . . 1993-97 256 . . . . 29
7. Erin Maloy . . . . . 1990-94 241 . . . . 14
8. Jill McElhinny. . . .1989-93.240 . . . . 13
9. Maureern McConnell. .1989-91.234 . . . . 7
10. MONIQUE TONEY. . . . 1997-. .228
Marvelous Mandy
Freshman Mandy Wittenmyer has continued to impress this season. Not only has she emerged as Pittsburgh's leading scorer and rebounder, but she is also third in the Big East for her field goal percentage in league games. Wittenmyer is shooting 58.7 percent in conference contests, making 27 of her 46 shots.
For the season, the 6-2 forward from Mechanicsburg, Pa., is averaging 11.4 points and 7.6 rebounds and she is one of two Panthers to average double-figures.
Seeing Double
Wittenmyer has provided a consistent force in the paint for Pittsburgh this season and has proven to be an excellent scorer and rebounder. She currently ranks as Pittsburgh's leading scorer (11.4) and rebounder (7.6).
Wittenmyer has posted a double-digit scoring total in 12 of the 17 games and has five double-double performances to her credit. Her most recent one came against Syracuse with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Additionally, Wittenmyer has led the Panthers in points and rebounds five times. She has led Pittsburgh in points six times and in rebounds on 12 occassions.
MVP
Mandy Wittenmyer's stellar play this season was recognized when she was named the Georgia Tech/Atlanta Marriott Northwest Holiday Classic Most Valuable Player. The 6-2 forward from Mechanicsburg, Pa., averaged 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in the tournament. She led the Panthers in scoring in both games with 14 points against Campbell and 17 versus Georgia Tech.
Giving it to Gina
Senior Gina Montesano, who missed all of last season after recovering from knee surgery, has returned to her true form. The 5-9 guard has been an offensive force for the Panthers in the last six games, averaging 9.8 points and 2.5 assists. She has scored in double-figures in four of the last six and in each of the last two contests. Montesano had a season-high 15 points, which included a 3-for-3 effort from 3-point range. Montesano was the lone Panther in double-figures versus Notre Dame with a 10-point effort.
Leave it to Laine
Freshman Laine Selwyn, the Panthers starting point guard, has been very successful from the free throw line in Big East Conference games this season. She is currently a perfect 16-of-16 from the charity stripe to rank her first among league leaders. Selwyn made all six of her attempts versus St. John's and all four against West Virginia. She added another 4-for-4 effort at Connecticut and was 2-for-2 versus Syracuse.
The Talented Toney
Junior Monique Toney has emerged as one of Pittsburgh's top scorers this season. She has earned herself a starting role in all 18 games and is averaging 10.2 points.
Toney has scored in double-figures in 10 games this season, including seven of the first eight contests. She posted a season-high 21 points versus Providence Jan. 12 and had a team-high 16 in teh win over Syracuse.
Even though Toney is scoring a great deal, she is being unselfish with the basketball as well. She is averaging 4.44 assists with a team-high 75 and has 25 steals to her credit. Toney is dishing out 5.0 assists per game in conference play to rank her sixth amoung league leaders.
Super Stewart
Freshman guard Brooke Stewart had the most productive game of her collegiate career when the Panthers took an 86-65 decision over Hampton Dec. 11. Stewart had an impressive 25 points, all in the second half. She was 8-of-10 from the field, including 6-of-9 from 3-point range.
Stewart has come off the bench in every game this year and is averaging 19.3 minutes of play. For the season she has a 8.6 point per game average to her credit. She has posted double-figure scoring totals in seven games overall, including two with 20- plus points.
The 5-8 guard is a product of nearby East Allegheny High School. Stewart finished her high school career with over 3,000 points and averaged 29.0 points in her career, including 31.2 as a senior.
Brooke's Clutch Performance
Freshman Brooke Stewart is solid under pressure and came up with a clutch performance against Duquesne when she led Pittsburgh to an overtime win with her 20 points.
After the Panthers rallied from a 10-point deficit, Stewart made a key 3-pointer with 55 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the score at 52 and send it into overtime. In the overtime period, Duquesne went ahead 57-54, but Stewart came up big again to tie the game with a 3-pointer and spark Pittsburgh to the win.
Blocking Bliss
Nickeia Morris has been one of Pittsburgh's top shot blockers throughout her career This season, the 6-7 center is on pace to finish her career ranking among Pittsburgh's top two shot blockers of all time. She has 43 total blocks to her credit for 188 in her career, and is just two shy of claiming the fourth spot on Pittsburgh's all-time list. She ranked eighth with 145 career blocks heading into this season.
Morris is tied for second in the Big East Conference with her 2.53 blocks per game average. She is just behind Notre Dame's Ruth Riley who is averaging 2.94. Nationally, Morris ranks 10th with 2.6 blocks per game (games through Jan. 24).
Career Blocked Shots Leaders
Name Total Morris Needs
1. Gail Aughburns. . .241. . . .54
2. Wanda Randolf . . .211. . . .24
3. Jennifer Bruce. . .203. . . .16
4. Connie Hurt . . . .189. . . . 2
5. Nickeia Morris. . .188
Magical Morris
Morris is one Pittsburgh player to watch this season. She entered her senior campaign ranked 10th in the Pittsburgh annals with 533 career rebounds. With 10 rebounds versus Youngstown, she moved into the eighth spot and has 92 rebounds this season.
If Morris continues on this pace, she will rank among the top seven rebounders in Pittsburgh history when she completes her career.
Last year, she had 222 on the season and finished the year ranked fourth in the Big East with a 8.2 average.
Career Rebound Leaders
Name Total Morris Needs
1. Wanda Randolph. . .1,107. . . . 478
2. Gail Aughburns. . .1,007. . . . 378
3. Jennifer Bruce. . .998. . . . . 370
4. Pam Miklasevich . .968. . . . . 340
5. Jonna Huemrich. . .954. . . . .325
6. Lorri Johnson . . .908. . . . . 279
7. Latia Howard. . . .664. . . . . .35
8. Nickeia Morris. . .620
Big East Rookie Honors
Pittsburgh received its second honor of the season from the Big East as freshman Brooke Stewart was named the conference's co-Rookie of the Week on Jan. 10. Stewart shared the weekly honor with Notre Dame's Alicia Ratay.
A 5-8 guard from North Versailles, Pa., Stewart averaged 13.0 points and 6.0 rebounds as the Panthers captured wins over Big East Conference-rivals West Virginia and St. John's.
Stewart came off the bench against St. John's to record a game-high 12 points while adding six rebounds. Against West Virginia, she netted 14 points, including 10 in the second half, six rebounds, four assists and three steals. In the two games, Stewart shot 52.9 percent making 9-of-17 shots from the field, including five from 3-point range.
More Big East Rookie Honors
After completing a stellar week of play over the holiday break, freshman Mandy Wittenmyer earned Big East Conference honors for the first time in her career. She was honored as the league's Rookie of the Week Jan.3 after leading Pittsburgh to a 3-0 record.
Wittenmyer averaged 15.3 points and 8.0 rebounds in wins over Campbell, Georgia Tech and Duquesne. She recorded a career-high 17 points against Georgia Tech and chipped in a game-high 14 versus Campbell.
A key factor in Pittsburgh's overtime win over Duquesne, Wittenmyer had a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while adding five blocks, four steals and three assists. Wittenmyer's free throw with 1:53 left in the overtime period gave Pittsburgh the lead for good, 58-57. She sank two more free throws down the stretch and added two key blocks to preserve the win.
Pittsburgh's Double-Figure Scorers (45)
Mandy Wittenmyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Times
Monique Toney. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nine Times
Brooke Stewart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Seven Times
Nickeia Morris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Five Times
Gina Montesano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Five Times
Dallas Williams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Three Times
Celeste Barkley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Two Times
Laine Selwyn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Two Times
Michelle Katkowski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . One Time
Pittsburgh's Double-Figure Rebounders (8)
Nickeia Morris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Three Times
Mandy Wittenmyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Five Times
Pittsburgh's Double-Doubles (6)
Mandy Wittenmyer (5).Dec. 1 vs. Kent . .10 pts., 12 rebs.
Jan.1 vs. Duquesne. . . . . . . . . . .15 pts., 11 rebs.
Jan. 8 vs. West Virginia. . . . . . . .16 pts., 10 rebs.
Jan. 12 vs. Providence. . . . . . . . .19 pts., 13 rebs.
Jan. 25 vs. Syracuse. . . . . . . . . .15 pts., 10 rebs.
Nickeia Morris (1). .Nov. 21 vs. Lafayette 11 pts., 11 rebs.
Pittsburgh's 20-Plus Individual Scoring Performances (2)
Brooke Stewart (2). .Dec. 11 vs. Hampton . . . .25 points
Jan. 1 vs. Duquesne. 20 points
Pittsburgh Starting Lineup Records (12-6)
Williams, Wittenmyer, Morris, Montesano, Toney . . . .3-1
Williams, Wittenmyer, Barkley, Toney, Selwyn . . . . .1-1
Williams, Wittenmyer, Morris, Toney, Selwyn. . . . . .1-0
Katkowski, Wittenmyer, Morris, Selwyn, Toney . . . . .4-2
Alexander, Katkowski, Morris, Toney, Selwyn. . . . . .2-0
Wittenmyer, Katkowski, Morris, Montesano, Toney. . . .0-2
Katkowski, Wittenmyer, Alexander, Montesano,Toney. . .1-0
Pittsburgh's Record in Games
This Year When...
Led at Halftime. . . . . . . . .7-1
Trailed at Halftime. . . . . . .5-5
Tied at Halftime . . . . . . . .0-0
Record in Overtime . . . . . . .1-0
Had a 45 FG% or better . . . . .9-3
Had less than 45 FG% . . . . . .3-3
Opponents had a 45 FG% or better . . . . . .1-1
Held opponents to less than 45 FG% . . . . 11-5
Outrebounded opponent. . . . . .8-4
Been outrebounded by opponent. . . . . 4-2
Tied an opponent in rebounding . . . . 0-0
Had 70 FT% or better . . . . . .5-2
Had less than a 70 FT% . . . . .7-4
Scored in the 30s. . . . . . . .0-1
Scored in the 40s. . . . . . . .0-0
Scored in the 50s. . . . . . . .1-3
Scored in the 60s. . . . . . . .4-1
Scored in the 70s. . . . . . . .4-1
Scored in the 80s. . . . . . . .3-0
Scored in the 90s. . . . . . . .0-0
Scored in the 100s . . . . . . .0-0
Opponents have scored in the 40s . . . . . .2-0
Opponents have scored in the 50s . . . . . .5-1
Opponents have scored in the 60s . . . . . .5-1
Opponents have scored in the 70s . . . . . .0-3
Opponents have scored in the 80s . . . . . .0-1
Opponents have scored in the 90s . . . . . .0-0
Opponents have scored in the 100s. . . . . .0-0
In November. . . . . . . . . . .3-0
In December. . . . . . . . . . .5-3
In January . . . . . . . . . . .3-3
In February. . . . . . . . . . .0-0
In March . . . . . . . . . . . .0-0
Versus Ranked Teams. . . . . . .0-4
On Television. . . . . . . . . .0-1
Has one player in double digits. . . . 2-1
Has two players in double digits . . . . . .1-0
Has three players in double digits . . . . .6-2
Has four players in double digits. . . . . .3-2
Has five or more players in double digits. . . . 0-0
Has no players in double digits. . . . 0-1
Games decided by....
1 point. . . . . . . . . . . . .One
2 points . . . . . . . . . . . . --
3 points . . . . . . . . . . . .One
4 points . . . . . . . . . . . . --
5 points . . . . . . . . . . . .One
6 points . . . . . . . . . . . .Two
7 points . . . . . . . . . . . .One
8 points . . . . . . . . . . . .One
9 points . . . . . . . . . . . . --
10 points. . . . . . . . . . . .One
11-15 points . . . . . . . . .Three
16-20 points . . . . . . . . .Three
21-29 points . . . . . . . . . .Two
30-39 points . . . . . . . . . .One
40-49 points . . . . . . . . . . --
50+ points . . . . . . . . . . .One
