Wittenmyer Named Big East Women's Basketball Rookie Of The Week

2/7/2000

Freshman averaged 15.5 points and 12.5 rebounds in two contests last week.

PITTSBURGH - University of Pittsburgh freshman women's basketball player Mandy Wittenmyer, who has established herself as one of the Big East Conference's top freshmen, has been named the Big East's Co-Rookie of the Week for Feb. 7. She shares the honor with Notre Dame's Alicia Ratay.

Wittenmyer, a native of Mechanicsburg, Pa., averaged 15.5 points and 12.5 rebounds as the Panthers split a pair of contests with Providence and St. John's. She recorded a game-high 18 points and a career-high 14 rebounds in a 63-41 rout of Providence, and netted 13 points and 11 boards in a loss to St. John's. Wittenmyer also averaged 3.0 assists and 2.5 steals for the week.

A graduate of Cumberland Valley High, Wittenmyer has emerged as Pittsburgh's leading scorer and rebounder with 11.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. She is grabbing 8.8 rebounds per game in Big East Conference contests to rank her second among league leaders.

Additionally, Wittenmyer has posted seven double-double performances this season to tie her for first in the Big East.

This marks the second Big East Rookie of the Week honor for Wittenmyer. She previously earned the conference's weekly honor Jan. 3 after leading the Panthers to the Georgia Tech/Atlanta Marriott Northwest Holiday Classic tournament championship.

The Panthers are 13-8 overall and 4-6 in Big East Conference play, marking their best season since 1994-95 when they finished with a 17-11 record.