Women's Hoops Hosts Big East Foe Seton Hall

2/15/2000

A win will secure the Panthers' first winning season in five years.

Pittsburgh (13-9, 4-7 Big East)
vs.
Seton Hall (8-13, 2-9 Big East)

Feb. 16, 2000 7 p.m.
Fitzgerald Field House (6,798)

All-Time Series

This marks the 35th all-time meeting between Pittsburgh and Seton Hall and the only meeting this season. The Pirates hold an 18-16 edge in the series that dates back to the 1982-83 season. Each team is 8-7 on its home court and Seton Hall holds a 3-1 record in Big East Tournament games.

The Panthers and Pirates met twice last season and each team recorded a win on their home court. Pittsburgh won a 55-46 decision on Dec. 9 and Seton Hall took a 62-53 win Feb. 10.

Pittsburgh's largest margin of victory in the series is 26 points, achieved in a 76-50 win Feb. 13, 1985. Seton Hall's 81-60 decision Jan. 22, 1987 was its largest margin. The series has a history of close contests as 16 games have been decided by less than 10 points, including a pair of nine-point decisions last year.

Pittsburgh Head Coach

Traci Waites is in her second season as head coach at Pittsburgh where she has compiled a 21-28 overall record.

This season, Waites has guided the Panthers to their second-best start ever and best in six years 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.

Seton Hall Head Coach

Phyllis Mangina is in her 15th season as head coach at Seton Hall where she has compiled a 211-212 record.

During her tenure, Mangina's teams reached the NCAA Tournament twice and achieved two 20-win seasons. In 1993-94, Seton Hall finished 14th in both the Associated Press and USA Today polls, its highest national ranking ever.

Mangina has received numerous Coach of the Years honors, including being named Big East Coach of the Year in 1990 and 1994.

In 1997-98, Mangina became the school's winningest coach with a 72-62 win over Pittsburgh.

Prior to her head coaching position, Mangina served as an assistant at Seton Hall from 1982-85 and at Wagner College during the 1981-82 season.

A 1981 graduate of Seton Hall with a bachelor of science degree, Mangina was a standout point guard for the Pirates.

Making a Run for It
Pittsburgh held strong to its "Never Say Die" attitude in another contest this year. Trailing by 22 points to Notre Dame with just over four minutes remaining, the Panthers went on a 20-4 tear to cut their deficit to just six points in the final 35 seconds. The run, however, was not enough as Pittsburgh ultimately fell to the fifth-ranked Irish, 81-74. The scoring surge marked the second time this season the Panthers have shut down a nationally ranked team's offense and erase a significant deficit. Pittsburgh also did this against 13th-ranked Rutgers Dec. 8 as it cut a 24-point Scarlet Knight lead to draw within four points before falling, 58-52.

Putting Up the Numbers
Pittsburgh snapped a Notre Dame streak during its 81-74 loss to the fifth-ranked Irish Feb. 9. Prior to its contest with the Panthers, Notre Dame had not allowed an opponent to score more than 65 points since Dec. 5 when Liberty tallied 68 points. (Notre Dame won that contest, 85-68.)

Only Five and Counting
Pittsburgh, which holds a 13-9 record, only has five games remaining on its regular-season slate. With just one victory in those remaining contests, the Panthers would post a winning regular-season record for the for the first time in five years. Pittsburgh's last winning record came in 1994-95 when it finished at 17-11. In addition, the Panthers have not recorded a double-digit win total since that year either.

Home Sweet Home
Fitzgerald Field House has been an asset for the Panthers this season. Pittsburgh is 8-2 thus far on its home court and has won seven of its last eight contests at Fitzgerald. The only loss came at the hands of fifth-ranked Notre Dame. The Panthers, who return home for three of their last five games of the season, hold a 4-1 record against Big East Conference foes on their home court.

Receiving Charity
Pittsburgh has struggled from the free throw line this season and has made just 64.0 percent of its shots. In the last five games, however, the Panthers have seen remarkable improvement and are connecting on 72.3 percent from the charity stripe. During that stretch, Pittsburgh has shot 77.8 percent twice, in games versus St. John's and Notre Dame. Junior Monique Toney leads the Panthers from the line this season. She is 38-of-46 for 82.6 percent.

Freshman Trio
Three Pittsburgh freshmen put together stellar performances and led the Panthers' offense against fifth-ranked Notre Dame Feb. 9.

Freshmen forwards Mandy Wittenmyer and Dallas Williams along with guard Brooke Stewart, all scored in double figures in the game. They accounted for 50 of Pittsburgh's 74 points. Wittenmyer and Stewart led the way with 15 points apiece and Williams added 11.

In addition, much of the scoring was done at crucial points in the game. Nine of Wittenmyer's points were part of a late first-half 11-2 run to pull Pittsburgh within six at halftime. Stewart recorded all 15 of her points in the second half as the Panthers rallied once again. She hit five 3-pointers in the half to help close Pittsburgh's gap.

Pittsburgh came close to placing four freshmen in double-figures in the game as guard Laine Selwyn came off the bench for nine points.

Crashing the Boards
Pittsburgh dominated the boards in its win over Providence Feb. 5, holding a 50-37 rebounding advantage. The 50 rebounds, including 17 offensive boards, marked a season-high for Pittsburgh in both categories. Its previous high was 48 against Youngstown State.

The Panthers are averaging 37.2 rebounds per game, ahead of last season's 35.7 average. Contributing to this is the addition of freshman Mandy Wittenmyer who leads the team with 7.9 rebounds per game overall and 8.6 in conference games, to rank her first in the Big East.

Stealing the Show
The Panthers have 200 steals this season, already surpassing their total of 170 from all of last year. Additionally, Pittsburgh is averaging 9.1 thefts a game compared to 6.3 last year.

The Panthers recorded a season-high 15 steals against fifth-ranked Notre Dame on Feb. 9 and posted their second-highest total versus then-sixth-ranked Penn State.

Freshman forward Mandy Wittenmyer currently leads Pittsburgh with 32 steals this season, including a career-high six versus Notre Dame, while junior guard Monique Toney has 30.

Dishing it Out
Pittsburgh has been very successful at distributing the basketball this season. The Panthers currently rank third in the conference with their 16.68 assists per game average behind Connecticut (20.43) and Notre Dame (20.22). 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 4.64 assists per game, while freshman point guard Laine Selwyn is not far behind with 3.09. Senior Gina Montesano is also in the mix with 2.2 per game.

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 29.3 minutes.

Panther Points
The Panthers have fared well this season when they have put 60 or more points on the board. Pittsburgh holds a 12-3 record in those games which includes a 3-0 mark when it sinks more than 80 points. In contrast, the Panthers are 1-6 when they score less than 60 points in a game.

For the season, Pittsburgh is averaging 65.0 points, while it is allowing 63.2.

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.

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 64.0 percent of its shots for the season, was 15-of-21 from the charity stripe (71.4 percent).

Big East Best
Pittsburgh's 22-point (63-41) win over Providence Feb. 5 marked the fifth-largest margin of victory over a Big East opponent since it joined the league. The Panthers also netted a 20-point margin its 74-54 over West Virginia Jan. 8. That was 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 vs. Connecticut, 1/28/84
22 points: 63-41 vs. Providence, 2/5/00

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.

Superb Start
Prior to Pittsburgh's first game against Providence, the Panthers had an 11-3 record, marking their 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' 13 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.

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

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 44.5 percent of its shots (247-of-555) in Big East play to rank fourth behind No. 1 ranked Connecticut, No. 5 Notre Dame and 19th-ranked Boston College. In games overall, the Panthers are shooting 43.9 percent from the field which ranks them fourth 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 11.9 points per game. Stewart, who comes off the bench, is third in scoring with 8.2 points. Wittenmyer is also the Panthers' leading rebounder with 7.9 boards per game, including 8.6 in conference play, which ranks her third and first in the Big East, respectively.

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 of its victories this year.

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 to pull away after trailing by two at intermission.

Pittsburgh mounted two furious second half rallies against both Notre Dame and Rutgers. The Panthers rebounded from a 22-point deficit Feb. 9 at Notre Dame to draw within six points, but could not pull any closer. The game ended in an 81-74 Irish victory.

The Panthers went on a 21-1 scoring surge Dec. 8 against Rutgers and held the Scarlet Knights without a field goal over the final nine minutes of the game. Despite the rally and outscoring Rutgers 35-29, the Panthers fell, 58-52.

Pittsburgh 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 798-736 in the second half this season. They are averaging only 28.2 points in the first half, but sinking 36.3 points in the second half.

The second-half scoring surge has keyed five Panther victories, including a win over Syracuse when Pittsburgh netted 44 points compared to 28 of the Orangewomen's. Pittsburgh also outscored Georgia Tech by 11 points in the second half for a 75-69 victory, and it used a surge at Cincinnati as well, outscoring the Bearcats, 36-17, for a win. At Hampton, the Panthers held a 52-35 scoring advantage in the second half.

Freshmen Impact
This season's freshmen have made an immediate impact. The youngest class has accounted for half (50 percent) of Pittsburgh's scoring this season. They have 714 of Pittsburgh's 1,429 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.

Three freshmen have emerged in the starting rotation. Forward Mandy Wittenmyer has earned the nod in 20 games and Dallas Williams has started in 10. Laine Selwyn has taken over the starting point guard position in 11 games.

The following is a breakdown of each freshman's statistics:

Name                GP/GS  Points  Rebounds  Assists

Mandy Wittenmyer    21/20   11.9     7.9       1.7

Dallas Williams     21/10   6.7      4.4       1.0

Laine Selwyn        22/11   5.5      3.0       3.1

Brooke Stewart      22/0    8.2      2.3       1.1

Robyn Swain         9/0     2.2      1.6       --

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.

Ranked Foes
Ranked opponents have provided tough competition for Pittsburgh this season. Six of the Panthers' nine losses have come at the hands of top 20 teams in Connecticut, Rutgers, Notre Dame, Boston College and Penn State, but Pittsburgh has displayed 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 mounted its most furious rallies of the season against Notre Dame and Rutgers, before ultimately falling to both teams. In addition, the Panthers had a season-high 15 steals versus the Irish.

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.

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.

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.

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 (Eighth - AP, 11th - USA Today/ESPN)
Penn State (Sixth - AP and Sixth - USA Today/ESPN)
Boston College (19th - AP and 19th - USA Today/ESPN)

*Note - AP Rankings through games of Feb. 13 and USA Today/ESPN through games of Feb. 13.

Panther Player Notes

Moving on Up Junior Monique Toney has quickly moved up the ranks on Pittsburgh's all-time assist leaders list and currently stands at seventh. She dished out seven assists against Providence Feb. 5 to move her into the number-seven spot.

The 5-5 Toney, who serves primarily as the Panthers' off-guard, has 250 assists in three seasons. This season she leads Pittsburgh with 102 assists and is tied for fourth in the Big East Conference in league games with 5.18 per game.

The following is a breakdown of the all-time assist leaders:

Career Assist Leaders

  Name                 Years    No.      Toney Needs

  1. Debbie Lewis      1977-81  638      389

  2. Kim Tirik         1982-86  592      343

  3. Carol Morton      1991-95  534      285

  4. Jennifer Shingler 1986-90  393      144

  5. Kathy Paczkowski  1976-80  340      96

  6. Jo Jo Guzman      1993-97  256      7

  7. MONIQUE TONEY     1997-    250

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 22 games and is averaging 9.5 points.

Toney has scored in double-figures in 11 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 the win over Syracuse.

Even though Toney is scoring a great deal, she is being unselfish with the basketball. She is averaging 4.64 assists with a team- high 102. She also is second on the team with 30 steals. Toney is dishing out 5.18 assists per game in conference play to tie her for fourth among league leaders.

Wittenmyer Does it Again
Mandy Wittenmyer earned her second Big East Conference honor of the season when she was tapped the league's Co-Rookie of the Week on Feb. 7. She previously earned the honor on Jan. 3.

Wittenmyer 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. The 14 rebounds also marked a single-game high for any Panther this season. Wittenmyer also averaged 3.0 assists and 2.5 steals for the week.

Seeing Double
Wittenmyer has emerged as the hub of the Pittsburgh offense this season. She is averaging a team-best 11.9 points per game overall and 12.5 in Big East play.

Wittenmyer has scored in double-figures 16 times, including 13 of the last 15 games. She posted a career-high 19 points Jan. 12 at Providence and had an 18-point effort Feb. 5 versus the Friars.

She also has seven double-doubles to her credit and has recorded six of those in the last 10 games. In addition, Wittenmyer has led the Panthers in both points and rebounds seven times.

Taking Charge
Wittenmyer, Pittsburgh's leading scorer and rebounder, has established herself as one of the Big East's top freshmen. She currently leads the conference with her 8.6 rebounds per game in Big East contests and is third with 8.0 boards in games overall.

Additionally, Wittenmyer is is tied for the league lead in double-double performances with seven. She has five of those in conference games to place her first. Her most recent effort came with 18 points and 14 rebounds Feb. 5 against Providence.

Wittenmyer currently boasts a 54.4 shooting percentage from the field in Big East games to rank her eighth. This past week, Wittenmyer emerged among the top 15 scoring and steals leaders as well.

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.

Celebrating Celeste
Junior Celeste Barkley has seen increased playing time over the last few games and it has helped her make an impact for Pittsburgh. She is averaging 10.5 minutes a game for the season, but played average of 18.3 minutes in the last three contests. As a result, Barkley posted strong performances against Providence, Feb. 5 and St. John's, Feb. 2. Against the Friars, she came off the bench to record 12 points, tying a career-high, while adding seven rebounds. She added an eight-point effort at St. John's. For the season, Barkley is netting 3.4 points per game.

Dazzling Dallas
After making a few early season starts, freshman Dallas Williams returned to her spot in the starting lineup for the last three games. The last time she appeared in the starting rotation was in the Dec. 11 contest at Hampton.

Williams, who is averaging 6.7 points per game, produced back-to-back double-figure scoring games with 10 points versus Providence and 11 at Notre Dame. Her career-high is 13 points, achieved Jan. 1 against Duquesne.

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 10 games, averaging 9.3 points and she has scored in double-figures in five of those contests. Montesano had a season-high 15 points, which included a 3-for-3 effort from 3- point range against Syracuse. She was the lone Panther in double-figures versus Notre Dame with a 10-point effort and chipped in 10 against St. John's. For the season, Montesano is averaging 7.6 points and 2.2 assists.

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 19.0 minutes of play. For the season she has a 7.9 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.

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 - Seton hall Series

Series Quick Facts

Series Record: 35th Meeting
At Fitzgerald Field House: 8-7, Pitt leads
At South Orange, NJ: 8-7, Seton Hall leads
In Big East Tournament: 3-1, SHU leads

Statistical Comparison

PITT                            SHU

13-9     Overall Record         8-13

4-7      Conf. Record           2-9

.439     Field Goal Pct.        .385

.333     3-Pt. Pct.             .267

.640     Free Throw Pct.        .669

.391     Opp. FG Pct.           .432

.346     Opp. 3-Pt. Pct.        .394

.708     Opp. FT Pct.           .717

37.2     Rebound Avg.           37.3

+2.2     Rebound Margin         +2.5

65.0     Points Per Game        59.1

63.2     Points Allowed         69.2

Last Meeting
Feb. 10, 1999
Walsh Gymnasium (510)

Pittsburgh  17   36   53

Seton Hall  30   32   62

Pittsburgh (53)

Seton Hall (62)

(Team Rebounds included in totals)

Halftime-SH 30-17. FG pct. - Pitt .250; SH .353. Turnovers - Pitt 22; SH 21. Steals- Pitt 7 (Balich, Webb, 2); SH 11 (Rouse, 4). Assists - Pitt 10 (Blanton, 4); SH 16 (Townsend, 7). Blocked shots - Pitt 2 (Balich, Morris, 1); SH 2 (Rouse, Murray, 1). A-510. Officials - Sally Bell, Barbara Smith, Terri Maddock.