PITTSBURGH – Paced by double-doubles from junior center Kalista Walters and redshirt junior forward Yacine Diop, Pitt women's basketball (1-0, 0-0 ACC) won its third consecutive season-opening game with a 66-58 defeat of Youngstown State (0-1, 0-0 Horizon) Friday night at Petersen Events Center.
Walters grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds to go with 17 points. In her debut after sitting out 2016-17 due to injury, Diop posted 14 points and 11 rebounds for her first double-double performance since the 2016 ACC Tournament against North Carolina. Newcomer junior forward Danielle Garven added a team-high 18 points to round out double-figure scoring for Pitt.
The Panthers had the upper hand in field goal percentage (42.6 percent to 37.3 percent), rebounding (39-34), points off turnovers (16-10), second chance points (11-8) and fast break points (14-2).
Pitt got off to a rocky start as the Penguins jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first quarter. Walters was on her way to a double-double effort with six points and four rebounds in the first 10 minutes, but the Panthers trailed at the first break, 19-10. The Penguins' Indiya Benjamin had a hot hand, scoring YSU's first 10 points and ending the period with 12 on 5-of-8 from the field, 2-of-4 from long range.
The Panthers clawed their way back to a tie (23-23) at the 4:07 mark in the second quarter following an and-one effort by sophomore guard Jasmine Whitney. A subsequent jumper from Garven put Pitt into its first lead, 25-23, and the Panthers ended the half with a slim 26-25 advantage.
The lead changed six times in the first five minutes of the third quarter, but thanks to some stout defense and solid free throw shooting by the Panthers, Pitt gained its largest lead of the game thus far at 42-38. The Panthers closed the third quarter with back-to-back buckets from Walters and Garven to enter the final stanza up 46-42.
Pitt opened the fourth quarter with a triple from Garven and a layup from freshman Kyla Nelson to extend the Panthers' lead to nine (51-42) at 9:11. The momentum stayed in Pitt's favor and resulted in an 8-0 run from 6:16 to 2:17 that earned the Panthers a largest lead of 14 (61-47). Although the Penguins chipped the margin back to as few as six, Pitt held on for an eight-point win (66-58).
WITH THE WIN…
Pitt picked up its third consecutive home-opening victory, and improved to 32-12 all-time in home openers.
The Panthers earned their third consecutive win in the series against Youngstown State, improving to 17-4 all-time and 12-2 at home. Pitt has not lost to YSU since Nov. 9, 2012 (64-50).
MILESTONES
Kalista Walters: career-high rebounds (16, previously 10 vs. Slippery Rock – Nov. 23, 2016)
Kalista Walters: second career double-double (17 points, 16 rebounds)
Yacine Diop: eighth career double-double (14 points, 11 rebounds)
THE LAST TIME…
Two Pitt players had double-doubles: Nov. 12, 2016 vs. Mount St. Mary's (Jasmine Whitney, Kauai Bradley)
A Pitt player had 15 or more rebounds: Feb. 18, 2016 – Stasha Carey vs. North Carolina (15)
UP NEXT
Pitt will host Cornell for its ninth annual School Day Game Monday, Nov. 13, at 11 a.m. at Petersen Events Center. Tickets are available online at PittsburghPanthers.com or by calling 1-800-643-PITT (7488).
