Coming off a tough performance against Scranton, Pitt found the perfect opportunity to regroup Tuesday night. The Panthers came out looking sharper, more confident and more like themselves in an 87-65 win over Le Moyne at the Petersen Events Center.
Right from the start, they came more lively. The ball was moving with urgency, good opportunities were found and the defense actually communicated — a nice refresher from their last game, where everything felt out of sync. This time, Pitt took control of the game, taking smart shots and not panicking whenever Le Moyne hit a couple of threes.
Four Panthers scored in double digits, and the team shot 53%, which is a massive improvement from their previous stats. First-year guard Theresa Hagans led the squad, scoring a career high 17 points and recording eight assists, while redshirt junior forward Fatima Diakhate put up 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Even better, senior guard Angel Jones scored 12 points, reaching a 1,000-point career milestone.
The offense found its footing
Let’s be honest, the last game was rough. Nothing was clicking, and everyone looked frustrated. But this game was noticeably different with a newfound chemistry. You could tell they trusted each other way more.
The ball moved quickly down the court, players cut and made space with purpose and they took the time to find high-quality shots instead of rushed ones. Hagans ran the offense efficiently, constantly finding open teammates. Pitt finished the night with 22 assists — a clear sign of an offense actually clicking.
And when four different players hit numbers in the double digits? That’s exactly the type of versatility a team needs.
Pitt’s rebounding problem? Gone.
A proud moment for any Pitt women’s basketball fan, if there was one thing that killed them last game, it was rebounding. Low-effort boxouts, losing 50/50s, getting bullied inside — I can go on. But against Le Moyne, Pitt completely took over under the basket.
They outrebounded the Dolphins 43-24 and collected 14 offensive rebounds, converting these hard-earned possessions into 22 second-chance opportunities.
This is a game changer for Pitt, not just an improvement.
Diakhate led the transformation with 10 rebounds, but everyone contributed. The Panthers also took over the interior, scoring 32-14, something they absolutely have needed to win easily. This was probably the biggest step forward from the last game.
The defense set up the offense
Finally, the defense fueled the offense.
Pitt’s defense last game was low energy and reactive. But against Le Moyne, the switch flipped with fast, high-intensity and way more aggressive defense. The Panthers forced 16 turnovers and converted those into 22 points, most of them easy connections in transition.
They also finished with a high volume of fastbreak points, which ignited the team, something we have been missing. Hagans and junior guard Carla Viegas were very active in the backcourt and the inside unit finished the rebounding job, setting up Pitt to push down court.
Even though Le Moyne hit 15 threes — because of course they did — Pitt stayed composed. The Panthers got gritty, forced bad shots inside the arc and let their defense create separation after halftime.
The Pitt Panthers return to the Petersen Events Center Nov. 22 when they take on Robert Morris at 1 p.m.
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