Both Pitt basketball programs have struggled mightily this season. On Thursday night, Pitt women’s basketball continued the trend by suffering a 38-point blowout loss against Virginia away from home.
Pitt starts out flat, Virginia starts out hot
Virginia took care of business early on, jumping out to a 7-0 lead with Pitt unable to score on its first six shots until first-year guard Theresa Hagans Jr. made two free throws to make it 7-2 four minutes through the first quarter.
Pitt made its first field goal at the 5:22 mark, but then allowed Virginia’s offense to get going again. Pitt’s defense allowed Virginia to make three straight shots and take an 18-8 lead with little time to play in the first quarter.
By the time the first quarter had wrapped up, both Pitt and Virginia added one more basket, making it a 20-10 Virginia lead entering the second quarter.
Pitt went on a 6-0 run before redshirt junior guard Amiya Jenkins was tripped, falling to the ground. She remained there for nearly five minutes before she was taken back to the locker room. Last season, Jenkins was ruled out with a season-ending knee injury against West Virginia before conference play.
Following the Jenkins injury, a made free throw and a three-pointer brought Pitt to within two at 22-20, but Virginia would hold its lead at the final media timeout of the half, 26-20 with 3:09 remaining. Virginia began to dominate following the timeout, as it scored 14 straight points while Pitt entered a scoring drought that lasted nearly seven minutes before Pitt scored to make it 36-22. With time expiring, Pitt allowed Virginia one last shot, which led to Pitt trailing 38-22 at halftime.
Both teams started fast in the second half, with Pitt scoring nine to Virginia’s 17 nearly halfway through the third quarter, forcing Pitt head coach Tory Verdi to call a timeout with 5:29 to go in the third quarter. Pitt was unable to get their offense going, hitting another cold streak while Virginia went on a 12-2 run to make it 60-33. As the third quarter ended, Pitt trailed 62-36.
Pitt’s slow start to the fourth quarter led to a Verdi timeout that seemed to signal defeat for his team, as they trailed 69-40 with 7:30 to play. Pitt was unable to close the deficit in the final seven minutes of play, finishing the game with little resistance to Virginia’s athleticism. Pitt fell to Virginia, 84-46.
The loss takes the Panthers’ ACC record to 1-7.
What’s next for both teams?
Virginia will try to compete for the upper echelon of the ACC as they take on UNC on Sunday, Jan. 25, at 12 p.m. if the game is not postponed by winter weather. Pitt will host Duke on Sunday as well, with a 2 p.m. tip-off, weather permitting.
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