Pitt Women's Basketball Dropped by Hampton, 60-37, In Season Opener

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania -– Sophomore Asia Logan had 12 points off the bench, but it was not enough to stop Hampton as the Panthers lost a 60-37 decision on Saturday afternoon at the Petersen Events Center. The contest was the season opener for both teams.

Sophomore Marquel Davis and freshman Brianna Kiesel each had eight points for the Panthers (0-1). The Lady Pirates (1-0) were paced by a game-high 22 points from Choicetta McMillian. McMillian drained six 3-pointers, tying an individual Petersen Events Center record by an opponent.

The Panthers jumped out of the gate early, moving to a 6-1 lead less than three minutes in on a fast break layup from Davis. The sophomore scored four of Pitt’s first six points. HU tallied the next eight-straight points, the last on a jumper from Sherena Abercrumbia to take a 9-6 advantage with 13:46 on the clock.

Davis and Kiesel scored on two of the next three Pitt possessions to make it 10-9, but that would be the last lead of the afternoon for the Panthers. Hampton used a 22-2 run to take a 31-12 lead just prior to the half. Pitt would go from the 11:47 mark until the halftime horn without a field goal, trailing 31-15 at the break.

Box Score 

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HAMPTON LADY PIRATES OPEN SEASON WITH ROUT OF PITTSBURGH

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Hampton University women’s basketball team opened the 2011-12 season in style on Saturday, upending the University of Pittsburgh 60-37 at the Petersen Events Center.  Dating back to last season, the Lady Pirates (1-0) have won 15 of their last 16 games.

Senior guard Choicetta McMillian (Fairfield, Texas) led the Lady Pirates with 22 points, thanks in large part to a 6-for-15 effort from behind the arc. Senior forward Melanie Warner (Tallahassee, Fla.) poured in 12 points and was two rebounds shy of a double-double. Junior forward Ariel Phelps (Virginia Beach, Va.) added 10 points to go along with a team-high nine rebounds.

Pitt jumped out to a 6-1 lead, before the Lady Pirates scored eight straight points to take a 9-6 lead after a jumper from senior center Sherena Abercrumbia (Dallas, Texas). Brianna Kiesel gave the Panthers the lead again with a jumper at the 11:47 mark, but a layup from sophomore forward Alyssa Bennett (Newport News, Va.) put the Lady Pirates on top for good.

From there, Hampton closed out the half on a 22-5 run; after Kiesel’s jumper, Pitt would not score another field goal until Asia Logan’s layup at the buzzer.


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Hampton Lady Pirates opens season at Pittsburgh Panthers

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania – The University of Pittsburgh women’s basketball team will open the 2011-12 season against Hampton on Saturday, Nov. 12 at the Petersen Events Center. Tip-off time is set for 2 p.m. Live stats, audio and video will be available through www.pittsburghpanthers.com. Scott Stiller and former Panther Karyle Lim, in her first broadcast, will have the call courtside on WJAS 1320 AM.

Head Coach Agnus Berenato begins her ninth season at Pitt on Saturday, 14 victories away from tying the all-time program mark for wins in women’s basketball.

Pitt returns five letterwinners from a squad that went 14-17 a season ago. The Panthers will take on the task of replacing over 75 percent of its scoring from a season ago with the highest recruiting class in program history (No. 19/Hoopgurlz).

The Pirates have captured the last two-straight MEAC tournament crowns and have won 24 of their last 27 contests. Hampton’s last loss came in the NCAA Tournament first round, an overtime setback at the hands of Kentucky.

Scouting the Lady Pirates

Hampton went 25-7 in 2010-11 and captured the MEAC title, advancing to the NCAA Tournament with the league’s automatic bid. The squad won 14 of its last 15 games before the overtime loss to Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament. In total, Hampton has won 24 of its last 27 contests.

The Lady Pirates return three starters led by senior guard Jericka Jenkins. The Texas native played in 28 games last season, averaging 13.4 points and 3.1 rebounds. Jenkins – a 5-4 guard - had a breakout season and was named Honorable Mention All-America, while ranked second in the nation in assists (201/7.2 assists per game). She is joined by classmates Choicetta McMillian (11.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game) and Melanie Warner, (9.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, .5 bpg). Hampton brings in eight newcomers to complement its roster.

The Lady Pirates have won the past two-straight conference tournament crowns (and one regular season title) and rank among the most successful programs in Virginia over the past two seasons. The 45-19 two-year record is third only to James Madison (52-15) and Liberty (49-17) over the same span. The change coincides with head coach David Six, who begins his third season at Hampton this season.

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Game 1 vs. Hampton
Video Live: www.pittsburghpanthers.com.

Delaware State stands in the way of Pittsburgh's 10-0

Although the 9-0 University of Pittsburgh men’s basketball team has yet to face a Big East opponent, head coach Jamie Dixon stressed that the nonconference schedule is not to be overlooked.

“I don’t think there is anything easy about our schedule,” Dixon said. “Just because we’re beating teams by a large margin doesn’t mean they’re easy. It means we played well.”

The Panthers frequently play well in nonconference contests, as they’ve won their last 53 such games at home, including their most recent win against Rider on Saturday. No. 3 Pitt executed its game plan en route to an 87-68 victory this weekendand will look to continue those efforts as it hosts the Delaware State Hornets tonight at the Petersen Events Center.

Delaware State, a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, boasts two outstanding freshmen players who will be a primary focus for the Panthers’ defense. Casey Walker and Desi Washington combined for 37 points, including eight 3-pointers, in the Hornets’ most recent 75-56 victory over Maine.

No. 3 Men's Basketball Hosts Delaware State on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET

Contest will be broadcast on the internet on ESPN3.com; Pitt is 17-0 all-time vs. MEAC schools; owns an 81-1 record vs. non-conference opponents at the Petersen Events Center.

GAME 10: DELAWARE STATE (4-3, 1-0 MEAC) at #3 PITT (9-0, 0-0 Big East)
Wednesday, December 8, 2010 • 7 p.m. ET
Petersen Events Center (12,508) • Pittsburgh, Pa.
Television: ESPN3.com (John Sanders and Anthony Buford; Producer: Matt McCandlish).

The Coaches: Pitt: Jamie Dixon, 12th year at Pitt, 8th year as head coach (197-54); Delaware State: Greg Jackson, 20th year at Delaware State (323-228), 20th year overall (323-228).
Rankings: Pitt: AP-3; ESPN-3. Delaware State: AP-NR; ESPN: NR.

Series: Pitt and Delaware State meet for the third time with Pitt leading with a 2-0 record. The last time the two schools met was on November 14, 2006, a 67-50 Pitt win at the Petersen Events Center. Pitt is 17-0 all-time vs. the MEAC (Coppin St. 3-0, Delaware St. 2-0, Florida A&M 1-0, Howard 3-0, Maryland Eastern Shore 1-0, Morgan St. 2-0, Norfolk St. 2-0, North Carolina A&T 3-0).

 Delaware State Basketball 

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La Salle hires Howard University Grad as women's basketball coach

Prince George's County, Maryland native Jeff Williams has been named the head women's basketball coach at La Salle University.

PHILADELPHIA - Jeffrey B. "Jeff" Williams, who spent the past seven seasons at the University of Pittsburgh, including the last four as the Associate Head Coach, has been named the Head Women's Basketball Coach at La Salle University, Director of Athletics Dr. Tom Brennan announced. Williams helped guide the Panthers to postseason appearances in the past five seasons, including three straight NCAA Tournament trips with Sweet Sixteen showings in 2008 and 2009. He will be formally introduced at a press conference on Wednesday at 1 PM in the Hayman Center mezzanine.

"I am very excited to begin my head coaching career at La Salle University," Williams said. "I hope to create an exciting environment for our student-athletes. I know it will be a challenge to compete in the Atlantic 10, which boast some of the top coaches and programs in the country. But my vision is to bring La Salle to national prominence. I feel that I have the unwavering support of La Salle President Brother Michael McGinniss, and Director of Athletics, Dr. Tom Brennan. This is the beginning of a new era for La Salle women's basketball and I'm up to the challenge."

Williams has over 20 years of college coaching experience, including the last 16 as a women's basketball coach at Howard (1995-2000), Georgia Tech (2001-03) and Pittsburgh (2003-10). He recruited or coached six players who reached the WNBA, including Pitt All-American Shavonte Zellous, who was named to the WNBA all-rookie team in 2009. Three of his recruiting classes have been ranked in the top 15 nationally and his teams have reached seven NCAA and three WNIT Tournaments.

The 1987 Howard University graduate with a degree in therapeutic recreation, Williams also was an assistant coach for the men's teams at George Mason (1989-93) and South Carolina State (1987-89). As an assistant coach at Howard University and recruiting coordinator, he helped lead the team to four MEAC titles and three NCAA Tournament appearances. His recruiting class during the 1997-98 season was ranked 12th best in the nation..

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