Pitt Charges Back into Battle Against No. 21 NC State This Thursday!

PITTSBURGH – After achieving the most significant comeback in NCAA women’s basketball history, Pitt is set to visit No. 21-ranked NC State on Thursday night at William Neal Reynolds Coliseum.

The game is scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m., and it will be available for streaming via ACCNX. 

Essential Information – Game 19

Pitt (9-9, 1-4 ACC) at No. 21 NC State (12-4, 4-1 ACC)

Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025 – 7:00 p.m.

Raleigh, N.C. – James T. Valvano Arena at William Neal Reynolds Coliseum

The Opening Tip

Rewriting the Record Books

Pitt secured the largest regulation comeback victory in NCAA women’s basketball history with a 72-59 triumph over SMU Sunday afternoon at the Petersen Events Center. 

The Panthers, who were down by 32 points with 1:37 left in the first half, dominated SMU with a 54-10 advantage in the second half, featuring a 28-0 third quarter.

Remarkably, Pitt held SMU to only three two-point field goals throughout the entire game, not permitting any in the last 31:06 of play.

Complete Team Effort

In the contest against SMU, Pitt’s offense was anchored by redshirt sophomore guard Mikayla Johnson, who tallied 22 points, and graduate center Khadija Faye, who contributed 21 points. Together, they grabbed 18 rebounds. Additionally, Faye registered a career-high-tying six blocks. 

In the backcourt, junior guard Marley Washenitz added 14 points, connecting on three of her eight attempts from beyond the arc, while senior guard Brooklynn Miles delivered eight assists in the match. Pitt converted 71.4 percent (15-for-21) of its free throws, led by Miles, who was perfect on all six attempts.

From the Stripe

The Panthers have been getting to the charity stripe effectively, ranking second in the ACC this season with 328 free throw attempts.

Faye has been a key player in this aspect, placing seventh nationally in free throw attempts. Moreover, Pitt achieved a flawless outing (13-of-13) from the free throw line against then-No. 13 Georgia Tech and 14-of-16 from the line versus Louisville.

Series History

• Thursday’s game will be the 14th all-time encounter between Pitt and NC State.
• The Panthers have lost nine consecutive times to the Wolfpack, starting from the 2015-16 season.
• NC State holds a 5-1 advantage when playing at home in this series.

Scouting the Wolfpack

• After reaching the Final Four last season, No. 21 NC State holds a 12-4 record this year, defeating then-No. 18 Ole Miss and Louisville.
• The Wolfpack features three players who average over 10 points: Aziah James, Zoe Brooks, and Saniya Rivers.
• As a team, NC State puts up over 74 points per game, ranking eighth in the ACC.
• At home this season, the Wolfpack is undefeated with a 9-0 record.

Last Time Out – vs. SMU

Pitt staged a remarkable comeback to defeat SMU, 72-59, Sunday afternoon at the Petersen Events Center.

The Mustangs raced to a 13-3 lead at the start of the game before the first media timeout. SMU enjoyed a scorching 11-2 run to widen its lead to 24-5. Pitt struggled with just eight percent (1-for-13) shooting from the field, while SMU hit seven 3-pointers, resulting in a 32-7 score after the first quarter. Johnson sank Pitt’s first 3-pointer of the game thanks to a screen set by Elmore to kick off the second quarter. Johnson contributed seven of Pitt’s 11 points in that frame, but the Panthers found themselves trailing 49-18 at halftime. 

Pitt’s strong defense allowed no points from SMU in the third quarter, representing the lowest point total allowed in a quarter in program history. Pitt initiated an 8-0 run during a perfect shooting stretch (3-for-3) in the third quarter to cut into SMU’s lead, prompting a Mustang timeout. 

The Panthers stormed back with a stunning 28-0 tally in the third period. Faye was dominant, scoring consecutive buckets after being fouled on both occasions. Washenitz nailed a fast-break three-pointer, narrowing the gap to 12 with a little over two minutes remaining in the third quarter. Faye scored 12 points in that quarter as the Panthers ended up trailing by just three, 49-46, entering the concluding 10 minutes. 

Elmore leveled the score at 49 after hitting a top-of-the-arc three-pointer to commence the fourth quarter. Washenitz added another three-pointer off a Miles assist before fouling out of the game. Elmore gave Pitt a three-point advantage with under five minutes left by sinking another three-pointer from a Miles assist. Faye located Battle open under the basket at the 3:36 mark, helping Pitt increase its lead to six at 61-55. With less than two minutes to go, Johnson received a pass from Faye and executed a contested layup, pushing Pitt’s lead to eight. The Panthers finished the game on a 6-0 run, completing a 32-point comeback.

Up Next

The Panthers will return home to take on No. 14 North Carolina on Sunday, Jan. 19. The game is scheduled to start at 2 p.m., and it will be aired on the ACC Network.