#15 PITT VS. #4 OKLAHOMA MARCH 29, 2009 Mendy Nestor, Associate SID • Women’s Basketball [email protected] • 412.648.8240 (offi ce) 412.849.9470 (cell) • 412.648.8248 (fax) 3719 Terrace Street • Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Women’s Basketball www.pittsburghpanthers.com Ford Center (20,817) • Oklahoma City, Okla. • NCAA Oklahoma City Regional 22008,008, 20092009 SweetSweet 1616 AppearancesAppearances No. 4 Seed Pitt Panthers • (25-7, 12-4 Big East) • Rankings: (#15/#16) No. 1 Seed Oklahoma Sooners • (30-4, 15-1 Big 12) • Rankings: (#4/#4) Scouting Pitt... 2008-09 Schedule Pitt’s No. 4 seed in the Oklahoma City Regional is the highest seeding for Pitt in NOVEMBER 5 OHIO LEGENDS (EXHIB.) PITTSBURGH W, 73-58 school history. Its only other appearances were as a No. 6 seed in 2008 and as a No. 8 11 PREMIER PLAYERS (EXHIB.) PITTSBURGH W, 76-65 seed in 2007 at the Petersen Events Center. 16 vs. #10 Texas A&M (ESPN2) Baton Rouge, La. L, 50-56 The Panthers have now advanced to the Sweet 16 in the last two years. In just three NCAA (State Farm Tip-Off Classic) 20 at Western Michigan Kalamazoo, Mich. W, 88-60 appearances in the school’s history, Pitt has recorded a 5-2 record (2007, 2008 and 2009). 24 PENN STATE PITTSBURGH W, 80-59 Senior guard Shavonte Zellous has been outstanding in the tournament to date. She 28 ELON PITTSBURGH W, 84-49 has averaged 27.5 points per game through the fi rst and second rounds, in addition to 8.0 29 YOUNGSTOWN STATE PITTSBURGH W, 99-42 rebounds. Against Montana, she contributed 31 points, and in the win over Gonzaga, she DECEMBER 3 at Duquesne Palumbo Center W, 66-47 scored 22 second half points for 24 total. Zellous has now recorded 21 20-point games this 7 #8 MARYLAND PITTSBURGH W, 86-57 season and fi ve 30-point games. 13 WEST VIRGINIA STATE PITTSBURGH W, 85-37 With her 31 points against Montana and 24 against Gonzaga, Zellous has now scored 16 WAGNER PITTSBURGH W, 98-41 19 at Florida A&M Tallahassee, Fla. W, 89-59 729 points to date this season, which makes her the all-time Pitt leader in single-season 21 at #20 Florida Gainesville, Fla. L, 83-90 scoring -- men or women. The 24-year-old record, which was held by the mother of current 30 WESTERN KENTUCKY PITTSBURGH W, 93-50 Pitt sophomore Shayla Scott -- Jennifer Bruce Scott, stood at 681 points until March 21. In JANUARY that game, Zellous also became the fi rst Pitt player in history (men or women) to score 700 4 WEST VIRGINIA^ (ESPNU) PITTSBURGH W, 72-63 7 at Providence^ Providence, R.I. L, 69-77 points in a single season. 10 DEPAUL^ (BETV) PITTSBURGH L, 62-69 Pitt’s win over Gonzaga gave the Panthers their 25th win of the season, which is the most 17 USF^ PITTSBURGH W, 79-47 wins in school history. Pitt fi nished with 24 wins in both 2007 and in 2008. Not only are the Pan- 20 at Seton Hall^ South Orange, N.J. W, 76-40 24 at Syracuse^ Syracuse, N.Y. W, 77-75 thers guaranteed the most wins in school history, but the best winning percentage as well. 27 at Georgetown^ Washington, D.C. W, 50-39 In Pitt’s win over Montana, the Panthers held the Grizzlies to just 10 points in the second 30 MARQUETTE^ PITTSBURGH W, 86-54 half, which ties the NCAA Tournament record for fewest points allowed in a half. Connecticut FEBRUARY held Long Island University to just 10 points in the 2001 tourney. Also, Pitt held Montana to 3 #19 NOTRE DAME^ PITTSBURGH W, 82-70 10 at Rutgers^ (CBS CSN) Piscataway, N.J. W, 61-53 (OT) just 35 total points which tied for the ninth fewest points allowed in the tournament. 15 at #1 UConn^ (ESPN2) Storrs, Conn. L, 42-95 Pitt’s senior class of Shavonte Zellous and Xenia Stewart has totaled an impressive 18 VILLANOVA^ PITTSBURGH W, 70-54 3,553 points to date in their four-year careers. Throughout their four seasons, they have 21 CINCINNATI^ PITTSBURGH W, 68-53 scored an astounding 38.4 percent of Pitt’s points (9,243 total Pitt points during that time). 24 at West Virginia^ (CBS CSN) Morgantown, W.Va. W, 72-60 28 at #8 Louisville^ (BETV) Louisville, Ky. L, 51-75 Without a doubt, Stewart and Zellous combine as the most successful senior class MARCH in school history with a 95-38 record – a 71.4 winning percentage. The second most suc- 2 ST. JOHN’S^ PITTSBURGH W, 79-60 cessful class was the 2008 class, which fi nished its career 83-46 (64.3 win percentage). 8 DePaul* Hartford, Conn. W, 62-59 9 #5 Louisville* Hartford, Conn. L, 63-69 21 Montana# Seattle, Wash. W, 64-35 23 Gonzaga# Seattle, Wash. W, 65-60 29 #4 Oklahoma# Oklahoma City, Okla. 9 p.m. CT 31 Purdue/Rutgers# Oklahoma City, Okla. Pitt Off The Bench APRIL 5-7 NCAA Final Four# St. Louis, Mo. G 10 Taneisha Harrison 6-0 So. 8.6 ppg 3.2 rpg ^ Big East contest F 22 Chelsea Cole 6-3 So. 3.6 ppg 5.4 rpg * Big East Championship G 24 Sarah Ogoke 5-8 Fr. 1.3 ppg 0.5 rpg # NCAA Tournament F 32 Selena Nwude 6-5 So. 1.5 ppg 1.3 rpg All times are EST C 50 Kate Popovec 6-3 Fr. 4.5 ppg 4.9 rpg Pitt Probable Starters Oklahoma Probable Starters F 2 Sophronia Sallard 5-10 Jr. 6.7 ppg 3.0 rpg F 1 Nyeshia Stevenson 5-9 Jr. 9.3 ppg 1.7 rpg F 25 Shayla Scott 6-1 So. 8.8 ppg 6.8 rpg F 5 Ashley Paris 6-3 Sr. 12.6 ppg 9.6 rpg C 40 Pepper Wilson 6-6 Fr. 6.8 ppg 6.3 rpg C 3 Courtney Paris 6-4 Sr. 16.0 ppg 13.7 rpg G 1 Shavonte Zellous 5-11 Sr. 22.8 ppg 5.6 rpg G 13 Danielle Robinson 5-9 So. 12.9 ppg 2.7 rpg G 33 Xenia Stewart 6-0 Sr. 10.9 ppg 4.0 rpg G 25 Whitney Hand 6-1 Fr. 8.7 ppg 2.6 rpg Pitt Head Coach: Oklahoma Head Coach: Radio Information: TV Info: ESPN2/ESPN360 Agnus Berenato (6th season) Sherri Coale (13th season) FOX Sports Radio 970 (Live) Play-by-Play: Dave O’Brien Record at Pitt: 114-73 Record at Oklahoma: 284-131 Play-by-Play: Greg Linnelli Analysis: Nancy Lieberman Overall: 397-337 (25th season) Overall: Same Analysis: Jen Tuscano Reporter: Beth Mowins Women’s Basketball Pitt in the NCAA Tournament... • She holds a 5-4 record all-time in fi ve Oklahoma NCAA History... • Pitt’s No. 4 seed is the highest for the Pan- NCAA Tournament appearances, including • Oklahoma has been a No. 1 seed one oth- thers in school history. In 2007 they were a an 0-2 record while the head coach at Geor- er time. In 2002, they fi nished as the NCAA No. 8 seed and in 2008 they earned a No. gia Tech. Tournament runner up. 6 seed. • The Sooners are 18-11 all-time in NCAA • Pitt has a short, but successful history in Pitt Players in the history. the NCAA Tournament and is now 5-2 re- NCAA Tournament... • In 2007 and 2008 Oklahoma advanced to cord in three appearances. • Six of Pitt’s players have NCAA Tourna- the second round before bowing out. • The Panthers’ fi rst-ever appearance was ment experience entering this season, in- in 2007 and the team has made the tour- cluding seniors Shavonte Zellous, Xenia Common Opponents... nament fi eld in each of the two years since Stewart, junior Sophronia Sallard and soph- • Pitt and Oklahoma have each suffered then. omores Chelsea Cole, Taneisha Harrison losses to Texas A&M and Connecticut this • Last season, Pitt advanced to the Sweet and Shayla Scott. season. 16 with wins over Wyoming and No. 3 seed Baylor. All-Time Pitt NCAA Results: • Pitt’s three destinations for the opening Twice as Sweet... Date Seed Opponent Result • The Pitt women’s and men’s teams are rounds have been at home for the 2007 3-23-09 #4 #12 Xavier W, 65-60 tournament, at Albuquerque, N.M., in 2008 3-21-09 #4 #13 Montana W, 64-35 both making appearances in the Sweet 16 and in Seattle, Wash., this season. The 3-29-08 #6 #2 Stanford L, 53-72 this season, making Pitt one of six schools Panthers advanced to the Spokane Region 3-24-08 #6 #3 Baylor W, 67-59 with both programs represented in the tour- for the 2008 Sweet 16 and now to the Okla- 3-22-08 #6 #11 Wyoming W, 63-58 nament. homa City Region in 2009. 3-20-07 #8 #1 Tennessee L, 68-54 • Other schools include: Oklahoma, Louis- • The Panthers have won a game in all three 3-18-07 #8 #9 James Madison W, 71-61 ville, Connecticut, Michigan State and Pur- appearances in the NCAA Tournament. due. Agnus Berenato in the Select Company... NCAA Tournament... Oklahoma Sooners • Senior guard Shavonte Zellous, who • Berenato has given Pitt its only three ap- 30-4 overall, 15-1 Big 12 now has 2,233 points in her career and pearances in the NCAA Tournament, which 729 this season, recently became the only have come in each of the last three seasons Scouting No.