PITTSBURGH — On Saturday afternoon, Pitt’s women’s basketball squad took down Robert Morris at the Petersen Events Center behind a monstrous performance from forward Khadija Faye.
Pitt and RMU battled throughout the first half, with neither team taking control early. However, Pitt went on a 10-4 run near the end of the second quarter, propelling the Panthers into the driver’s seat. In the run, Khadija Faye and Aaryn Battle hit two point field goals and Bella Perkins and MaKayla Elmore hit three pointers.
The Panthers extended their lead to nine points in the third quarter on a corner three from sharpshooter Aislin Malcolm. After RMU’s Danielle Vuletich responded with a two pointer of her own, Khadija Faye grabbed her own offensive rebound, finished a layup through contact, and converted the old-fashioned three point play. Pitt’s lead was now up to ten points.
RMU’s Isys Grady opened up the fourth quarter with a wide open three pointer, cutting the Pitt lead down to eight, 45-37. Noami Barnwell then hit a two-pointer for the Colonials, cutting the deficit to just six points. Malcolm put an end to the RMU run with a tough drive through contact and a good layup.
The Colonials tried to fight back into the game, but Pitt continued to find good looks on offense, and piled onto the lead. Marley Washenitz hit a three pointer with just under four minutes to play, extending Pitt’s lead up to 14 points at 58-44.
The Panthers closed out the win in the final minutes, behind late buckets from Washenitz and Faye. The final score was 64-51, Panthers.
Faye finished as the leading scorer and rebounder for the Panthers yet again. She dropped 25 points and 15 rebounds in the win along with five blocks. Pitt turned the ball over 19 times to RMU’s 15. The Panthers won the rebounding battle 47-31, grabbing 15 on offense.
Nine different players scored for the Colonials, Jada Lee, Noa Givon and Grady leading the charge. As a team, Chandler McCabe’s squad shot 33% from the field and 38% from three-point range.
RMU fell to 2-3 on the season with the loss. The Colonials will play Duquesne next on Monday, Nov. 25 at 6 p.m. at Duquesne’s UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.
Pitt improved to 5-1 on the year with the win, and 4-0 at home. The Panthers will now travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands to take on Kansas, Auburn. and Northern Iowa on Nov. 28, 29, and 30th, respectively. Following that event, the Panthers will return home for the City Game, playing against Duquesne on Wednesday, Dec. 4 at 6 p.m.
