Pitt and Duquesne’s men’s basketball teams both have multiple home games, while Robert Morris’ men’s team is on the road all week. To cap off a busy slate, we’ve got the Women’s Basketball City Game on Saturday at Duquesne as well.

Let’s take a look at the full schedule for this week of Pittsburgh basketball home games.

Duquesne MBB: 

Monday: Duquesne Vs. Stony Brook – 7 p.m.

Wednesday: Duquesne Vs. Princeton – 7 p.m.

Friday: Duquesne Vs. Rider – 7 p.m.

Duquesne Basketball Runs on Rozier: ‘His Leadership Ability is Second-to-None’

Pitt MBB: 

Monday: Pitt Vs. Florida Gulf Coast – 7 p.m.

Friday: Pitt Vs. Jacksonville – 7 p.m.

Duquesne WBB:

Saturday: Duquesne Vs. Pitt WBB – 2 p.m.

Pitt WBB:

Saturday: Pitt @ Duquesne WBB – 2 p.m.

RMU WBB

Wednesday: RMU Vs. Akron WBB – 11 a.m.

RECORD UPDATES

Pitt MBB: 2-0

Duquesne MBB: 2-0

Duquesne WBB: 2-0

Pitt WBB: 1-1

RMU MBB: 1-1

RMU WBB: 1-1

Stay tuned on Pittsburgh Sports Now for coverage of all of the city’s college basketball action throughout the week and beyond. For more information on tickets and full schedules for each of the teams, click here for Duquesne MBB, here for Duquesne WBB, here for Pitt MBB, here for Pitt WBB, and here for Robert Morris WBB.

The post Big Week of College Basketball Ahead in the Steel City appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

The Panthers (1-1) loss to the Mountaineers (2-0) is the sixth consecutive, dating back to 2011, when both programs played in the Big East Conference. This is the first matchup between the two teams since December 2018, five seasons ago, which saw the Mountaineers pull out a 77-43 win on the road.

West Virginia utilized a press for almost the entirety of the game that befuddled Pitt and forced a number of turnovers. They started out the game on a 12-4 run in the first three minutes of the game, thanks to two forced turnovers against Pitt.

The Panthers came back to cut the lead to just two off of a 10-4 run, 16-14, with four points each from forwards in senior Liatu King and junior college transfer Rapuluchi Ayodele. The Moutaineers responded by forcing five turnovers scoring seven points off them to take a 23-16 lead at the end of the first quarter.

WVU continued to use the press to trap Pitt players and it worked best at the beginning of the second quarter, as they started on a 13-0 run in the first three minutes. They forced seven turnovers during that time, scoring nine points off of them to increase their lead to 35-16.

Just like the first quarter, the Panthers managed to cut down on the mistakes and then into their deficit, using a 13-4 run to make it a 10-point game going in to halftime, 39-29. King scored eight points and Ayodele scored five to keep the Panthers in the contest.

Aydoele and King kept that great play going into the second half, as they spurred a 11-0 run to begin the third quarter to help Pitt take a 40-39 lead with 6:46 remaining.

“The four or five that was out there with me, I would just tell them, “Three minutes, just three minutes,” King said on making the comeback. “And before even the half had ended, I think we were down by almost 15 and I’m like, “Let’s cut it to eight.” We got on a little run and we cut it to 10, and so that gave us a boost and some good momentum to end the half, even though we weren’t up or tied or anything, that gave us good momentum to end the half and that’s how we came out in the third quarter the way we did.”

West Virginia fifth-year guard Lauren Fields responded with back-t0-back 3-pointers, to regain the lead, but Ayodele and King scored off two turnovers to cut the lead back to one.

The Mountaineers would increase their advantage off of a 9-3 run to end the third quarter, with redshirt junior guard Ky’ah Watson scoring two baskets to propel her team to a 54-47 lead.

Pitt would attempt to make a comeback in the fourth quarter, but West Virginia held them off, not letting them within less than five points en route to the victory.

The 28 turnovers Pitt women’s basketball committed tied a program record for most in a game at the Petersen Events Center, as they committed 28 turnovers against WVU in that matchup in 2018.

Sophomore guard Marley Washentiz also set a record for most turnovers committed in a single game at the Petersen Events Center with 12 in the loss. She also scored just two points on two free throws and fouled out late in the fourth quarter.

Panthers head coach Tory Verdi was not surprised with the press that the Mountaineers utilized that led to those turnovers. He said that it’s hard to win games with the amount of turnovers they committed and that they have to work on it going forward.

“We knew, we knew,” Verdi said on the WVU press. “I think it would’ve been for them, that positive. I wasn’t concerned that we would’ve handled their pressure. I mean we play against male players every day and they’re fast. Their pressure has never bothered us, so whatever it was, I just think that they sped us up significantly and made us do things that normally, we don’t do. Obviously it had a major impact on us and we’ll continue to get better from that and learn from it.”

King finished with a career-high 28 points, shooting 10-for-23 from the floor and a perfect 8-for-8 from the foul line. She also had 14 rebounds, for her second consecutive double-double, as she had one against Yale in the season opener on Tuesday. 

Ayodele had her first double-double as a Panther, scoring 18 points on 8-for-12 shooting and grabbing 14 rebounds. She also led the team with three steals and three blocks and credited her teammates on the great relationships she has built so far.

“Honestly, I’m just trying to work everyday,” Ayodele said. “Thanks to my teammates. It’s something that I do in practice, I work on that in practice.”

Pitt women’s basketball will go on the road for the first time this season, as they face George Mason next Wednesday in Fairfax, Va. at 4 p.m.

The post Pitt Women’s Basketball Falls Just Short in Backyard Brawl, 71-62 appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

New head coach Tory Verdi announced the signings of Audrey Biggs and Kiara Williams. They represent his first recruiting class at Pitt, as he attempts to build the program to a contender in the ACC. Biggs committed to the program back in June and Williams committed back in September. 

Biggs hails from Ashland, Ky. and plays for Boyd County High School. She stands at 6-feet and starts at the small forward position. The best assets of her game includes her ability to drive through opponents to the paint to score, a great quick-spot up shooting efficiency and on-ball defending, along with moving around screens.

She averaged 17.5 points per game as a sophomore in 2021-22, as well as 44% shooting from the field and seven rebounds per game. After undergoing ACL surgery, Biggs recovered and received All-State honorable mentions as a junior from the Lexington Herald-Leader. She also played for her home state in the Kentucky-Indiana All-Star basketball series back in June.

It’s a blessing and a joy to see @BiggsAudrey playing at this level again on the biggest stage with @WVThunderUAA at only 9 months post “fertilized”ACL surgery. Check out some of her highlights from Live at Lakepoint this past weekend @Scottejohnson12 @ChadLavenderMD @hjasonh21 pic.twitter.com/yKkVbLB0Wc

— Brian Biggs (@bbiggs_88) May 22, 2023

“Audrey is a nice addition to our team,” Verdi said in a statement the program released. “I know our fan base is going to love her game as she is a leader by nature and ultra-competitive. Audrey will provide us with some depth at the wing position as she is a very capable scorer with an appetite to defend and rebound the ball.”

Williams stands at 6-foot and plays both power forward and center for Palm Bay Magnet High School in Melbourne, Fla. As a junior last season, she averaged 13.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, including 3.7 offensive rebounds, along with 2.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.4 blocks per game, respectively.

A stellar post player, Williams has the footwork to beat her opponents down in the paint, either with a short jump shot or by going straight up to the basket with the layup. Williams also has the strength to dominate smaller opponents and can bully taller defenders out of the way to score if needed.

She possesses a solid mid-range jump shot, has good court awareness to find her teammates, can run the floor to score on the fast break and drive to the hoop through contact, making her a great fit for Pitt women’s basketball.

“Kiara Williams is currently being considered as one of the best players in the state of Florida, Verdi said. “Her work ethic is second to none as she is super competitive and relentless on the boards. She will be a presence in the post for us as she can score the basketball at many levels. I believe her best basketball is ahead of her and I’m excited for her to join our program.”

The post Pitt Women’s Basketball Signs Two Players in Class of 2024 to NLIs appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

Mere minutes after he turned to the Pitt fans and shouted “let’s go” with the victory secured, Verdi’s towel was strapped onto his face as he processed the surprise just sprung on him.

First of many wins for @CoachVerdiPitt here at Pitt #BeDifferent // @MarchMadnessWBB pic.twitter.com/BVXXQxzm3V

— Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_WBB) November 8, 2023

“I’m just happy for our players,” he stated. “They know what practice is like every single day. They think I’m crazy and it’s okay. I’ve been married for 25 years, and I hear it every day but there’s a method to my madness. I’m their opponent each and every day. In practices it’s not easy but it’s worth it. When you get these types of results you see why we do the things we’re doing.”

Verdi is aware that those in attendance may have been stressed out, but the Tuesday-night triumph was one which he feels was seven months in the making.

As soon as Verdi arrived at Pitt, he explained that things needed to be different on a daily basis and the set out to change both the culture as well as the belief within the program.

“Tonight, our mental toughness is why we won,” determined Verdi. “I’m not sure if we had this day one. It’s been a journey but I’m super happy. We took their best punch no question about it.”

While Pitt was far from a perfect product, there were clear glimpses which certainly were not previously visible. At times the ball hummed with purpose, Pitt drew four charges including Marley Washenitz picking up two right after a timeout, the Panthers were consistently first to the punch after stoppages of play, it maintained identity through adversity and played with a clear heart.

It is hard to call the first game in a season program defining, but there are certain nerves that come with a first game. Everything is old because it has been instilled for months, but at the same time it all is new because this is the first game that has a true outcome of direct reward or consequence.

The victory is a home win which displayed fight and a refusal to quit. There was no question that Pitt became a better team through the win, doing so against a veteran team and a identity which had already started to form.

Graduate student forward Jala Jordan’s Pitt debut came with a 14-point effort during which she displayed a confidence which grew throughout the contest as she pushed to find a result, something which has grown since coming to campus.

“I know that I have a coaching staff that’s rooting for me and wants the best for me,” she explained. “That instills more confidence and just the want to. I’m very grateful to be in this situation.”

Junior guard Bella Perkins scored a game-high 21 points and her three-point shot with 49 seconds remaining in regulation put the game out of reach.

Nearly half an hour after her celebration concluded with a resounding fist pump, she sat at the postgame podium, a smile wide across her face explaining how from the beginning she knew something special was present, something which starts with Verdi.

“It’s not always perfect, but having a good relationship with your coaches, all of them helps a lot,” Perkins said. “He trusts us, we trust him, and it just makes you want to fight and play for not only yourself and your teammates, but also for coach. This is his first win at Pitt so that’s big and we want to do it all for each other.”

When asked, Verdi pondered about the past several months and what they meant. How he has grown.

The nearly two-minute answer?

It came down to believing he is truly blessed to be in a great situation where he loved working in all aspects, whether with staff, the team and beyond.

“Just to watch them compete each and every single day and just who they are as people,” replied a poised Verdi. “I think for me personally my goal in what I need to do is I need to challenge them. If I don’t challenge them, then I’m failing them, and my job is to push them and get them to go beyond where they could physically go. When you’re exhausted you’ve got to find a way to keep going because the teams that don’t win, they stop, the teams that do win they keep going. That’s something that we’re learning. I’m truly blessed to work with these guys every single day and I’m having a lot of fun. Tonight was just great for them, for our fans, great for the program.”

As Verdi wiped off his face in Pitt’s locker room and processed the barrage of water, he jumped towards the middle of the room surrounded by his team, celebrating the first of what he hopes to be many more wins.

“I’m going to give it my all,” Verdi concluded. “It doesn’t change and that’s why I said, ‘every game matters’. This isn’t a rebuilding year. When you say rebuilding year that’s an excuse to be mediocre. We’re not rebuilding, I expect to go out there and compete each and every single night and put ourselves in a position to win. I’m just thankful that I get to work with these guys every day.”

The post Weiss: Pitt WBB Displays Belief, Growth In Verdi’s Debut appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

The Panthers (1-0) victory over the Bulldogs (0-1) makes it their fifth straight season with a win in the home opener and the fourth straight season with a win in the opening game. The win over the Bulldogs is also the first ever between the two programs and the first Ivy League win for the Panthers since a 51-39 win at home over the Cornell Big Red in November 2017.

Pitt initially started out with a 9-2 run, but Yale responded by scoring seven straight points to tie it up at 9-9 at the media timeout. Yale took advantage of poor shooting from Pitt and built a 23-18 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The game changed in the second quarter, as the referees chose to start awarding more fouls. Yale received 10 fouls with Pitt taking advantage, making 10 of their 13 attempts from the free throw line, with senior forward Liatu King making all five of her free throws.

Pitt also held Yale to 3-for-12 shooting from the field in the second quarter, allowing them to outscore Yale 24-11 to earn a 42-34 lead at halftime.

The Panthers continued to improve offensively to begin the third quarter, with an 11-4 run to increase their lead to 53-38. The Bulldogs then went on a scoring run of their own, thanks to great shooting, as they made 5-of-7 shots down the stretch to cut the Panthers advantage to just six points at 58-52.

Pitt built their lead back up to double digits at 71-61 with six minutes remaining and again off a 3-pointer from the logo by USC transfer junior guard Bella Perkins to make it a 76-66 game with 2:15 remaining.

Yale didn’t quit and managed to cut the lead to two points, 76-74, with just 1:19 left in the fourth quarter. Senior guard Jenna Clark, a Thomas Jefferson alum, hit two 3-pointers off second-chance opportunities and senior forward Brenna McDonald provided a layup herself.

Perkins once again came up big for the Panthers, as she hit another logo 3-pointer to put them up by five points with just 49 seconds left. Sophomore guard Marley Washenitz drew a foul on the ensuing Bulldogs possession and gave the Panthers the ball back with 35 seconds remaining.

FROM THE LOGO

Perkins hits two HUGE threes to stall the Yale run!

Pitt 79, Yale 74 | :33 Q4

https://t.co/DbBLHbdDAP (ACCNX)#H2P // #BeDifferent pic.twitter.com/03X874dKLS

— Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_WBB) November 8, 2023

Yale then chose not to foul, despite only having five seconds left in the game and facing a five-point deficit, which allowed Pitt to run down the clock and win the game.

The win serves as the first victory under new Pitt women’s basketball head coach Tory Verdi. He joined the program in April after serving as head coach of UMass the previous seven seasons, which saw him make an NCAA Tournament in 2022.

Verdi spoke on how this win is a culmination of the past seven months of building a great culture and, essentially, an entirely new program. The victory, to Verdi, shows that change and the growth of the program within that time.

“I thought tonight, our mental toughness is why we won,” Verdi said. “I’m not sure if we had this day one. So it’s been a journey. I’m just super happy. We took their best punch and we did a great job of executing down the stretch and scoring when we needed to.”

Verdi was also surprised that Yale chose not to foul on the final Pitt possession. He devised many scenarios, but when they didn’t foul, he told his players to bring the ball up the floor and waste as much time as possible.

“That’s fine, that’s what they chose to do,” Verdi said. “Regardless of what they did, our execution down the stretch was on point and I’m just super proud of our players.”

Perkins led the Panthers with 21 points, while shooting 9-for-20 from the floor and 3-for-8 from behind the arc. Those two big 3-pointers are something that she is comfortable taking going forward and has confidence as a shooter in the final minute.

“Honestly, nothing,” Perkins said on what she was thinking about on the last 3-pointer. “I just let it fly. I was in rhythm and I felt confident shooting the ball…I just let it fly.”

King led Pitt with 16 points and 14 rebounds for her 10th career double-double. She made five of her nine shots from the field and finished 6-for-7 from the foul line. Junior forward Rapuluchi Ayodele finished first on Pitt with seven offensive rebounds and was third with 11 rebounds, while also scoring nine points on the night.

Seton Hall transfer in graduate student forward Jala Jordan, despite fouling out, had 14 points on 6-for-13 shooting, along with five rebounds and three assists. She enjoyed her first official experience playing under Verdi and is excited for the season ahead.

“Yes it was what I expected,” Jordan said. “Honestly, coach and the staff get us more than prepared and everything like that. I’m happy to be here.”

Pitt women’s basketball will face rival West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl on Saturday at 2 p.m. at home, which will serve as the first Power 5 matchup of Verdi’s coaching tenure in Oakland.

The post Pitt Women’s Basketball Defeats Yale in Season Opener appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

The Panthers participated in their first exhibition match since the 2019-20 season, when they defeated Pitt-Johnstown 76-62. They played in three straight seasons with exhibition games prior to that one, a 68-46 win over Gannon in 2018, a 73-68 loss to Indiana (Pa.) in 2017 and a 72-40 win over them in 2016.

The win marked the first game that head coach Tory Verdi coached his team in. Verdi is the 10th head coach to take over Pitt women’s basketball. He took over from Lance White, who served as the Panthers’ head coach for five seasons, before athletic director Heather Lyke fired him for accruing a record of 42-99, the worst five year stretch of any head coach in Panthers history.

Verdi liked the effort he saw out of his team in the blowout win. It wasn’t perfect, but Verdi saw the discipline and execution from the Panthers that he has been working to instill in this new team with only four returners from the previous season.

“It was fun,” Verdi said on coaching the team. “It was fun to finally see what we’re capable of doing. I see it every single day in practice. I think our players enjoy playing against somebody different. They’ve been beating up on each other now for the last 25 practices. So, to come out here and just see us, systematically, on both sides of the ball and I thought that we did a lot of good things.”

Pitt took a sizable lead in the first quarter, jumping out to a 37-5 lead, which included a run of 32 consecutive points. They would increase that lead to 61-21 at the break, to 89-27 at the third quarter and then finishing it off 117-49.

The Panthers shot 47-for-70, 67.1% from the floor, compared to the Pioneers who shot 14-for-62, 22.6%. They also forced the Pioneers to turn it over 27 times, while also outrebounding them 54 to 27.

Graduate student forward and Seton Hall transfer Jala Jordan led Pitt with 25 points on 10-for-17 from the field including two 3-pointers.

Senior forward Liatu King also had a great day herself, making 11-of-14 baskets from the floor and scoring 24 points. King gave credit to her team for making her a captain prior to the season, which is something that has pushed her to not only become a better player, but a leader too.

“I felt good, as anyone would,” King said on her game against Point Park. “I just really thank my team for trusting me. I was named captain a couple weeks ago and with that, it comes with a heavy load. As time went on, we’ve built chemistry. Building chemistry off the court leads to good chemistry on the court. We’re feeding the hot hand, I’m not the only one who scored that many points. Just feeding the hot hand and playing into the defense’s weaknesses. We did good slipping, setting screens and rolling and with that we executed, and it shows on the stat sheet.”

Junior college transfer in junior forward Rapuluchi Ayodele demonstrated her prowess under the basket, as she grabbed a team-high 14 rebounds on the night.

USC transfer in junior guard Bella Perkins had a great game herself, shooting 9-for-14 from the field, including 3-for-4 from behind the arc for 21 points. She and Jordan also led Pitt with three steals each.

Sophomore guard Marley Washenitz, a co-captain alongside King, scored 14 points in the win, while also leading Pitt women’s basketball with six assists.

Pitt women’s basketball will face Yale in their season opener next Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 7:00 p.m. at the Petersen Events Center to officially begin their 2023-24 season. Verdi said that the exhibition game, as well as a scrimmage against Siena last week, played a role in preparing the team for the beginning of a new season.

“I think this was a great step for us,” Verdi said. “We had a great scrimmage [against Siena], now another great exhibition. We’ve got another week in front of us here and we’re going to continue to win the day. As we’re going to continue to win the day, it’s going to put us in a position to win basketball games, but we’re going to take it one day at a time.”

The post Pitt Women’s Basketball Defeats Point Park in Exhibition appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

Verdi will need great leadership as he and his staff get adjusted to ACC Women’s Basketball and as they attempt to bring in the type of players they want to rebuild this program.

In his first season leading the Panthers program, Verdi has announced that senior Kiatu King and sophomore Marley Washenitz will be the captains for the 2023-24 season. This is the first-time being team captains for both King and Washenitz.

King is coming off of her best collegiate season, as she averaged 9.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 23 minutes of action. The Washington, DC native ranked 4th in the ACC in blocks, fifth in rebounding and led the Panthers team with six double-doubles. King has been a starter over the last two seasons for the Panthers.

In her first season wearing a Pitt uniform, Washenitz averaged 3.3 points, 1.5 assists and 1.3 rebounds in 28 games (16 starts). The talented point guard was a big addition to the Pitt program last season and looks to be a player that could excel under the coaching of Verdi and his style of play.

King and Wsahenitz are just two of four returning players from Pitt’s roster last season.

The Panthers open up their 2023-24 regular season at home on Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 7:00 pm as they welcome the Yale Bulldogs to the Petersen Events Center.

The post Pitt Women’s Basketball Name Captains For the 2023-24 Season appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

The Panthers are under new head coach Tory Verdi in his first season at the helm and is the 10th head coach in 50 years of the program He took over from Lance White, who served as the Panthers’ head coach for five seasons, before athletic director Heather Lyke fired him for accruing a record of 42-99, the worst five year stretch of any head coach in Panthers history.

Pitt will, once again, play home-and-away matches with Boston College, Louisville, Notre Dame and Syracuse for the fifth straight season, since the ACC moved to 18 conference games in the 2019-20 season.

They will host Notre Dame in the first ACC game on Thursday, Jan. 4, Louisville on Thursday, Jan. 11, Syracuse on Sunday, Jan. 21 and Boston College on Senior night on Sunday, March 3. Pitt will travel to Boston College on Sunday, Jan. 14, Louisville on Sunday, Jan. 28, Notre Dame on Sunday, Feb. 4 and Syracuse on Sunday, Feb. 25.

Pitt will also play four other teams at the Petersen Events Center in Georgia Tech on Sunday, Jan. 7, Duke on Thursday, Feb. 1, Florida State on Thursday, Feb. 8 and NC State on Sunday, Feb. 11. They will travel to four other ACC opponents with Virginia Tech on New Year’s Eve, Sunday, Dec. 31 for the first ACC game and then Virginia on Thursday, Jan. 25, North Carolina on Thursday, Feb. 15 and Clemson on Sunday, Feb. 18.

This accommodates the non-conference schedule that Pitt released in August. They will host Yale, rival West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl, Coppin State, Saint Francis, Binghamton and Lehigh. They will also face George Mason and rival Duquesne in the City Game on the road.

Pitt travels to play in two tournaments in Florida. They’ll take on Northern Kentucky and Akron in the Daytona Beach Invitational over Thanksgiving weekend and then two teams to be announced in the Sun Coast Challenge in Tampa from Dec. 18-19.

The post Pitt Women’s Basketball Full Schedule Released for 2023-24 season appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

Caliyah ‘Lil Bit’ DeVillasee took an unofficial visit to Pitt to visit the program this past weekend and posted on her Instagram story about her visit. DeVillasee plays for Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney, Md. and for Elevate Elite U16 3SSB in the Adidas Circuit for travel ball.

#Pitt WBB hosted 2025 G Caliyah DeVillasee this past weekend for an unofficial visit.

DeVillasee plays for Our Lady of Good Counsel in Maryland and Elevate Elite in the Adidas 3SSB Circuit.

ESPN HoopGurlz has her as the No. 39 player in the Class of 2025. pic.twitter.com/oXm6Kx0mVV

— Dominic Campbell (@DOMISMONEY) September 26, 2023

DeVillasee holds a number of offers from a far ranging list of schools. She has offers from ACC schools in Boston College, North Carolina, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest, Big Ten schools in Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State and Penn State, Big 12 schools in Cincinnati, Kansas State, Texas Tech, UCF and West Virginia, SEC schools in Kentucky and Ole Miss, Big East schools in Providence and St. John’s, Atlantic-10 schools in Dayton, George Mason and George Washington American schools in Charlotte, Memphis and SMU, Sun Belt schools in James Madison and Marshall, Colonial schools in Delaware, Elon, Towson and William & Mary, MEAC schools in Coppin State and Howard, along with Arizona State Long Beach State.

She hails from Baltimore and ESPN HoopGurlz ranked her as the No. 39 player in her class, leading to such a high interest from schools across the country.

DeVillasee averaged 17.9 points, 3.4 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 2.1 steal per game, respectively, as a sophomore last season.

She stands 5-foot-7 and is a guard that shows no fear in whoever is attempting to guard her. The best qualities she possesses are her dribbling and using that to go through opponents to score at the rim. She also can hit jumpers from mid-range/behind the arc and is solid as an on-ball defender, with the penchant to get a steal or two. While functioning as a primary scorer, DeVillasee has great court vision and is able to find her teammates with ease, even in tight situations.

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Pitt women’s basketball has two players in the Class of 2024 so far. Forward Kiara Williams, who plays for Palm Bay Magnet High School in Melbourne, Fla. committed last Monday. Small forward Audrey Biggs was the first to join, when she committed back in June. Biggs hails from Catlettsburg, Ky. and plays for nearby Boyd County High School.

The Panthers had two top 100 recruits in the Class of 2024 they spent time heavily recruiting in guard Aaliyah Guyton and forward Laura Williams. Despite being in the top five schools for both players, they chose to go elsewhere, with Guyton committing to Iowa on Monday and Laura Williams committing to USC on Tuesday.

Verdi and his coaching staff will start their first official practice of the season on Wednesday, but their work with recruiting has shown they are dedicated to making Pitt women’s basketball a competitive program again.

The post Pitt Women’s Basketball Hosts Top 40 Class of 2025 Recruit appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

Williams is the No. 86 recruit in her Class in ESPN HoopGurlz and the No. 1 player in the state of Virginia according to Prep Girls Hoops. She hails from Fairfax, Va and plays forward/center for one of the best basketball schools in the state in Paul VI in Chantilly.

Standing at 6-foot-3, Williams is an incredible post player. She uses her height and her wingspan to make difficult rebounds, scores down low with ease and can score right outside the paint as well. Williams is also a good shooter, as she can hit from mid-range and from behind the arc too.

Doug Williams, who played quarterback for the Washington Redskins, is her father. His most important game came in Super Bowl XXII in 1988 against the Denver Broncos. He became the first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl in the 42-10 victory.

He had an incredible second quarter, setting Super Bowl records for most touchdown passes with four and passing yards with 228 in a quarter. His four touchdowns in the first half is also tied for the most in a Super Bowl as well.

She will choose between five schools in Pitt, Maryland, Harvard, Arizona State and USC Tuesday morning. If Williams chooses Pitt she will become the third member of their Class of 2024, the first true recruiting class for new head coach Tory Verdi and his coaching staff.

Forward Kiara Williams, who plays for Palm Bay Magnet High School in Melbourne, Fla. just committed on Monday. Small forward Audrey Biggs was the first to join the Pitt Class of 2024, when she committed back in June. Biggs hails from Catlettsburg, Ky. and plays for nearby Boyd County High School.

Pitt also hosted Aaliyah Guyton, who is the No. 57 recruit in the Class of 2024 according to ESPN HoopGurlz, for an official visit the same weekend as Laura Williams. Guyton also has Pitt in her top five schools, along with Michigan State, Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska.

The post Pitt WBB Class of 2024 Top 100 Target Laura Williams Announces Commitment Date appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

@EJMurray8 @ECunitedbball @PalmBayGBB @CoachVerdiPitt @CoachTy_M @Pitt_WBB pic.twitter.com/eV4zFGfL2Y

— Kiara Williams (@Kiara_williams5) September 19, 2023

“After considering a lot of good options I’ve decided to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Pittsburgh,” Williams wrote in her post. Thank you to Coach Verdi and Pitt WBB for believing in me. #GOPANTHERS #H2P”

Williams is the second member of the Class of 2024, joining forward Audrey Biggs from Catlettsburg, Ky. and Boyd County High School. Pitt beat out other schools in UNCG, George Mason, Southern Miss, Michigan, Mississippi State, who also offered Williams.

She stands at 6-foot-1 and plays both power forward and center for Palm Bay Magnet High School in Melbourne, Fla. As a junior last season, she averaged 13.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, including 3.7 offensive rebounds, along with 2.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.4 blocks per game, respectively.

Williams is a stellar post player. She has the footwork to beat her opponents down in the paint, either with a short jump shot or by going straight up to the basket with the layup. Williams also has the strength to dominate smaller opponents and can bully taller defenders out of the way to score if needed.

She also possesses a solid mid-range jump shot, has good court awareness to find her teammates, can run the floor to score on the fast break and drive to the hoop through contact.

Panthers head coach Tory Verdi and his coaching staff have had to work quickly to build a new team since he joined the program in April. They’ve added five new transfers to the program and added a player from the Class of 2023 for the upcoming season, as they’ve dealt with 11 players leaving over the offseason from last year’s team.

Pitt has put work on the recruiting trail this summer and also hosted two top recruits from the Class of 2024 two weekends ago in Aaliyah Guyton and Laura Williams. Guyton is the No. 57 recruit and Laura Williams is the No. 86 recruit in ESPN HoopGurls Class of 2024, respectively. Both recruits have Pitt in their top five schools.

The post Pitt WBB Lands Newest Class of 2024 Commitment in Kiara Williams appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

Boswell played one season for ACC foe Georgia Tech last year. She played in five games, making two 3-pointers, one free throw, four rebounds and one assist. She hails from Austin, Texas and played basketball and volleyball, as well as competing in Track and Field at Lake Travis High School. Her father, Mark Boswell, competed for Canada in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia and the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece as a high-jumper.

Since she is joining the Panthers late in the season, Boswell will apply for a waiver to earn immediate eligibility to play this season. If she doesn’t get it, she’ll have to sit out the 2023-24 season and wait for the next one. She has three years of eligibility remaining.

This is the second transfer Pitt has picked up this month, landing forward Ioanna Chatzileonti in early August. Chatzileonti played three seasons at Kansas and has two years of eligibility remaining. Like Boswell, she’ll have to apply for a waiver to play this season.

Junior College transfer guard Mia Simpson, who signed with the program in May, is also no longer a member of the team. 

Pitt currently has 12 players on the roster, with the departure of Simpson and the additions of Chatzileonti and Boswell. Nine players have left the program this offseason following the dismissal of head coach Lance White and Class of 2023 recruit Hannah Mills-Watson decommitted, while Simpson left the team, making it 11.

Here is the Pitt Roster listed for the upcoming 2023-24 season and also the departures from the program below it.

2023-24 Pitt Women’s Basketball Roster + eligibility 

Guards
Junior Bella Perkins: two years (USC)
Sophomore Marley Washenitz: three years
Sophomore Aislin Malcolm: three years
Sophomore Raeven Boswell: three years (Georgia Tech)
First-year Aaryn Battle: four years (UMass)
First-year Jasmine Timmerson: four years

Forwards
Graduate Jala Jordan: one year (Seton Hall)
Senior Ioanna Chatzileonti: two years (Kansas)
Senior Gabby Hutcherson: two years
Senior Liatu King: two years
Junior Rapuluchi Ayodele: two years (Eastern Florida State/Indian River State (JUCO))
First-year Lauren Rust: four years

Pitt Women’s Basketball Transfers/Decommits/No Longer With Program

Guard
Graduate Dayshanette Harris: one year (Clemson)
Graduate Emy Hayford: one year (Fordham)
Graduate Destiny Strother: one year (Niagara)
Senior Sandrine Clesca: two years (Monmouth)
Senior Taisha Exanor: two years (Monmouth)
Junior Mia Simpson: two years (Morton College (JUCO))
Sophomore Avery “Ace” Strickland: three years (Tennessee)

Forward
Graduate forward Amber Brown: one year (St. John’s)
Redshirt senior Cynthia Ezeja: two years (Loyola Marymount)
Junior Maliyah Johnson: two years (Houston)
First-year Hannah Watson: four years (Toronto Metropolitan)

The post Pitt Women’s Basketball Sign Georgia Tech Transfer Guard Raeven Boswell appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

There is currently no reason for why she is not on the roster that Pitt stated, but there are always changes to roster over the offseason. For instance, Pitt just landed Greek forward Ioanna Chatzileonti, who after transferring from Kansas, originally chose to go to Oklahoma State before choosing Pitt in the end.

Simpson was the second transfer to join new head coach Tory Verdi and his staff at Pitt, after forward Jala Jordan committed first.

She starred at the JUCO level for Morton College in Cicero, Ill. She averaged 17.2 points per game last season as a sophomore, while leading the country with an incredible 71.2 shooting percentage. Simpson also averaged 11.5 rebounds and 4.3 rebounds per game, and World Exposure Report named her the Sophomore Player of the Year.

Simpson had 26 double-doubles last season and scored 1,005 career points for Morton College, third most all-time in program history. Simpson also helped Morton College to a 34-1 record, which included a 32-game winning streak, and a fifth-place finish at the National Tournament.

Pitt currently has 11 players on the roster, with the departure of Simpson and the addition of Chatzileonti. Nine players have left the program this offseason following the dismissal of head coach Lance White and Class of 2023 recruit Hannah Mills-Watson decommitted, making it 10.

Here is the Pitt Roster listed for the upcoming 2023-24 season and also the departures from the program below it.

2023-24 Pitt Roster + eligibility 

Guards
Junior Bella Perkins: two years (USC)
Sophomore Marley Washenitz: three years
Sophomore Aislin Malcolm: three years
First-year Aaryn Battle: four years (UMass)
First-year Jasmine Timmerson: four years

Forwards
Graduate Jala Jordan: one year (Seton Hall)
Senior Ioanna Chatzileonti: two years (Kansas)
Senior Gabby Hutcherson: two years
Senior Liatu King: two years
Junior Rapuluchi Ayodele: two years (Eastern Florida State/Indian River State (JUCO))
First-year Lauren Rust: four years

Pitt Transfers/Decommits 

Guard
Graduate Dayshanette Harris: one year (Clemson)
Graduate Emy Hayford: one year (Fordham)
Graduate Destiny Strother: one year (Niagara)
Senior Sandrine Clesca: two years (Monmouth)
Senior Taisha Exanor: two years (Monmouth)
Sophomore Avery “Ace” Strickland: three years (Tennessee)

Forward
Graduate forward Amber Brown: one year (St. John’s)
Redshirt senior Cynthia Ezeja: two years (Loyola Marymount)
Junior Maliyah Johnson: two years (Houston)
First-year Hannah Watson: four years (Toronto Metropolitan)

The post Pitt WBB JUCO Transfer Mia Simpson No Longer On Roster appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

Verdi is the 10th head coach in 50 years of the program He took over from Lance White, who served as the Panthers’ head coach for five seasons, before athletic director Heather Lyke fired him for accruing a record of 42-99, the worst five year stretch of any head coach in Panthers history.

The most important game of the new schedule will see the Backyard Brawl take place. Pitt will face their rival West Virginia on Saturday, Nov. 11 at the Petersen Events Center for the first time since 2018.

WVU holds a five game winning-streak in the series, which dates back to 2011 when both teams played in the Big East. Pitt last won in Morgantown in February 2011 and last won at home in the rivalry in January 2009, when star guard Shavonte Zellous was still playing. WVU leads the series 28-18 all-time and both teams have won 11 times in Pittsburgh.

Pitt opens the season with a preseason game against Point Park on Monday, Oct. 30. This is the first preseason game that Pitt has played since the start of the 2019-20 season.

Yale will serve as the home opener and the first ever meeting between the two programs on Tuesday, Nov. 7. This is the first game against an Ivy League opponent for Pitt since 2017.

Pitt will travel for a road game against George Mason on Wednesday, Nov. 15, making it the third time in the past four seasons they’ve played each other and the first time in Fairfax, Va. Pitt has won all three matchups all-time.

The City Game will once again take place as Pitt and Duquesne will battle for the best team in Pittsburgh on Saturday, Nov. 18 at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.

Pitt will also face Coppin State again for the third straight season. They won the past two games and will face off at the Petersen Events Center on Tuesday, Nov. 21.

The Panthers also will play in two tournaments in 2023. They will play in the Daytona Beach Invitational in Daytona Beach, Fla. for the first time since 2018 on Friday, Nov. 24 and Saturday, Nov. 25 and then the Sun Coast Challenge in Tampa, Fla. on Tuesday Dec. 19 and Wednesday Dec. 20. The teams the Panthers will face off against are to be announced.

There are also two games against New York teams for the first meeting ever between them and the Panthers. Binghamton comes to the Petersen Events Center on Sunday, Dec. 3 and then Le Moyne does the same on Thursday, Dec. 28. Le Moyne is in their first season playing Division I basketball.

Pitt will also take on Saint Francis on Wednesday Nov. 29 for the 14th meeting all-time. Pitt has won the past four games and holds a 10-3 record in the series.

The post Pitt WBB Releases Non-Conference Schedule, Featuring Return of Backyard Brawl appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

Head coach Tory Verdi announced on Thursday the addition of transfer forward Ioanna Chatzileonti, who spent the last three seasons with the Kansas program.

The 6-foot-4 forward will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.

“I am very excited to announce the addition of another experienced post player,” said Verdi. “Ioanna will give us more depth in the front court while her knowledge of the game will help us immediately.”

During her time with the Jayhawks program, Chatzileonti averaged 8.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, while also shooting 45% from the field. Last season, Chatzileonti appeared in only 11 games because of injury, but during the time, she averaged 7.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.

Back in 2021-22, Chatzileonti started 27 of 29 games and averaged a career-high 9.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

The native of Athens, Greece was a 4-star recruit back in the Class of 2020.

She becomes the fourth transfer to join the Pitt program this offseason joining Bella Perkins, Jala Jordan and Rapuluchi Ayodele.

The post Pitt Women’s Basketball Picks Up Kansas Transfer Ioanna Chatzileonti appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.