Pittsburgh, PA (January 8, 2006) ? The University of South Florida women's basketball team hit the road for its first-ever BIG EAST road contest and found that life on the road in BIG EAST Conference play is no piece of cake, en route to a 66-64 buzzer-beating loss to Pittsburgh Sunday afternoon.
The Bulls (11-4, 1-1 BIG EAST) realized early that it would be in a dog-fight against a much improved Panther team.
USF battled to a 30-25 lead at the half despite shooting 33.3 percent (12-33) from the field and 1-6 (16.7 percent) from behind the three-point arc. The Bulls were also outrebounded 26-14 in the first stanza. Of the 26 Pitt rebounds, 11 came on the offensive end and led to 12 second chance points.
Ezria Parsons (Bushnell, FL) grabbed five of the Bulls' 14 boards, which included the 600th of her career on her second rebound of the afternoon.
USF, however continued to play it's typical nagging defense forcing the Panthers into 16 first half miscues which led to 13 points.
The Panthers (11-3, 1-1 BIG EAST) set the tone early outscoring the Bulls, 20-13 through the first 8:45 of the second half, and taking a 45-43 lead with 11:23 remaining in the contest. Pittsburgh's Marcedes Walker scored nine of her 19 points during that 20-point stretch.
The game would be tied three times before USF would take its final lead of the game, 54-53, with 5:21 left in the game on a Rachael Sheats (Marietta, GA) layup.
The Panthers would take a five-point lead, 64-59; their biggest of the contest with 1:56 left in the game on a Walker lay up.
The Bulls would then score the next five points on two free throws by Jessica Dickson (Ocala, FL) with 1:35 left, and then Shantia Grace (Sarasota, FL) would connect on a lay up and then hit two from the charity stripe with 17 seconds left.
Pitts' Mallorie Winn would then hit the game winner with four seconds left on a runner in the paint.
Dickson would finish with game-high 24 points while Nalini Miller (Capital Heights, MD) and Sheats added 12 in the loss.
The Bulls will return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 11 when they face No. 8/8 Rutgers at 7 p.m. at the Sun Dome.
