PITTSBURGH – The Pitt women’s basketball team completed the largest regulation comeback win in NCAA women’s basketball history in its 72-59 win over SMU Sunday afternoon in the Petersen Events Center. Pitt, who trailed by 32 points with 1:37 remaining in the first half, outscored SMU 54-10 in the second half.
Pitt’s defense held SMU to 7.4 percent (2-for-24) shooting in the second half and forced eight Mustang turnovers. The Panthers shot 59 percent (16-for-27) in the second half, sparking a 31-0 run in the third and fourth quarters. The Panther defense held SMU scoreless in the entire third frame.
Pitt’s offense was led by redshirt sophomore guard Mikayla Johnson, who scored 22, and graduate center Khadija Faye, who scored 21. Both players combined for 18 rebounds. Of note, Faye tallied a career-high-tying six blocks.
In the backcourt, junior guard Marley Washenitz added 14 points, hitting three of her eight shots from behind the arc and senior guard Brooklynn Miles notched eight assists in the contest. Pitt shot 71.4 percent (15-for-21) from the stripe, led by Miles who made all six of her attempts.
How It Happened
The Mustangs raced out to a 13-3 lead to open the game before the first media timeout. SMU used a blistering 11-2 run to extend its lead to 24-5. Pitt shot just eight percent (1-for-13) from the field and SMU made seven 3-pointers as the Mustangs led 32-7 after the first quarter. Johnson hit Pitt’s first 3-pointer of the game after being freed up by a screen from senior forward MaKayla Elmore to open the second quarter. Johnson scored seven of Pitt’s 11 points in the frame, but the Panthers trailed 49-18 at halftime.
Pitt’s stout defense didn’t allow an SMU point in the third quarter, marking the least number of points allowed in a quarter in program history. Pitt used an 8-0 run behind a 100-percent-shooting stretch (3-for-3) in the third quarter to chip into the SMU lead and force a Mustang timeout.
The Panthers rallied to outscore SMU, 28-0, in the frame. Faye was a force in the third, netting back-to-back buckets after being fouled on both. Washenitz buried a fast break triple to cut the SMU lead to 12 with just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter. Faye scored 12 in the frame as the Panthers trailed by just three, 49-46, entering the final 10 minutes.
Elmore evened the contest at 49 following a top-of-the-arc 3-pointer to start the fourth quarter. Washenitz sank another 3-pointer off of a Miles assist, before fouling out of the contest. Elmore gave Pitt a three-point lead with under five minutes remaining with another 3-pointer from a Miles assist. Faye found an open Aaryn Battle under the basket at the 3:36 mark as Pitt extended its lead to six at 61-55. With under two minutes remaining, Johnson collected a pass from Faye and made a contested layup to extend Pitt’s lead to eight. The Panthers ended the contest on a 6-0 run to complete the 32-point comeback.
Game Notes
- The 32-point comeback marks the largest regulation comeback in women’s basketball NCAA history.
- It ties the largest comeback in NCAA women’s basketball history, following Texas State’s overtime win over UTSA after also trailing by 32.
- Pitt allowed a program-record zero points in the third quarter.
- Khadija Faye had a career-high-tying six blocks.
- She also had six at Texas Tech on 12/2/21 vs. then-No. 20 Georgia in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
- Sunday marked the first Panther win this season after trailing entering the fourth quarter (previously 0-9).
Up Next
Pitt’s two-game home stand comes to an end as the Panthers will travel to Raleigh, N.C., to face NC State on Thursday, Jan. 16. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m., and the contest can be streamed on ACCNX.