BOX SCORE

PITTSBURGH – Shavonte Zellous scored 29 points to lead Pitt to a 77-75 overtime victory over No. 13 West Virginia Tuesday night at the Petersen Events Center. Zellous made 9 of 14 from the floor and was 9 of 17 from the free throw line to help the Panthers get just their second victory in their last seven tries against the Mountaineers.

West Virginia (22-5, 11-3) tied the game with 10 seconds left on a driving lay up by Chakhia Cole. Pitt had a chance to win the game in regulation but Mallorie Winn’s 3-point try with one second left was off the mark.

Winn hit a big 3-point basket with 2:27 left in overtime to put the Panthers up three, 74-71. Pitt’s remaining three points came from the free throw line.

Trailing 77-75 with 14 seconds remaining West Virginia had an opportunity to either tie or win the game, but LaQuita Owens couldn’t find the range on her two-point try with five seconds left and also missed a 3 rebounding her own miss at the buzzer.

Meg Bulger and Olayinka Sanni scored 19 points each for the Mountaineers. Cole contributed 14 points before fouling out in overtime. Owens, who served a one-game suspension against Villanova for violating team rules, finished with 12.

West Virginia made 9 of 17 from 3-point distance for 52.9 percent but committed 24 turnovers and got beat on the backboards 41-38.

Pitt shot 41.4 percent from the floor (29 of 70) and was just 14 of 25 from the free throw line for 56 percent. A pair of missed free throws by Zellous with 14 seconds left in overtime gave West Virginia a good chance to either win the game or send it to a second overtime.

Pitt boosts its record to 19-8, 9-5 and snaps its season-long four-game losing streak. Thirteen days ago in Morgantown West Virginia beat Pitt by 21 points, 56-35.

West Virginia missed an opportunity to clinch third place in the Big East and returns to action this Saturday at home to face Louisville in the final home game for WVU’s seven seniors Sanni, Bulger, Cole, Owens, Lateefah Joye, Ranisha White and Kendra Goodley.

The Mountaineers wrap up the regular season at Syracuse on March 3.



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