Pitt women’s basketball went through a roller coaster seven days, nearly knocking off a ranked opponent, bouncing back against a Power Five foe and regressing in a trap game, before finally notching a come-from-behind victory in the Big Ten/ACC challenge.

Nov. 25 - Pitt 46, No. 23 Texas A&M 57
Pitt kept this game much closer than the final score conveyed, as the Panthers and Aggies faced off in the Paradise Jam.

The two teams exchanged leads throughout the night, but Pitt couldn’t quite find an offensive rhythm with leading-scorer Jayla Everett missing from action. The Panthers could only muster three assists, the team’s lowest total in at least eight years.

Despite the ball-movement woes, Pitt took a one-point lead with less than five minutes to play. The undefeated Aggies responded with a 11-0 run that buried any chance of an upset. It gave Pitt its first loss of the season, but showed the Panthers could hang with a top-25 team even without their best player.

Nov. 26 - Pitt 72, Northwestern 60
Pitt was without Everett once again, but the Panthers regained their offensive swagger this time in the Virgin Islands.

Sophomore guard Liatu King led her squad with a career-high 23 on 7-13 shooting. She stepped into the closer role at the end, scoring 13 points and pulling down seven rebounds in the fourth quarter.

Nov. 27 - Pitt 61, South Dakota 72 OT
Playing its third game in three days, the Panthers ended the Paradise Jam on a disappointing note with an overtime loss to an inferior opponent.

Without Everett against, the Panthers couldn’t count on King to save them, as the Coyotes held her to two points the whole night. Instead, junior guard Dayshanette Harris stepped up off of the bench, scoring 18 much-needed points for her team.

Harris hit a contested three to give Pitt a three-point lead with under two minutes left, but South Dakota stormed back to force overtime. The Coyotes dominated overtime, dropping the Panthers to 5-2 on the season.

Dec. 1 - Pitt 58, Rutgers 50
Back home in Pittsburgh with Everett returned to the lineup, the Panthers came from behind to beat Rutgers in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Wednesday.

The Scarlett Knights led by as much as 10 in the first half, but the Panthers trimmed it to three before halftime. Everett finished the game with a team-high 18 points, but King gave the Panthers momentum when they most needed it.

Down by one late in the third quarter, King attacked the basket and converted to give Pitt the lead. She scored in the paint again a minute later, and hit a short jumper on the next possession. Her 6-0 run gave the Panthers a 5-point lead.

With the game tied and under two minutes remaining, Harris and Everett came up clutch with four consecutive made free throws to ice the game.