On-the-job training
Gorillas drop two in exhibition play
Josh Letner
Issue date: 11/5/09 Section: Sports
The Gorilla women's basketball team began the 2009 season with a pair of tough exhibition games against opponents from the Big XII Conference.
Pitt tipped off the season with an 86-56 loss to the Kansas Jayhawks last Sunday, and followed it up with a gutsy effort in a 68-54 loss at the University of Nebraska on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The Gorillas fell behind early to the Jayhawks and were never able to catch up. KU led 47-24 at the half and cruised to the victory.
Senior Nicole McCombs led the Gorillas in scoring with 11 points, while senior guard DePrice Taylor added 10 points. Head coach Lane Lord got 14 of the 16 players on the roster into the game.
Kansas is ranked 20th in the nation and was led in scoring by sophomore Aishah Sutherland, who logged a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
"I think we've competed at a very high level," Lord said. "Kansas is picked at the top of the Big XII and I think we handled ourselves well. We had some great stretches, especially in the first half we went on a 14-2 run and got to within eight."
After the loss to Kansas, the Gorillas traveled to Lincoln, Neb., to face the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Unlike the KU game, the Gorillas kept pace with the Huskers for much of the game, pulling to within three on two occasions, but the Huskers' full-court pressure eventually took its toll on the short-handed Gorillas.
"They pressed us 94 feet for 40 minutes and we handled it pretty well, but we got a little tired late," Lord said. "DePrice Taylor injured her knee in the first half and was unable to play in the second half, and we needed one more ball-handler in there against that press."
Despite the fatigue that hampered the Gorillas late in the game, Lord was proud of his team's effort.
"We fought back two or three different times in the first half to cut it to three, and again in the second half after being down nine at half, and really showed improvement after the KU game, and more importantly, they proved that they could play with just about anybody," Lord said.
Pitt tipped off the season with an 86-56 loss to the Kansas Jayhawks last Sunday, and followed it up with a gutsy effort in a 68-54 loss at the University of Nebraska on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The Gorillas fell behind early to the Jayhawks and were never able to catch up. KU led 47-24 at the half and cruised to the victory.
Senior Nicole McCombs led the Gorillas in scoring with 11 points, while senior guard DePrice Taylor added 10 points. Head coach Lane Lord got 14 of the 16 players on the roster into the game.
Kansas is ranked 20th in the nation and was led in scoring by sophomore Aishah Sutherland, who logged a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
"I think we've competed at a very high level," Lord said. "Kansas is picked at the top of the Big XII and I think we handled ourselves well. We had some great stretches, especially in the first half we went on a 14-2 run and got to within eight."
After the loss to Kansas, the Gorillas traveled to Lincoln, Neb., to face the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Unlike the KU game, the Gorillas kept pace with the Huskers for much of the game, pulling to within three on two occasions, but the Huskers' full-court pressure eventually took its toll on the short-handed Gorillas.
"They pressed us 94 feet for 40 minutes and we handled it pretty well, but we got a little tired late," Lord said. "DePrice Taylor injured her knee in the first half and was unable to play in the second half, and we needed one more ball-handler in there against that press."
Despite the fatigue that hampered the Gorillas late in the game, Lord was proud of his team's effort.
"We fought back two or three different times in the first half to cut it to three, and again in the second half after being down nine at half, and really showed improvement after the KU game, and more importantly, they proved that they could play with just about anybody," Lord said.
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