Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Le Moyne College women's basketball team traveled to the University of Pittsburgh to take on the Panthers at the Petersen Event Center on Tuesday night. The Dolphins fell, 65-87, to Pitt and now hold a 1-3 record on the season.
Le Moyne senior guard Sierra Linnin (Valley Cottage, N.Y. / Albertus Magnus) tied for the game high with 17 points on 5-13 shooting from the field with a pair of shots from the line. Her fifth and final three-pointer of the night marked the 200th of her career, making her just the third Dolphin in program history to reach that mark overall and the fastest to do it through just 90 games.
Linnin currently ranks behind McKayla Roberts (2016-20) and Kim Black (1989-93) on the all-time three-point field goals made list as they totaled 297 and 201 in their careers, respectively.
Sophomore guard Eli Clark (Oakhurst, N.J. / Ocean Township), freshman guard Peyton Dincher (Jersey Shore, Pa. / Jersey Shore), and junior forward Ashley Buragas (Hopewell Junction, N.Y. / John Jay / Mineral Area College) also finished in the double-digits against Pitt, tallying 14, 12, and 10. Freshman guard Kayden Clark (Oakhurst, N.J. / Manasquan) finished just outside with nine points in the loss.
Clark and Dincher each finished with four three-pointers made to contribute to Le Moyne's 39 total attempts from behind the arc, a new single game record for the program.
Buragas also led the way with six rebounds for the Dolphins, as Linnin, Dincher and junior guard Jessica Wangolo (Ottawa, O.N. / Capital Courts Academy / Buffalo) each added four, as well. Wangolo and E. Clark tied for the team-lead in assists with five while the former and K. Clark registered three steals apiece. Freshman forward Ava Johnson (Richmond, Va. / The Steward School) tallied the lone pair of blocks for Le Moyne.
For Pitt, freshman guard Theresa Hagans Jr. tied Linnin with 17 points to lead the Panthers as redshirt junior forward Fatima Diakhate (14), redshirt junior guard Mikayla Johnson (13), and senior guard Angel Jones (12) all finished north of 10.
Diakhate led the game with 10 rebounds as redshirt sophomore forward Lauren Rust added another nine. Hagans Jr. also put up a game-best eight assists and another three steals. Diakhate and junior guard Carla Viegas led the way with one block apiece for the Panthers.
Pitt opened the game with a pair of free-throws and a layup from Diakhate before Buragas got Le Moyne on the board with a fastbreak layup. The Panthers proceeded to go on an 11-2 run over the next three minutes to claim a 15-4 lead before back-to-back threes from Linnin lessened the gap. A late three from E. Clark and free throw by K. Clark closed the opening quarter with Pitt holding a 22-14 advantage.
Two buckets from behind the arc by E. Clark kept the 'Phins within six points, 20-26, at the 6:42 mark in the second before the Panthers scored five unanswered on a three from Viegas and a pair of shots from freshman guard Macie Arzner at the charity stripe. Le Moyne worked to grab 14 points over the final 3:33 of the half, bookended by a pair of threes from Dincher.
Coming out of the half with a 40-34 lead, Diakhate connected on a jumper for Pitt before Linnin again nailed back-to-back threes to make it a two point game. The Panthers worked another run, however, this time scoring 15 and only allowing two from the Dolphins over the next three-plus minutes of play.
Following the run from the Panthers, both teams traded threes with Dincher making two and K. Clark draining one while Johnson and Hagans Jr. each tallied one for Pitt in the final 4:22 in the third quarter. The hosts sent the game to the final break with a 63-51 lead over the 'Phins.
The Panthers opened the fourth quarter on a 12-3 streak as Linnin's milestone three-pointer acted as Le Moyne's lone points of the first three minutes of the frame. Down 18, 58-76, with 4:16 left to play, senior guard Michelina Lombardi (Wynantskill, N.Y. / Averill Park) finished an and-one opportunity after being fouled and completing a layup before Pitt closed out the game with 11 more points and claimed the 87-65 victory.
What's Next:
Le Moyne will return to New York to host Cornell in their home-opener this coming Saturday, Nov. 22 with tip set for 4:00 p.m.
