No. 10 Maryland Women Defeat Pittsburgh 94-46
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) -- Alyssa Thomas had 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and No. 10 Maryland cranked up the defense in a 94-46 rout of Pittsburgh on Thursday night.
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough scored 13 and freshman Brionna Jones added 12 for the Terrapins, who limited Pittsburgh to 31 percent shooting and allowed only 21 first-half points. Maryland (18-4, 6-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) has won two in a row after dropping three straight.
The Terrapins scored the first 16 points of the second half to take a 61-21 lead. After Loliya Briggs hit a 3-pointer for Pittsburgh (10-13, 2-7), Maryland added another 12 points to make it 73-24.
Before sitting out the final 12 minutes, Thomas moved into sole possession of third place on the school's career list with 2,097 points. Only Marissa Coleman (2,205) and Crystal Langhorne (2,247) have scored more in a Maryland uniform.
Thomas, a 6-foot-2 senior, also moved within 136 rebounds Langhorne's school record of 1,229.
Briggs led Pittsburgh with 10 points. Guard Brianna Kiesel, who came in averaging 17.5 points a game, was limited to five on 2-for-8 shooting. It was the first time in 29 games she failed to score in double figures.
The Panthers led only once, 5-4 on a driving layup by Kiesel. Pittsburgh went scoreless for the next seven minutes while Maryland rang up 17 straight points. Lexi Brown contributed a jumper and a 3-pointer to the run as the Terrapins made nine of their first 12 field-goal attempts.
Chelsea Welch ended the Panthers' drought with a 3-pointer, and Pittsburgh closed to 23-13 before Thomas scored six points in a 13-2 spree that made it 36-15.
By halftime, Thomas had 14 points and Maryland owned a comfortable 45-21 lead after holding the Panthers to eight baskets.
(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
