NAPLES, Fla. — Chicago State (1-7) fell to Pittsburgh (5-4, 67-53, at the Community School of Naples, despite forcing 19 Pitt turnovers.
The game began with Pittsburgh taking an early lead against CSU. At 9:47,
Natalia Williams stole the ball after a turnover by the Panthers, setting the tone for the initial exchanges. Pittsburgh capitalized on fast breaks and points in the paint. Despite efforts from the Cougars, including a layup by
Elani Randall, Pittsburgh maintained control. The quarter ended with Pittsburgh extending their lead to 25-11.
Aiyanna Culver sparked the second quarter for Chicago State with a jumper at 9:51, followed by a steal and two made free throws by
Keona McGee, pushing their lead to 25-15. Pittsburgh's Lauren Rust responded with a jumper, narrowing the gap. Chicago State extended their advantage with a three-pointer from
Natalia Williams at 6:25, increasing the score to 29-20. Pittsburgh ended the half with CSU leading, 37-28.
Pittsburgh started the third quarter with a layup to extend their lead to 39-28. The Cougars responded with a
Chloe Sisco's three-pointer, cutting the deficit to 39-31.
Marisa Gant made two critical three-pointers, narrowing the gap to 46-37 and later to 48-40. Pittsburgh concluded the quarter leading 51-42.
Pittsburgh maintained control in the fourth quarter, starting with a three-pointer to extend their lead. The Panthers pushed the score to 59-45. Chicago State's offensive efforts were highlighted by a three-pointer from
Chloe Sisco at 2:16, narrowing the gap to 61-53. Despite their attempts, Chicago State could not close the deficit, and Pittsburgh secured a 67-53 victory.
Chicago State was led by
Natalia Williams and
Chloe Sisco with nine points each and
Kayla Mount finished with eight.
In their next game, Chicago State will travel to face Bradley on Sunday, Dec. 7, at 2 p.m. at Renaissance Coliseum in Peoria, Illinois.
