On The Rise
Berenato Turning Pitt Into Contender
By Jim Lachimia

When the University of Pittsburgh was searching for a new women's basketball coach a few years back, it wanted someone who wouldn't be intimidated by the high-profile programs and the high-profile coaches of the Big East Conference. Agnus Berenato landed that job after a terrific run at Georgia Tech, and in almost no time at all, has taken a struggling Pitt program to the brink of national prominence.

And the next person that scares her will be the first.

Berenato is anything but demure. She's a bundle of energy and enthusiasm. She talks fast and loud, and she's much more likely to high-five you or hug you than she is to quietly shake your hand. And oh yeah, that lady sure can coach.

This season-her fourth with the Panthers-Berenato guided the team to a 12-0 start and a No. 22 ranking in the Associated Press national poll. Pitt didn't lose its first game until four days before Christmas, and that came at the hands of third-ranked Duke, last year's NCAA runner-up to Maryland. The fast start came on the heels of an exciting 2005-2006 campaign that saw the Panthers win 22 games and advance to the Final Four of the WNIT.

With the Petersen Events Center scheduled to be one of eight venues around the country that will serve up first- and second-round action of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament this spring, the Panthers' goal is to be one of the eight teams competing right there on March 18 and March 20. No one at Pitt is interested in merely serving as the host institution.

Unlike the men, on the women's side, you can host and play on your home floor. Pitt has never appeared in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament before, but Berenato firmly believes that can happen - this season.

"We don't want our kids there handing out brochures and fliers. We want to be a part of the party. We want to be a part of the dance," she said. "Here at the University of Pittsburgh, we've talked about getting to the NCAA's and we've talked about establishing a championship program, and I really believe we can do that. You don't achieve great things by having low goals or low expectations."

Getting there won't be a walk in the park, however. The Panthers will have to either win the Big East Tournament, or receive an at-large bid to the 64-team NCAA field. During the week before New Year's, four other Big East teams were ranked ahead of Pitt in the Top 25 - Connecticut (No. 5), Louisville (No. 15), DePaul (No. 19) and Marquette (No. 20).

Pitt's success so far this season is more impressive when you consider that senior point guard Mallorie Winn, the team's second-leading scorer last season (15.8 ppg), hasn't played a single minute. She tore the ACL in one of her knees a few days before the season began. That could have-or maybe even should have-been a devastating blow to the team. But Berenato's bunch didn't allow that to happen.

"Mallorie's injury was an unfortunate circumstance, but we don't talk about it any more," Berenato said. "The day it happened, I told the team: 'You have to roll with it. That's just the way it is. Life continues. You adjust and move on.'

"As coaches, we all preach that the greatest thing about being on a team is that when one window shuts another one opens. Other people have just stepped up. The team has really pulled together. That's how we've made up for Mallorie's points and her presence."

One person who has definitely stepped up is Shavonte Zellous. During the 12-0 run to start the season, the ultra-athletic sophomore guard from Orlando, Fla., led the Big East in scoring at 20.9 points per game after averaging 7.7 points as a freshman and part-time starter last season.

"Shavonte is without a doubt the best athlete in the whole Big East," Berenato said. "Her athleticism is really amazing, and what she's done is refined her athleticism into a basketball game. She's really learned to put herself in a position where she can create and score, and that makes her very difficult for another team to stop."

Another highly effective player for Pitt this season has been Marcedes Walker, a 6'3" junior center out of Philadelphia who averaged 15.0 points and 8.1 rebounds in those first dozen games. She averaged 15.3 points and 9.1 rebounds last year when she was a First Team All-Big East selection.

"Marcedes has to be that anchor in the paint for us," Berenato said. "We need her to continue to be a scoring presence as well as a defensive presence. She's one of our best defensive players. She's also really the true leader of our team. The kids all look up to her. They all respect her."

Pitt averaged nine victories a season in the eight years prior to Berenato's arrival in Oakland, and in six of those eight years the Panthers managed only three conference wins.

After experiencing a rough 6-20 campaign in 2003-2004, Berenato helped Pitt improve to 13-15 in her second season, then won 22 games (including nine in the conference) last year, tying the school's single-season record set in 1980-81.

"We had high expectations for the women's basketball program when we hired Agnus, but I would say she's exceeded those because she's gotten there a little quicker than we might have expected," said Carol Sprague, Pitt's Senior Associate Athletic Director. "Agnus had coached against great coaches in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and we felt that was very important. She was somebody with enough experience coaching-wise that she wasn't going to be intimidated by the challenge she was inheriting.

"There's a lot of energy and synergy coming together with this program, and Agnus is certainly leading the charge in that regard. Our women's team isn't a secret anymore."

Sprague, who served on the NCAA Women's Basketball Committee for five years, was instrumental in securing tournament action at the Petersen Events Center. She said there were many reasons why that effort was successful.

"The University of Pittsburgh has a national reputation, and Pittsburgh has the reputation of being a great sports town," Sprague said. "Plus I think our location and the great airport we have here was very important in terms of teams having access and getting in and out. The building is certainly a loud building, and we have growing support here for our team. It was all those things, plus the commitment the NCAA knew we were making to women's basketball."

Berenato, who spent four years as the head coach at Rider University and 15 seasons at Georgia Tech before accepting her current job, appreciates the support of her bosses.

"It's always your goal, to get to the NCAA Tournament," she said. "When we got the bid (to host), we were so excited. Jeff Long, our athletic director, and the administration showed great confidence in the program in allowing us to submit the bid, and the NCAA showed great confidence in the university in awarding us the bid. The Petersen Events Center is such a beautiful, phenomenal place. Why would you not want the NCAA's there?" Tickets for NCAA Women's Basketball action at the Petersen Events Center are available by calling (800) 643-PITT or visiting www.pittsburghpanthers.com. All-session packages are priced at $35 for adults and $20 for youngsters 18 and under. Single-session tickets priced at $20 for adults and $15 for youngsters are scheduled to go on sale March 13.