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Pitt women's basketball team struggling in conference play

Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports

Pitt's women's basketball team had struggled mightily the past two years, winning a total of only 17 games. That led to a change at head coach and while the program is having a bit more success, there's still some room for improvement.

The team is a modest 9-11 so far this season but the nine victories already tied their total from all of last year. One more win and the program will have the most wins since 2010-11 when the team tallied 15 victories. The program, of course, had reached higher heights, such as the two Sweet 16s in 2008 and 2009. Still, reaching double digit victories would mark at least a small level of improvement.

That improvement, though, is coming a bit slowly as the Panthers are starting to stall now that they're in ACC play. After an 8-6 start, the team has struggled, losing five of their next six games. Pitt did win their first conference game in nearly three years along the way, defeating Virginia earlier this month. But other than that, there's been little to celebrate. The Panthers were routed by No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 3 Duke, and also beaten by Florida State, Clemson, and Syracuse within the conference.

That schedule hasn't exactly been easy as Pitt has faced three ranked teams over those six games (Florida State being the third), but there is a chance for the to pick up some more wins this year. The Panthers have to face ranked North Carolina, Maryland, and North Carolina State teams still, but they also will get some cracks at bottom feeders Boston College, Wake Forest, Clemson, Virginia Tech, and Miami - all of which are in the bottom half of the ACC. They will also get Georgia Tech, who is right in the middle.

No win is going to be easy for Pitt but despite the slow conference start, the Panthers will have a chance to pick up a few more wins.

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