Dayshanette Harris posts first double-double in ACC tourney

Pitt freshman Dayshanette Harris led her team to a 67-65 upset of Notre Dame in the ACC tournament on Wednesday, amassing 20 points and 10 rebounds in the game for her first career double-double. Harris’ contributions included a clutch jumper in the closing seconds of the contest to secure the win, and with her help, Pitt was able to knock the defending tournament champions out in the opening round of the competition.

Harris got off to a slow start, with four points and two rebounds in the first half. However, the Panthers were bolstered by the lights-out shooting of Ismini Prapa and Gabbie Green. In the early goings, Prapa led Pitt in scoring with 12 points on a perfect 4-for-4 performance from beyond the arc, and Green added eight points of her own, with six points coming on a 2-of-3 showing from long range.

It was in the second half, when the well of three-pointers began to dry up, that Harris emerged as a closer for Pitt, scoring 16 of her 20 points and reeling in eight of her 10 rebounds. The Youngstown, Ohio, native focused on high-percentage shots and took advantage of the opportunities she was given, as she went 7-for-9 from the field and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line.

Like Prapa in the first half, Harris was the Panthers’ only player in double figures in the final two quarters. She also played a pivotal role in staving off a comeback attempt by the Fighting Irish, as the Irish tied the game at 65 late in the fourth quarter but Harris navigated a fierce defense and drained a clutch jumper with less than six seconds left on the clock.

The win not only advanced Pitt to the second round of the ACC tournament for the second time since the school joined the conference, but it also snapped a nine-game losing streak that dated back to a 66-41 loss to Florida State on Feb. 1. Harris and Pitt will face Georgia Tech in the second round of the ACC tournament on Thursday. Tipoff from Greensboro Coliseum is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET.