Jan. 15, 2011
Box Score
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PITTSBURGH (AP) – Skylar Diggins scored 20 points and No. 12 Notre Dame used an early 14-2 run to build a substantial lead en route to an 82-50 victory over Pittsburgh on Saturday.
Devereaux Peters added 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Natalie Novosel scored 15 for the Fighting Irish (15-4, 4-1 BIG EAST), who beat Pittsburgh (9-8, 1-3) for the 20th time in 23 games.
The first-half run, ended by fast-break baskets by Diggins, allowed the Irish to break out of a 6-all tie and take a 20-8 lead. They led 50-19 at halftime.
Notre Dame, which had lost its last two at Pitt, shot 46 percent (30 of 64) to Pitt’s 32.7 percent (16 of 49) and led 46-28 in rebounding.
Taneisha Harrison scored 10 for Pitt.
— ND —
POST GAME NOTES: Notre Dame tied a school record with its 10th win by 30-or-more points this season, a mark that first was set by the Fighting Irish in 2000-01 … Notre Dame has won its last four road games, with three of those victories coming by at least 30 points … the Fighting Irish scored 50 points in the first half, their sixth 50-point half of the season (first since a 51-point second half vs. Southeast Missouri State on Jan. 2), and second in the opening 20 minutes (53 vs. New Hampshire in the season opener on Nov. 12 at Purcell Pavilion) … the 31-point halftime margin is the fourth-largest this season for the Fighting Irish … Notre Dame improves to 20-3 all-time against Pittsburgh, including a 9-2 record on the road … the Fighting Irish broke a two-game losing streak to Pittsburgh at the Petersen Events Center, defeating the Panthers in the Steel City for the first time since Feb. 5, 2005 (75-47, also the last time Notre Dame gave up fewer points to Pittsburgh than it did on Saturday) … the 32-point margin of victory is the third-largest for the Fighting Irish in their 23-game series against the Panthers, and largest since Feb. 17, 1996 (an 89-51 win at Pittsburgh’s previous home, Fitzgerald Field House) … Notre Dame recorded a double-digit steal total for the 14th time this season … the Fighting Irish shot better than 45 percent from the field for the 16th time this year … Notre Dame shot 57.6 percent (19-of-33) from the field in the first half, its best shooting half since Jan. 2, when the Fighting Irish shot 67.7 percent (21-of-31) from the field in the second half against Southeast Missouri State … Notre Dame held Pittsburgh to eight offensive rebounds, one shy of the Fighting Irish opponent season-low (set by Morehead State on Nov. 15 and matched by IUPUI on Nov. 26, both at Purcell Pavilion) … the Fighting Irish posted a +18 rebound margin (46-28), tying their fourth-best mark of the season — Notre Dame has had a double-digit rebound advantage in nine games this season, including seven games where the Fighting Irish had a rebound edge of 15 boards or more … during Pittsburgh’s 11-3 game-ending run against the Notre Dame reserves in the final three minutes, the Fighting Irish were whistled for only their second shot clock violation of the entire season (conversely, Notre Dame has forced 25 shot clock infractions) … sophomore guard Skylar Diggins chalked up her third 20-point game of the season and 10th of her young career … Diggins also dished out at least five assists for the 12th time this season and sixth time in the past eight games … senior forward Devereaux Peters collected her fourth double-double of the season, all in the past seven games, and the fifth double-double of her career … several Notre Dame players (notably western Pennsylvania natives Veronica Badway, Mary Forr and Kayla McBride and Baltimore native Brittany Mallory) brought numerous family and friends to Saturday’s game, with the Fighting Irish building up an enthusiastic cheering section of close to 300 fans at the Petersen Events Center.