PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Despite a big 25-point third quarter, the Lafayette women's basketball team dropped a 72-63 decision on Friday night in Pittsburgh.
 
Lafayette was led by freshman Claire Gallagher who notched a team-high 19 points, with 15 of her 19 coming from beyond the arc. She went a perfect 4-4 from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter and pulled down five rebounds in her collegiate debut.
 
Freshman Abby Antognoli and sophomore Makayla Andrews also found themselves with double-digit points, with 13 and 17 respectively.
 
Friday night's game also marked Gallagher and Antognoli's first collegiate appearance and Gallagher's first collegiate start.
 
Pittsburgh (2-0, 0-0 ACC) put in the first two points of the game and after Lafayette (0-1, 0-0 PL) tied up the game on a basket of their own less than a minute later, Pitt pushed out the lead bringing the score to 13-8 at the first media timeout.
 
Lafayette kept right with the Panthers, pulling within six, 17-11, at the end of the first quarter.
 
The Panthers seemed to run away with the game in the second 10 minutes of action, going on a 10-0 run with just under six and a half minutes to play. It was eventually senior Makaila Wilson who broke the Panthers' run, putting the score at 29-13 in favor of the home team.
 
With 3:08 left to play in the half, the Leopards found the momentum they had been looking for.  Senior Nicole Johnson drained a three-pointer with 3:08 left to play and then a layup by Andrews and back-to-back baskets by Antognoli, put the Leopards on a 6-0 run heading into the half.
 
The Maroon and White carried that momentum out of the locker room and into the third quarter. With Pitt leading 44-26 Pitt, Andrews put in a jumper to start to chip away at the home team's lead once again. She followed that basket up with two more, along with a free throw, to pull the Leopards within 13. Antognoli than exploded for the next nine of the Leopards' points, putting in three shots from beyond the arc in a row to pull the Leopards within seven.
 
Gallagher netted her first three-pointer of the night with 44 seconds left in the quarter to put the score at 52-47 heading into the final quarter of action.
 
Gallagher started off the fourth quarter with a basket from beyond the arc to pull the Leopards within five, 55-50. After the Panthers pulled back in front by 10, Gallagher dropped in in eight-straight points to bring the score to 62-58. She then netted her fourth three-pointer to pull the Leopards within one, 62-61.
 
The Panthers put away the game with 20 when Mary Dunn hit a pair of free throws. Rita Igbowke added a bucket with seven seconds left to run the final to 72-63.
 
Lafayette will stay in Pittsburgh for its next game, as the Maroon and White are slated to take on Duquesne on Sunday at 2 p.m. They will then return to Kirby Sports Center on Thursday for their home opener against Columbia at 6 p.m.