Sat Feb 2 19:55:48 2008

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Rutgers holds off Pitt

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Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Matee Ajavon scored 15 points and Epiphanny Prince added 14 as fourth-ranked Rutgers held off No. 14 Pittsburgh, 64-60, at the Petersen Events Center.

Backup center Rashidat Junaid scored 11 points for the Scarlet Knights (18-3, 8-1 Big East), who bounced back from a loss at West Virginia on Tuesday. Kia Vaughn added nine points for Rutgers, which has two tough tests upcoming. The Scarlet Knights host top-ranked Connecticut on Tuesday and then play at No. 2 Tennessee on Feb. 11.

Shavonte Zellous had 20 points for Pittsburgh (17-4, 7-1), which had an 11- game winning streak snapped. Mallorie Winn chipped in 16 points and Xenia Stewart scored 15 for the Panthers, who wasted an eight-point lead early in the second half.

Winn's three-pointer provided Pitt with its largest lead of the day at 33-25, less than two minutes into the second half. The Panthers were still in front by seven at 45-38 with 10:32 left, but the Scarlet Knights used a 15-2 spurt later in the half to go ahead for good.

Ajavon started the flurry with a three and Junaid had eight straight Rutgers points in the run, which was culminated by a Prince layup with 1:26 left. That made the margin 61-52 and Pittsburgh didn't get closer than three the rest of the way.

Junaid's foul shot with 20 seconds left provided the final margin.