PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Pittsburgh defeated Mount St. Mary's 58-45 in non-conference women's basketball action on Tuesday.

Kayla Grossett (Toronto, Ontario/David and Mary Thompson C.I.) paced the Mount (2-4) with a season-high 13 points. Sandra Andresson (Tallinn, Estonia/Audentes School) added 10 points and six rebounds while Selina Mann (Gainesville, Va./Battlefield) tallied seven points and seven rebounds in the loss.

Ashlee Anderson fueled the Panthers (4-2) with 13 points and nine rebounds. Brianna Kiesel posted 12 points and Kyra Dunn recorded eight points and 12 rebounds in the winning effort.

Pittsburgh took the advantage from the opening tip and held off several Mount St. Mary's comeback attempts to go on for its fifth win in the series. Panthers head coach and Mount alum Agnus (McGlade) Berenato improved to 6-2 against her alma mater.

Pittsburgh opened the game with 12-straight points to take the early advantage in the first six minutes of the game. Abby Dowd started the scoring with a layup at 19:40 before Anderson hit a jumper at 17:50 and Kiesel scored in the lane at 14:43. Chyna Golden scored a pair in the lane sandwiched in between an Anderson layup to end the surge at 14:02.

Grossett got the Mount on the scoreboard with a jumper at 13:28. After Kiesel hit 1 of 2 at the line at 13:13, Grossett nailed a 3-pointer at 12:43 to trim the margin to 13-5. Leeza Burdgess then hit the backend of two charity tosses at 10:44 before Tara Lonergan (Rockville Centre, N.Y./South Side) nailed a jumper at 10:30. Kiesel and Asia Logan both recorded baskets sandwiched in between Grossett hitting the backend of two at the line to give the Panthers an 18-8 margin at 9:02.

Mount St. Mary's then scored seven of the next nine points to make it a five-point game with 4:49 on the clock in the first half. Andresson and Dunn traded baskets before Rachel Mathews (Midlothian, Va./Midlothian) scored in the lane and Mann converted a traditional 3-point play at 4:49 to trim the deficit to 20-15.

Pittsburgh would score the next two baskets thanks to layups by Cora McManus and Dunn before Andresson closed the first half scoring with a bucket with 52 ticks left to make it a seven-point contest going into the locker room, 24-17.

The Panthers started the second half by hitting consecutive 3-pointers by Anderson and Kiesel to hand Pittsburgh a 32-17 lead at 18:42.

With the Panthers holding a 42-29 advantage, Mount St. Mary's went on a 6-0 run to cut the margin to 42-35. Andresson started the run with a free throw at 12:41 before Grossett nailed a trey at 11:40 and Ashley Christie (Miamisburg, Ohio/Archbishop Alter) scored in the paint at 10:59 to make it a seven-point game.

Pittsburgh would then score the next two baskets to restore a double-digit lead and the Mountaineers could get no closer the rest of the way.

Freshmen Jen Carney (Drexel Hills, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) and Melanie Mocniak (Annapolis, Md./St. Mary's) entered the game with 1:50 left to make their collegiate debuts.

The Mountaineers return to action when they open up Northeast Conference play against Long Island on Saturday. Game time is 3 p.m.