Bradford, Pa. -- A season after returning to postseason play, the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford women's basketball team will look to repeat the feat under the new guidance of head coach Mell Benson in 2024-25.
Benson, a former Division I player at Howard University, takes charge of the Pitt-Bradford program from Central State University, where she was an assistant coach before becoming the interim head coach in May.
She will take over a Panther squad that earned their first AMCC Tournament berth in four seasons. The Panthers went 9-15 last season with a 6-12 mark in AMCC play. They qualified for the postseason with the 6th seed, securing the spot with a win over Pitt-Greensburg on the last day of the regular season. The Panthers were led by freshman Paige Gratto, who was named 2nd Team All-AMCC after her debut campaign. She was 6th in the AMCC in scoring at 17.5 points per game and was also in the top 15 in rebounds per game (6.5), and field goal percentage (41.1%). Fellow freshman Yasmine Abu-Aiadeh also averaged double figures, scoring 10.2 per contest. Alexa Ackerman scored 9.1 points per game, while also tallying 4 steals a game.
Looking forward, the Panthers will look to Gratto and Abu-Aiadeh to continue scoring in bunches, while seniors Alexa Ackerman, Avery Benzel, and Katie Woolson will provide experience and depth in the backcourt. Raquel Sewell will be relied upon to be the Panthers' inside presence. Pitt-Bradford will also look to newcomers Amber Murak and Amaria Mims to provide a new spark to the team.
"Our team has been working hard and growing stronger every day," said Benson. "We're excited for the upcoming season and are ready to compete with heart and intensity."
The Panthers begin their season on Saturday, November 9th when they travel to Alfred University for a matchup with the Saxons beginning at 1:00 p.m. They will open their home slate on Wednesday, Nov. 13 against Keuka and start AMCC play on December 7th against Mount Aloysius.
The Panthers were predicted to finish 9th in the AMCC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
