Wednesday's 92-71 loss to Illinois in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge was an eye-opener for Lance White.
That is saying something, considering the fair start which Pitt women's basketball has gotten off to in its 2022-'23 season.
A daunting test of the high-powered Illinois offense (averaging 84.6 points per game) proved too much for the Panthers defensively, especially in their third game in five days against high-octane programs. Pitt went to Fort Myers, Fla., and lost to DePaul and Maryland in the Fort Myers Tip-Off tournament over the weekend -- two defeats sustained to NCAA Tournament teams, including Maryland being a Sweet 16 team in the 2022 field.