Andrew Rush, Associated Press Delaware's Tyresa Smith looks to move the ball on Pitt's Xenia Stewart in a first-round women's NIT basketball game last night at the Petersen Events Center. Click photo for larger image.

Twenty, Pitt women's basketball coach Agnus Berenato told her players all week. She preached about 20. She relied on it for motivation. "We had a goal of 20 wins," Berenato said.

And as it turned out, the Panthers (20-10) needed only 20 well-played minutes of basketball to earn it. In yesterday's 64-57 victory against Delaware in the first round of the WNIT at the Petersen Events Center, the Panthers bookended a sloppy performance with a fiery start and a crisp finish -- just enough to elongate their surprise season.

The up-and-down performance underscored Pitt's ability, albeit in a strange manner: Only the strong teams, after all, are privy to such a margin for error. Hoping for a breakneck pace against less athletic Delaware,

Pitt followed its game plan perfectly in the first 10 minutes. The Panthers made five of their first eight 3-pointers. By the second media timeout, Pitt claimed a 53.8 shooting percentage and an eight-point lead.

But then, the brakes screeched. The game's flow halted. The 20 minutes that followed, as Pitt pushed itself to search for offense, turned the Panthers' first postseason win in 12 years into a procession of persistence. Junior guard Mallorie Winn, who made four of her first seven shots, made only one of her next eight. The Panthers managed one field goal (and five turnovers) in the 7 1/2 minutes before halftime. Ten minutes into the game, they'd scored 18 points. With 10 minutes remaining, though, Pitt had only 42 -- and led by three.

"We've had to battle for every single win we've had this year," Berenato said, noting that this one fit the pattern.

The Panthers, in front the entire game, never let this lead slip away. Needing a win to extend their season -- they'll play the winner of today's Mississippi-Kansas game -- their offense suddenly enlivened. Winn, who finished with 17 points, made a midrange jumper with 8:32 left. Danielle Taylor followed with a layup one possession later.

Then, as they carried that lead into the final minutes, reliable free-throw shooting clinched the victory. By the time Shavonte Zelleous and Winn had converted four consecutive free throws with less than a minute to go, Pitt had informally clinched the fourth 20-win season in program history.

In the days preceding the game, Berenato had worried about her team's response to its WNIT draw. The Panthers had spent a season both dreaming about the NCAA tournament and believing they'd earned the right to be there. Monday, however, Pitt learned of its destination -- the WNIT, not the NCAAs -- and tears accompanied the news.

To counteract that disappointment, Berenato spoke several times to her team about the importance of a 20-win season. That number validated a banner year, she told them. And, better yet, earning a 20th win would guarantee Pitt a chance to try for a 21st.

"In our pregame speech, we talked about getting 20 wins," Taylor, a junior forward, said. "We knew we were going to get it whether it was in the NCAAs or the NIT."