The Pitt women's basketball program has upped the ante for years to come.

The Panthers have done that by having the most successful season in school history -- winning the most games in a season, reaching the NCAA tournament for the first time and winning their first tournament game.

The stakes have been raised.

"We won a game in the tournament, that's special and something to be proud of,' coach Agnes Berenato said. "But next year if we win one game, I don't want our players to think that's going to be good enough. We want to win two games in the tournament."

With the top four scorers returning from a 24-9 team along with a promising class of newcomers, Pitt's expectations will soar in 2007-08.

The Panthers ran into a roadblock in the NCAA tournament by the name of Candace Parker, a 6-foot-4 sophomore All-America who had 30 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks to lead No. 1 seed Tennessee to a hard-earned, 68-54 victory in the second round of the NCAA Division I women's tournament subregional Tuesday at Petersen Events Center.

A crowd of 8,791, the largest to see the Pitt women play at home this season, witnessed the Tennessee game.

"Everybody needs to come out again next year from the first game," said Berenato, who used the tournament media conferences as a pulpit to sing the praises of women's basketball at Pitt. "Not just for the NCAA tournament."

Pitt's showing in the tournament, a 71-61 victory against James Madison and the loss to Tennessee, earned the Panthers a niche on the landscape of Pittsburgh sports for at least a week.

"Games may come and go but these memories will last forever," Berenato said.

She was asked if the win against James Madison signaled the arrival of Pitt's program on the national stage.

"I don't know if it's the start of something, but it's a continuation definitely. I think it all started a couple years ago with the confidence and blind faith the administration had when they brought me in."

Berenato's teams have improved each season with records of 6-20, 13-15, 22-11 and 24-9.

The foundation of the program is Marcedes Walker, a 6-3 center who provides a presence underneath.

"She is a big-time player," Berenato said of the junior from Philadelphia. "Marcedes Walker was really the first [big-time recruit] to say yes. We kept telling her we'd build a program around her. When she said yes, we had six wins, and I told her we'd cast a cast for her and we've done that."

While Walker patrols the lane, 5-11 sophomore guard Shavonte Zellous takes care of the perimeter stuff with a smooth jump shot with range. Walker and Zellous give the Panthers a one-two punch that could take them further next season.

Pitt's success was achieved without fifth-year senior point guard Mallorie Winn, who sat out this season after having reconstructive surgery for a torn ACL. The injury happened in a preseason practice. Winn, who also sat out a season after transferring from Georgia Tech, will file paperwork to the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility. The NCAA rarely grants a sixth year.

In addition to the returning veterans, Berenato will be counting on recruits 6-3 Chelsea Cole, 6-0 Taneisha Harrison, 5-11 Ashley Henderson (Greensburg Central Catholic) and 6-1 Shayla Scott (Gateway) to contribute.

"Pittsburgh is onto bigger and better things," sophomore guard Xenia Stewart said. "There's no stopping us."