Pitt
15-12,6-10ACC
Florida State
22-4,12-3ACC
Pitt Falls at Florida State Tuesday Night
2/18/2020 10:21:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Associated Press
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Pitt men's basketball team fell 82-67 Tuesday to ACC foe Florida State Tuesday night at the Donald L. Tucker Center.
Patrick Williams scored 16 points for the Seminoles, while Anthony Polite had 10 points and six rebounds and No. 8 Florida State pulled away in the second half to defeat the Panthers.
Williams, a freshman forward, scored in double figures for the 10th time this season as the Seminoles (22-4, 12-3 ACC) improved to 14-0 at home.
Au'Diese Toney had 15 points and seven rebounds, and Xavier Johnson added 12 points and seven assists for Pittsburgh (15-12, 6-10), which has lost six of its last eight games.
Pitt jumped out to an early 10-5 lead into the first media timeout and led 15-13 with 11:17 to play in the first. Florida State gained the lead and took a 21-17 advantage at the under eight media timeout. The Seminoles led by seven (26-19) before Pitt went on a 7-2 run to tie it, 26-26. The Panthers took a one point lead (29-28) with 3:07 remaining in the first, but Florida State finished the half on a 10-4 run and led 38-33 at the break.
The Seminoles quickly jumped out to a double-digit lead in the second half and led by as much as 22 points. Balsa Koprivica had seven rebounds, helping Florida State gain a 40-27 edge on the boards. Devin Vassell returned from a one-game absence for Florida State and finished with three points and four rebounds.
The victory helped the Seminoles avenge a 63-61 loss at Pittsburgh in the season opener on Nov. 6.
BIG PICTURE
Pittsburgh was able to keep the game close in the first half, but Trey McGowens was held to only three points - he averages 12.5 - and the Panthers made only 4 of 22 3-pointers (18.2%).
Devin Vassell and M.J. Walker, two of the Seminoles' top guards, didn't score in the first half. But the Seminoles had 29 bench points in the first half, more than making up for the scoring load. Walker finished with seven points.
UP NEXT
Pittsburgh: Hosts Virginia on Saturday, Feb. 22.
Florida State: At NC State on Saturday, Feb. 22.
