Pitt beat Florida State 83-75 on Saturday afternoon to improve to 18-7 on the season. The Panthers had to work hard for this one, but they stayed ahead for the majority of the game and ultimately hung on to defeat the Seminoles to avenge a loss from earlier this season.

Here are three takeaways from Pitt’s win on Saturday afternoon.

The Fight

It is hard to lead a basketball game for over 36 minutes, while simultaneously never feeling quite comfortable with that same advantage. Pitt held off Florida State on Saturday, but it was not an easy game for this team and they had to earn it for 40 minutes.

Jeff Capel’s bunch did not take a double-digit lead until under the 2-minute mark left in regulation, as most of the game was played within an 8-point window between the two teams. Pitt led for almost all of the game, but Florida State was always within striking distance, and that can certainly make for an uncomfortable experience for the fans watching at home.

As for the team itself? They didn’t seem to blink at that pressure. Even in the face of a tight basketball game, on the road, against a team who already beat them, Pitt’s senior leaders kept plugging along and eventually pulled away from the Seminoles late in the game.

Pitt runs a lot of its offense through senior guard Jamarius Burton and that style has been the identity of the team for much of the season. In return, Burton’s demeanor is something that rubs off on his teammates. When Florida State took a brief lead in the second half, it was Burton who calmly buried two jumpers to give the lead right back. Those two baskets and a subsequent Florida State turnover caused Leonard Hamilton to call a timeout. Burton had a look in his eye and the veteran coach saw it too and he wanted to slow down the momentum.

Burton scored 12 of his 19 points after halftime and you could just tell he was of the mindset that he wasn’t going to let his team lose on Saturday. He was the catalyst, but it took a team effort. Pitt had to fight for this win, but that is nothing really new for them. By virtue of defeating Florida State, the Panthers now have a 7-2 record on the road, which is the best mark in the ACC. They are a team that is comfortable in uncomfortable spots and showed it again on Saturday. Pitt has a team willing to fight for wins, and a leader in Burton willing to lead them into those scraps.

The Glue

I have written about him several times this season, including in Friday’s 3-2-1 Column, but Federiko Federiko really is kind of what holds this whole thing together. Federiko made those words timely as he produced perhaps his best game in a Pitt uniform and had a huge hand in the team’s 83-75 win over the Seminoles.

Federiko posted 8 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 2 assists on Saturday in 29 minutes of action. The 13 rebounds represented his third double-digit rebounding effort this season and was one shy of his career-high. Federiko was matched against a very tall Florida State front line, as the Seminoles had four players 6’10” or taller log minutes on Saturday, but he did more than hold his own, he dominated the paint.

Pitt out-rebounded Florida State 36-35, which is nothing to scoff at for a team that hasn’t rebounded very well in conference play. Federiko also buried all four of his free throw attempts, and is becoming a better player on pick and rolls almost every night. He finished a running two-handed slam off a nice feed from Burton in the second half.

The 13 rebounds were key, but seven of them were offensive, and that seemed to be even more pivotal. Pitt had 20 second-chance points on Saturday to Florida State’s 8. The Panthers have struggled with allowing offensive rebounds, while not always taking advantage of theirs. In a closely contested game, Pitt got enough second chance points and Federiko played a big role in that.

Federiko’s importance to this team is huge, but can sometimes be understated due to the cast of players around him. He is not going to go out and score a ton of points. In fact, he hasn’t scored in double figures against a power-five team all season, but it still feels like he has such a big hand in this team’s success. Federiko’s rebounding numbers need to get better, but against a very tall front line he showed he is capable of doing just that.

The Microwave

Nike Sibande had one of the more forgettable first half performances of his season on Saturday. He was 0-for-2 from the floor, committed three turnovers, and was whistled for two fouls in just 8 minutes of action.

Sibande struggled against Florida State in the first meeting as well with 4 points on 1-of-6 shooting. The way the game was shaping up on Saturday, it seemed as though the starters would be doing most of the heavy lifting in order for Pitt to get the win against Florida State on the road.

Something changed, and it happened in a hurry. Sibande got hot quickly and scored all 12 of his points in the final 7:24 of the game. During a stretch when Florida State was making a push, Pitt’s sixth man buried two crucial three-pointers to give Pitt a little breathing room. He then went onto score two more baskets, and connected on two free throws with :30 seconds remaining as well.

Sibande’s surge was huge and necessary for Pitt to pull off this win. The length of Florida State on both sides of the floor limited Nelly Cummings. The Pitt team in general also hit a dry spell in the second half from three as well, but Sibande’s energy once again gave Pitt a much-needed lift.

Pitt had an 18-8 advantage in bench points on Saturday thanks to six points from Gullermo Diaz Graham as well. In Pitt’s loss to Florida State a few weeks ago, the Seminoles held a 17-4 advantage in bench points. It was a key stat that got flipped in this game, and was a direct help in flipping the outcome as well.

Sibande has been a solid contributor throughout much of the season, but like most sixth men, it’s not always perfect. Sometimes for guys who come off the bench it comes in waves, and Pitt was riding a hot one from Sibande down the stretch.