Ithiel Horton scored 25 points and Jamarius Burton posted 11 of his 13 points in the final five minutes as Pitt held off Florida State in Tallahassee for a 56-51 road victory. The Panthers improve to 9-16 on the season and ended a four-game losing streak with the win. It marks Pitt's first ACC road victory of the season after starting the year with seven conference losses on the road.
Horton was the story on Wednesday for Pitt offensively. The junior guard was playing in only his sixth game of the season after serving what amounted to a 19-game suspension, knocked down seven three-pointers and posted a career-high 25-points in a Pitt uniform, topping a 20-point showing he had last season.
Horton connected on four three's in the opening minutes of the second half, as Pitt was able to stretch the lead to 34-27 after only leading by one point at halftime. The Panthers showed resolve in this game, as they only trailed for a total of :34 seconds in this one. The Seminoles tied it twice in the second half, but their only lead was a 2-0 one at the start of the game. Pitt was able to fend off any extended rallies by the 'Noles to preserve the victory.
The first half proved to be ugly, as there could be no other way to describe it. The Panthers and Seminoles combined for 41 first-half points, the lowest output in an ACC game this season. Pitt and Florida State collectively shot 12-of-56 in the first half with 13 turnovers, and 19 fouls.
The pace of play picked up some after halftime, but both teams continued to struggle offensively. Florida State has now lost five straight games after a strong 13-5 start to the season. The 'Noles were led by Caleb Mills, who notched 19 points. Matthew Cleveland added 12 points.
Florida State closed the gap to 49-46 on a Wyatt Wilkes 3-pointer with :59 seconds remaining in the game. Pitt struggled from the free-throw line on Wednesday going 12-24, but veteran Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton allowed Pitt to play out the ensuing possession despite the foul shooting woes. Burton's deep two-point jumper with the shot clock winding down with :34 seconds left extended the lead back to five points to give the Panthers some breathing room.
The Panthers went 5-of-6 in the closing seconds from the line to end the Seminoles final chances at getting back in the game.
Wednesday marked Horton's first start of the season, and John Hugley returned to the starting five as well after coming off the bench on Monday. The Panthers only shot 33% from the field as a team, but looked much better on the glass. After only recording one offensive rebound on Monday in a 74-47 loss to Virginia Tech, the Panthers pulled down ten in this one.
Mo Gueye posted a unique 6-point, 6-rebound, and 8-block stat line, as the senior forward proved invaluable at protecting the rim for the Panthers. Femi Odukale went 0-8 from the field and finished with only 3 points, but the sophomore guard dished out six assists and grabbed seven rebounds.
Jeff Capel now holds a 3-2 advantage over Hamilton as Pitt's coach, after claiming upset wins over Florida State in each of his first two seasons on the job and securing a much-needed win on Wednesday. The Panthers will continue their torrid pace of games in a short amount of days on Saturday, when they welcome last-place North Carolina State to the Petersen Events Center for a 3:00 p.m. tip on the ACC Network.
