Pitt’s two-game stop in Brooklyn did not get off on the right foot. The Panthers lost to Florida on Wednesday night by a score of 86-71. It was an interesting game for Pitt as the team started off strong, but a poor second half ultimately took them out of the contest.

Pitt never trailed for the first 19 minutes of the game, but a late 8-0 run just before halftime was enough momentum for Florida to kind of take control. The Panthers struggled with the physical nature Florida brought to the court and left with their first loss of the season.

Now the Panthers will look to bounce back for the first time this season. Pitt will meet Oregon State today from the Barclay’s Center in the consolation game of the Preseason NIT. Like Pitt, Oregon State opened the event with a loss on Wednesday, an 88-72 decision to No. 13 Baylor. The Beavers come into this game with a 3-2 record. Oregon State was picked to finish last in the preseason Pac-12 poll, but the team did show some fight against a pretty good Baylor team.

The Panther-Lair.com staff all incorrectly predicted Pitt to win on Wednesday. Here is how they see the game playing out on Wednesday.

Stephen Gertz (4-1): I like the Pittsburgh Panthers to bounce back against a not-so-good Oregon State Beavers squad. Pitt is going to have to avoid sending Oregon State to the free throw line. If they can do that, then I do not see a likely path for the Beavers to take to victory. They do not keep teams off the offensive glass and they do not turn teams over. I also do not envision Bub Carrington and Blake Hinson having another poor shooting night. While the Florida Gators further exposed how thin the Panthers frontcourt can be when Federiko Federiko is in foul trouble, Oregon State does not have big bodies that can take advantage of that. Basically, Pitt is the better team and the Beavers do not have the kind of roster that can exploit some of the Panthers weaknesses.

Prediction: Pitt 82-70

Jim Hammett (4-1): I thought Pitt was going to put up a little more fight against Florida on Wednesday, but despite that result I’m still pretty high on this team’s overall outlook. I think the Florida game was a good barometer and can be a teaching moment for a team with only one senior logging significant playing time. Pitt learned that sometimes games will be more physical and they will need to find ways to play through it. I think today’s game represents a good bounce-back opportunity for the Panthers. Oregon State is not a great team and Pitt has a chance to let out some frustration. I think Pitt wins, which should set up a big game against Tuesday night against Missouri at the Petersen Events Center. In this game in particular, I’m expecting one of or both of the Diaz Graham brothers to bounce back and have a strong performance.

Prediction: Pitt 84-74

Matt Steinbrink (4-1): This is a huge game for Pitt now, as they cannot afford to leave Brooklyn 0-2. This Oregon State team has several weaknesses and not as talented as the Panthers. They will need to be careful in defending Pope to not let him get going efficiently. The game can be a bit worrisome coming after Thanksgiving day and in the middle of the day in a consolation atmosphere. So as long as the staff has this group’s attention, they should be able to win easily.

Prediction: Pitt 82-73

Houston Wilson (4-1): Tuesday was a tough loss against Florida but Pitt has a good chance today to get back on track against a power five opponent in Oregon State. Pitt is a lot more talented than this Oregon State team and I fully expect a lot of different players to get involved for Pitt. This game should get Pitt a little more momentum before they continue to have a few power five games ahead of their schedule. Pitt steamrolls from the second half on and wins.

Prediction: Pitt 78-64

Chris Peak (4-1): We all picked Pitt on Wednesday, and like the Panthers, we all suffered our first loss of the season. Now we're all on board with Pitt bouncing back. I think there were a lot of lessons learned on Wednesday night. I think the Panthers came out of that game with a newfound understanding of what it takes to win, and I think we'll see that in a more methodical approach that doesn't necessarily rein in the team's explosiveness but rather manages it. Players like Bub Carrington and Blake Hinson still need to be themselves, but they also have to play within the team instead of trying to win the game by themselves on every possession. I don't think that will be a tough adjustment, and I think we'll see a more focused Pitt team that Is ready for the challenge. I'm really banking on the Florida game being a springboard for the Panthers, and the first jump comes this afternoon against a team that Pitt should beat.

Prediction: Pitt 83-71