Once again the Panthers manage to avoid hitting a two game losing streak, improving to 3-0 in games following a loss. The game at Florida State did not look pretty, but the 74-72 win moves Pitt up to third place in the ACC standings.
Recap:
The Panthers won the opening tip, but early on it was an ugly game by both sides. In the first three minutes Pitt led 5-0, Jamel Artis scored all points. Florida State finally started showing signs of life after the first TV timeout, but Pitt remained lost in a funk. At the 13:40 mark the ‘Noles took their first lead, 10-9, and from there they would hold onto it for a long time. They kept around a four to seven point advantage through much of the last nine minutes. The only part of the floor Panthers were hitting shots was from three-point range. Sterling Smith did most of the damage, as he hit three three-pointers in that time frame. His effort was good, however the team as a whole showed no energy and Florida State was able to push their lead to double digits by half, leading 43-33.
The halftime intermission seemed do the trick. Pitt’s offense seemed more focused right of the gate. Their defense still looked lazy and Malik Beasley thrived all day long, scoring 16 points without missing a single shot. Dwayne Bacon and Xavier Rathan-Mayes also did damage scoring 12 and 14 points respectively. The Panther offense played well enough to make up for the bad defense and a 12-5 run to start the half put them right back into the game. The contest teetered back and forth with FSU making enough plays to keep their slim lead. Then a 7-1 run gave the Seminoles an eight-point lead with under ten to play. But another Panther run, proved to be just what the doctor ordered. This time it was a 12-4 run, which tied it at 63 apiece. A few more back and forth possessions had the game still tied and that is when after a Ryan Luther offensive rebound then kick out to an open Artis for three pushed the Panthers into the winners circle.
Jamel Artis and Sterling Smith did most of the damage on offense, scoring 16 points each. Smith also made four threes and hauled in five rebounds, while his fellow backcourt mate, James Robinson, made three three-pointers of his own en route to a 14 point outing. Michael Young was the last Pitt player in double figures with 13.
Positives:
Second Half Offense- After halftime the offense really kicked it into gear. Players were moving with more of a purpose and it resulted in good looks at the hoop. Without the offense playing like it did in the second half this would have been a loss.
Jamel Artis- Not only did he knock down the crucial three to give Pitt a lead they would not surrender, he attacked all game. Artis was not going to sit by and watch his team drop another game and it showed in his effort.
Luther Hustle- In some aspects of his game he really struggles at times, but the one area Luther is excellent is effort. When he gets in the game it is not nonstop hustle and that attitude was a big reason for the win.
Three-point Shooting- The perimeter shooting was solid all game, as the Panthers hit 10 of 23 attempts. They relied heavily on that shooting to make their comeback and thankfully the players came through.
Passing- Finally Pitt looked more like their usual self with regards to their passing. With only ten turnovers in the game it is clear how much better this team is when they focus on making the right plays.
Negatives:
First Half Offense- As good as the second half offense came out the first half start was the exact opposite. Florida State was also sluggish and Pitt never did anything to make them pay early on. Slow starts cannot keep becoming a trend for this team.
Michael Young- For much of the season Young has been Pitt’s best player, but on Saturday he was off. He went 3-9 from the field and missed plenty of crucial free throws down the stretch run of the game. He needs to be better than this from here on.
Defense- Once again the defensive side of the court was a negative. Players looked disinterested and that is why FSU’s two leading scorers had efficient efforts’.
Effort- To start the game no one looked interested. It was like every player was stuck in a fog they could not get out of. If they would have lost this game it could have buried their tournament chances. The players need to play with more urgency throughout the entirety of games.
Alonzo Nelson-Ododa- To sum up his performance Alonzo had four fouls in 14 minutes of play. He has been a foul machine all season and if he cannot play defense without fouling he has little to no purpose on the court.
Offensive Grade: B+
The second half offense and in particular their three-point shooting is what got this team back into the game. However, early on it looked a lot like the NC State game all over again. Players were missing easy looks and just generally looked lost at times. Not having Sheldon Jeter did hurt their transition game, so all in all they did do enough on offense to win the game.
Defensive Grade: C-
The effort was the primary problem on Saturday and a better team would have had a field day. The ‘Noles are not all that impressive, which is why the below average defense played by Pitt did not come back to bite them. The defense did make enough stops down the stretch to win the game, so as the old saying goes a win is a win.
Coaching Grade: C
Dixon’s team could not afford to lose this game, but they still came out with zero sense of urgency. The head coach has to be able to get his team up for games and in this instance Dixon failed to do that. But he did rally them at half and his faith in Luther paid off in the end so Dixon deserves some credit.
Up Next:
Pitt continues their road trip, this time at Clemson on Wednesday January 27th at 7:00 P.M.