PITTSBURGH — After incomes back-to-back street wins, Jeff Capel’s Pitt Panthers dropped a disappointing loss to a banged-up Florida State squad on Saturday Afternoon on the Pete, 71-64.

Pitt got here out sizzling, as Nelly Cummings, Federiko Federiko, and Greg Elliott opened the sport with three makes and earned Pitt a snug, early lead in entrance of a loud dwelling crowd. Nevertheless, after constructing its result in 17-11, Pitt fully fell aside for the remainder of the half.

“I believed we acquired off to a very good begin,” Capel stated after the sport. “I believed we had actually good power to begin the sport. The primary five-and-a-half minutes. Then, we weren’t in a position to maintain it. From the 14-and-a-half-minute mark of the primary half for the remainder of that half, we didn’t play effectively. I believed we allowed our lack of ability, throughout that stretch, our lack of ability to make pictures, I believed it affected our protection.”

The Seminoles went on a forceful 14-0 run to take over management of the sport. After Jamarius Burton hit a jumper with greater than 13 minutes left within the first body, the Panthers hit simply two of their subsequent 17 pictures, heading into halftime trailing 39-29.

“It’s irritating, however the actuality is, it’s good gamers on this league,” Burton continued. “For us, we are able to’t give them their pictures, now we have to stay to the scouting report and perceive that there are some good gamers on this league. They made us pay.”

In line with Evan Miyakawa’s ‘Kill Shot” statistic, 71% of the time {that a} group goes on a 10-0 run in the course of the sport, that group comes out with the victory. Whereas Florida State’s kill-shot didn’t instantly sink the Panthers, it actually plagued them with a giant activity for the second half.

In that second body, Pitt pulled all the best way again and even took a three-point lead, however couldn’t hold the identical power and construct any kind of snug lead as FSU took dwelling the ‘W.’

“I believed we acquired off to a very good begin within the second half. We had been in a position to shut the sport on a ten-point lead, and take a three-point lead. However once more, we weren’t in a position to maintain that.”

SEMINOLES ARE ‘BETTER THAN THEIR RECORD’

Florida State entered this sport with an abysmal 6-13 report however had began off alright in ACC play successful 4 of its eight convention matchups.

With the win over Pitt, the Seminoles earned their second-straight street convention win after taking down Notre Dame at Purcell Pavilion earlier within the week. Though Pitt did wrestle mightily late within the first half and at occasions within the second, it wasn’t all of the Panthers dangerous. Florida State deserves respect for its efficiency as of late — together with Saturday — and Capel says, its report actually could also be deceiving.

“They’re rather a lot higher than their report,” Capel stated concerning the Seminoles. “That they had lots of accidents to begin the season, and so they had a child that’s very proficient that was suspended. Whenever you get ready for a season, and as you get near enjoying and also you begin having accidents to key guys, that may actually mess you up. Now, it places guys, and the blokes that acquired damage for them in all probability would have been starters or guys that performed lots of minutes. So there’s an adjustment. Guys roles are totally different.”

Florida State appeared to sniper Darin Inexperienced Jr., who hit 7 of his 12 field-goal makes an attempt, together with 5 of his eight three-point tries, en path to a team-high 24. Apart from Inexperienced’s stellar day, FSU earned stable offensive manufacturing from tremendous sophomore Matthew Cleveland (11 factors and eight rebounds) in addition to Caleb Mills (11 factors, seven rebounds, 4 assists). As a group, the ‘Noles shot a powerful 51% from the sphere and 50% from three-point vary within the win.

“I believe they’ve performed very effectively on this league. Clearly, they got here in 4-4, they only received on the street at Notre Dame, they’ve been aggressive in nearly each sport, even those they’ve misplaced. So I do suppose they’re a really proficient group.”

BALL MOVEMENT KEY TO PANTHERS’ OFFENSIVE SUCCESS

When Pitt was struggling and lacking pictures all through Florida State’s large run within the first half, it appeared as if each possession was happening to the final seconds of the shot clock.

The Panthers couldn’t discover any nice appears to be like throughout that span. It felt like isolation conditions occurred each time down the ground, and when the shot doesn’t drop, these possessions look actual ugly.

‘Power behind the ball,’ as Burton put it earlier this yr, has been so essential to this Panther offense. After the sport, FSU head coach Leonard Hamilton defined why.

“They had been executing their sport plan significantly better than we had been executing ours,” Hamilton stated about Pitt. “Within the first half, they might reverse the ball two or 3 times, after which, when folks transfer the ball like that, the protection is at all times going to make a mistake. Someplace, they’re going to make a mistake. I believed they took benefit of our lack of skill to maintain defensive positioning for the entire size of the shot clock.”

Ultimately, Pitt shot 43% from the sphere and hit simply seven of its 28 three-point makes an attempt as a group (25%). The Panthers held their very own on the glass, grabbing 29 rebounds in comparison with FSU’s 27 regardless of the Seminoles’ size all around the flooring.

CUMMINGS’ SHOOTING STRUGGLES CONTINUE

Nelly Cummings hit simply two of his 12 shot makes an attempt in Pitt’s loss, in addition to one in all his eight three-point tries.

Whereas his one three-point bucket did come at an enormous time down the stretch, he had a number of open appears to be like that might have been enormous for the Panthers.

“I believe he has performed effectively, he simply hasn’t made pictures,” Capel stated about Cummings’ current efficiency. “That occurs. I believe he has distributed the basketball effectively; he’s gotten us into our stuff, I believe he’s performed effectively, I simply suppose he hasn’t made pictures, and that occurs typically.”

Ever because the win at Syracuse through which he hit six of 11 three-point makes an attempt; Cummings has made simply six of his 33 three-point makes an attempt (18%). When Cummings is capturing the ball effectively, the offense feels full. If Pitt needs to bounce again from this loss, it is going to actually need Cummings’ chilly streak to return to an finish.

DARIN GREEN JR STEALS THE SHOW

Florida State’s Inexperienced took over this sport from outdoors, doing what he does greatest: knock down threes from all around the courtroom.

“He’s only a deadly participant,” Pitt’s Burton stated about Inexperienced. “He has the flexibility to knock it down and in addition put it on the ground. We simply didn’t do a adequate job making him uncomfortable, understanding the scouting report at occasions. I bear in mind him hitting a deep three in transition in opposition to me. I’ve acquired to do higher in that occasion. Getting up faster, understanding the scouting report. However like I stated, he acquired off to a sizzling begin, he’s a really versatile participant, and he made us pay in the present day.”

Inexperienced completed the day with 5 threes and in addition went 5 for 5 from the free-throw line. The UCF switch had 4 assists and grabbed two rebounds. He hit quite a few clutch pictures, together with a dagger of a 3 pointer with 1:52 remaining to increase FSU’s result in 4. He additionally sank each of his free throws within the closing 11 seconds, capping off the Seminoles’ victory.

“He’s a very good participant,” Capel stated about Inexperienced. “When guys get going and get right into a rhythm, it may be very troublesome to defend them. He shoots it with vary, he is aware of methods to transfer with out the basketball, and as a very good shooter, he understands methods to get open. There’s an artwork to that. Whether or not it’s studying screens, getting misplaced in transition, offensive rebounds getting misplaced, off of turnovers getting misplaced, he does a very good job of that. He hit some robust ones too.”