FSU Basketball Picks Up Signature Home Win, Beats Pitt 82-70
Florida State welcomed the Pitt Panthers for a late-night ACC match in the Tucker Center. This was one of FSU's few chances remaining the rest of the season to pick up a quality win, so they needed to play with some energy.
And this was a rock fight early. Neither team could buy a bucket in the first half as Florida State's defense floundered Jaland Lowe. There was nothing to talk about offensively in the first 20 minutes as both teams entered halftime, shooting around 27% from the floor. But defensively? The Seminoles were putting on a masterclass for the first half.
FSU forced 14 first-half turnovers on Pitt, which would've tied Pitt's most for a GAME this season. Jalen Lowe, in particular, was having a really hard time with FSU's ball pressure, turning it over six times in the first half. That helped the 'Noles take a 28-23 lead into halftime despite their poor shooting.
The offenses woke up in the second half, as Malique Ewin had ten points, including a personal 8-0 run in the first four minutes of the half to put the Seminoles up double-digits. Daquan Davis also showed how comfortable he's getting in the system, being a pest on defense, handling the ball at a high level, and even putting a defender on skates to hit a three.
But Pitt chipped their way back into the game. After Florida State went up by 16 with less than ten minutes to go, Pitt went to a zone pressure defense, which slowed the 'Noles down, and the Panthers went on an 8-0 run to get themselves back in it. Then another 7-2 run by Pitt, fueled by some big shots by Jorge Diaz Graham, got them within five with a little more than five minutes to play.
Florida State answered, though. Jamir Watkins dealt with foul trouble for most of the second half, but he was re-inserted down the stretch and got to the free-throw line a few times to help extend FSU's lead back to 10 with 3:30 to play.
Pitt wasn't dead yet. Jaland Lowe shook off a rough first half to give them some quality plays, forcing a tie-up and getting to the free-throw line, and Jorge Diaz Graham was hitting big shots to keep the Panthers close. With 1:58 to go, Pitt had the lead down to five.
Jamir Watkins went 1/2 at the line with 1:30 to go to push FSU up 70-64. Jaland Lowe missed a three on the other end, collected by Watkins, and FSU's leading man hit two more free throws to go up eight with 1:15 to play. That would be enough for FSU to coast to an 82-70 win.
Watkins led the Seminoles with 26 points despite playing just 23 minutes due to foul trouble. Malique Ewin had 18 points, 13 rebounds, and three blocks. Chandler Jackson (13 points) and Daquan Davis (11 points) were also in double-figures.
Jaland Lowe responded from a quiet first half to finish with 22 points, but he also had eight turnovers. Jorge Diaz Graham was massive with 17 points off the bench, and Ishmael Leggett had 13 points and four turnovers. Pitt had 17 turnovers in this game, three more than their previous high on the season.
Florida State will be home against Georgia Tech on Saturday.
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1. Cam Corhen Transferring Was a Blessing
Cam Corhen is a solid player, but it didn't hurt me as a former member of the program that he transferred inside the conference by going to Pitt. And FSU upgraded by grabbing Malique Ewin. Ewin's stretch to start the second half won this game for the Seminoles, and Corhen only had two points and didn't make a field goal the entire game. No one saw it coming, but Corhen leaving was a blessing for the team.
2. Daquan Davis' Rapid Progression
Daquan Davis is awesome for a freshman point guard. He had a stretch in the second half where he perfectly splits a 1-on-2 defensive sequence, reacted to contest a corner three that should've been open, then raced up the floor and beat Pitt's last line of defense for an easy layup. Having a true point guard on this team is huge.
3. Welcome Back, Jamir Watkins
Watkins had been quiet in his last three games. He was far from it in this, despite the foul trouble. He made clutch free throws down the stretch after Pitt was climbing back into the game, and gave them a steadying presence when they needed it most. This is what your leaders are supposed to do, and it was good to see him show up against a quality opponent.
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