80 - 66 Pitt continued to show why they have been a frustrating team this season. After a disappointing loss to Virginia Tech a few days ago, the Panthers came back to beat a Top 20 Florida State team, 80-66.
Equally as encouraging is that Pitt had the game pretty comfortably. They held a double digit lead and while things got a little close in the second half, the Panthers mostly looked like the better team by a good margin today. You win by 14 against a Top 20 team and you've had a pretty good day.
Sheldon Jeter had an amazing game with a career-high 29 points on 12-14 from the field. On offense, he's mostly been erratic this year. But he's capable of doing a little more scoring when the team needs it - which, with Michael Young and Jamel Artis going for 'only' a combined 27, they did.
The retro unis, as expected, didn't have nearly the same payoff as they did for the football team for any number of reasons. That whole eight-game losing streak in the middle of the year really sucked a lot of energy from something that could have had a lot more steam. I thought they were fine but generally just think that sort of thing is a tough sell when expectations on the field/court aren't met.
If you're a fan that's continued to watch this season, you'll likely keep paying attention with this win. This season hasn't been pretty by any means but games like this one continue to prove that when Pitt is playing well, they look like a Top 25 team.
I'm not about to start wracking my brain over NCAA Tournament scenarios. That all seems pretty far away right now. Pitt probably needs some combination of five more wins to have a shot but that's nothing more than a whimsical guess at this point and it also depends on who you beat and who beats you. As always, there's a ton of shifting that takes place in the final weeks of the regular season. Mid-major conference tournament upsets often shrink the field, etc. The Panthers' only hope is to keep playing hard and keep winning.
For now, though, great win for the team.
