Florida State and Pittsburgh each will be aiming to end four-game losing streaks when the teams meet on Wednesday night in an Atlantic Coast Conference clash in Tallahassee, Fla.
The host Seminoles (13-9, 6-6 ACC) have been ravaged by injuries in recent weeks, which derailed what had been a hot start to the season and dropped them from the top tier of the Atlantic Coast Conference standings to the middle of the pack.
Florida State’s depth was tested to an even greater extent in its most recent loss, a 68-60 setback to Wake Forest at home on Saturday.
With three starters out and another limited, the Seminoles needed a jolt from walk-on senior forward Harrison Prieto, who scored 13 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, including seven off the offensive glass.
“At the end of the day, I have a distinct athletic disadvantage compared to a lot of the guys out there,” Prieto said. “So I want to make up for that by playing harder than anyone on the court. That’s my self-talk before I go in.”
Already without Malik Osborne (ankle), the Seminoles also played without Anthony Polite (wrist) and Naheem McLeod (hand). John Butler did not return to the game after spraining his ankle in the first half.
The Panthers (8-16, 3-10) were just swept in a home-and-home set against Virginia Tech.
Two nights after nearly coming back from a 27-point first-half deficit before falling, 76-71, the Panthers barely put up a fight during a 74-47 loss on the Hokies’ home floor.
Femi Odukale led Pitt with 16 points and Mouhamadou Gueye hit five three-pointers to finish with 15 points. But the Panthers trailed by 18 at halftime and were held to a season-low scoring output.
After scoring the first five points of the game, the Panthers allowed Virginia Tech to go on a 21-5 surge to put the game away early.
“We have to work and get better,” Pitt coach Jeff Capel said. “It’s not going to get easier. That’s what I say to them. It requires more. We have to be able to give more and invest more, and that’s all of us.”
– Field Level Media
