While both teams were looking to notch their second ACC win of the season, it was the 11th ranked Florida State Seminoles (13-4, 1-3) that got off to a fast start. Florida State sprinted out to a 6-0 lead as the Pittsburgh Panthers (12-5, 2-2) tried solving the puzzle of 7’4” center Christ Koumadje.
Per usual, it was Xavier Johnson who put Pitt on the board and helped steady the ship. From there, it was a back-and-forth battle as no team was able to separate by more than two possessions. The Seminoles stayed in it thanks to 18 points in the paint and 12 second-chance points off 7 offensive rebounds.