Local Teams

Playing only its fourth road contest of the season didn't faze No. 16 Florida State as it knocked off host Pittsburgh 79-72 in Atlantic Coast Conference play on Saturday afternoon.

RaiQuan Gray paced another balanced scoring effort from the Seminoles (13-3, 9-2 ACC) with 16 points, eight rebounds and two steals. Florida State picked up its third consecutive victory and took over the lead in the ACC after Virginia lost to Duke later Saturday.

The Seminoles improved to 2-2 on the road and three of their final four scheduled regular-season games will take place away from Tallahassee.

Justin Champagnie led the Panthers with a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds. Xavier Johnson finished with 15 points.

Pitt (9-9, 5-8), which played without injured junior wing and second-leading scorer and rebounder Au'Diese Toney (concussion), lost its fourth consecutive game and seventh in its past eight. Toney is averaging 14.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.

Florida State led throughout the second half, although the Panthers were able to pull within four points with 53 seconds left on a jumper by Johnson.

RayQuan Evans, who scored 12 points, made five of six free throws to help Florida State seal the outcome.

The Seminoles were clutch at the line as a team, making 23 of 29 attempts (79.3 percent). That mark and Florida State's 44.8 percent shooting from the field was due to its aggressiveness at the rim and made up for 28.6 percent shooting (4 of 14) from 3-point range.

Florida State also had nine of their 10 players crack the scoresheet. The omission was a shocker, however, as leading scorer M.J. Walker was scoreless on 0-for-5 shooting.

Malik Osborne picked up the slack on that end, however. Osborne totaled 12 points and nine rebounds and shot 6-for-7 from the free throw line. Scottie Barnes struggled shooting (4-for-13), but finished with 11 points and six rebounds off the bench for the Seminoles.

Nike Sibande was in the satarting lineup with Toney out and finished with 12 points and seven rebounds while helping on the defensive end against FSU's deep backcourt. Femi Okudale also had eight points off Pitt's bench.

--Field Level Media