Panthers On the Road to Play Florida State Wednesday

Pitt (12-4, 3-2 ACC)  at Florida State (11-5, 2-3 ACC)

Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025  •  9:00 PM 

Tallahassee, Fla.  •  Donald L. Tucker Center

ESPNU  •  93.7 The Fan

THE OPENING TIP

• Pitt (12-4, 3-2 ACC) travels to Tallahassee, Fla. to face Florida State (11-5, 2-3 ACC) Wednesday, Jan. 15. Tipoff from the Donald L. Tucker Center is set for 9:00 p.m. with Ariya Massoudi and Perry Clark calling the action on ESPNU.
• The Panthers have dropped back-to-back games for the first time this season and the first time since Jan. 9-16. 2024. Pitt is 24-8, including a 14-5 mark in ACC play, since mid-January of last season.
• Pitt has put together back-to-back seasons with 20+ wins, including 10+ victories in ACC play. The Panthers are tied for fourth in conference wins and total wins among ACC teams since the start of the 2022-23 season.
• The Panthers’ starting backcourt of Ishmael Leggett and Jaland Lowe combines to average 33.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, 8.7 assists, and 3.5 steals per game. The duo has combined for 26 double-figure scoring games, including 11 games with 20 or more points scored.
• Pitt leads the ACC in field goal percentage (.480), while ranking second in effective field goal percentage (.553), free throw percentage (.782), blocked shots (4.6). The Panthers also rank third in the conference in scoring (81.4 ppg.), scoring margin (+11.7 ppg.), and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.40:1).
• The Panthers have won 16 true road games since the start of the 2022-23 season, sixth most among high major teams in the span.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Pitt is one of two programs (joined by Rutgers) in the NCAA with two guards averaging 16.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game or better. Jaland Lowe (17.2 ppg., 4.6 rpg.) and Ishmael Leggett (16.7 ppg., 5.6 rpg.) have anchored the Panther attack through the first 16 games of the season.
• Jaland Lowe (17.2 ppg.) and Ishmael Leggett (16.7 ppg.) rank eighth and ninth, respectively, in the ACC in scoring. Pitt is the only program with two players ranked in the top 10 in scoring.
• Jaland Lowe is filling the stat sheet averaging 17.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game. He is one of two players in the NCAA (joined by Kam Jones of Marquette) averaging at least 16.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game.
• Zack Austin entered the starting lineup prior to the Virginia Tech game…