The last time Pitt won a game, Ithiel Horton wasn’t with the team. On Jan. 25, Pitt beat Syracuse. A day later, Horton’s off-campus incident (and subsequent suspension) was resolved, and he was reinstated to the team.
Playing in Pitt’s last four games, all of which were losses, Horton struggled to find a rhythm. But on Wednesday night — one that lacked offense and a general sense of watchability — Horton’s sharpshooting gave Pitt the lift it so desperately needed.
Pitt ended its 12-game road ACC losing streak with a 56-51 win at Florida State thanks to Horton’s 25 points and seven 3-pointers.
“It felt really good to be back to being myself,” Horton said postgame. “I’ve had a really tough year. It just felt really good to come out and break out. … I put the work in. I’ve been listening to the right stuff. I’ve been positive, staying mentally strong. I was due for one.”
“Ithiel was outstanding all game,” head coach Jeff Capel added. “Our guys found him, and he delivered.”
Fellow guard Jamarius Burton was also key down the stretch. He had only two points in the first half, but finished with 13 — hitting a pair of clutch free throws to help ice the win with 25 seconds to go. The Panthers, now 9-16 overall with a 4-10 mark in ACC play, still have plenty to work on. But in a season with few moments to celebrate, Wednesday at the Tucker Center was one of them.
Now, no one really celebrated the first half. Across the board, it was ugly. Pitt and Florida State had more fouls (19) and turnovers (13) than they did field goals (12). Pitt shot 7 of 28 while Florida State was 5 of 28, a 21.4% combined clip. Zero baskets were made in the final five-and-a-half minutes. Somehow, only 4 of 16 layups were made.
Beneath the surface, there were a few bright spots for the Panthers. For one, they led, 21-20, at halftime. It was the first time Pitt has led at the break in its last seven games. In their last five losses, the Panthers trailed by an average of 17.4 points at halftime. So they had that going for them.
On an individual basis, Horton was aggressive, hitting a pair of 3s. Mo Gueye, who finished with eight blocks, had a memorable put-back slam after an emphatic rejection on the other end. William Jeffress had six rebounds. It wasn’t much, but Pitt was in it.
Then, Horton went off. The redshirt junior had 17 second-half points while drilling five 3s — showing what, at his best, Pitt missed while he was suspended.
Horton, Pitt’s top returning scorer from last year’s team, missed Pitt’s first 13 games after being charged with aggravated assault, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness following a Nov. 6 incident on the South Side. Horton came back briefly, missed another six games and rejoined the team two weeks ago after the aggravated assault and resisting arrest charges were dropped as part of a negotiated plea.
“(My parents) were telling me to keep going. Just put that whole situation behind me,” Horton said. “When I came back, it was still lingering. I was really just angry at the whole situation. But they said to put it behind you and put some good stuff in your spirit.”
Since returning, Horton had been limited. The 6-foot-3 guard scored 19 total points, converting 6 of 24 attempts, while averaging 20.3 minutes per game in defeats to Boston College, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech (back-to-back). But Horton didn’t disappoint at Florida State, logging 37 minutes in his first start this season.
“I just felt like it was time,” Capel said of Horton starting. “If nothing would have happened and we would’ve been whole, Ithiel would have most likely been a starter from the beginning of the year. And I just felt like it was time to go back to what I felt would be our best lineup, get our best guys on the court. … And fortunately for us, he was able to make some shots.”
Up next
Pitt has a chance to win back-to-back ACC games for the first time this season when it hosts N.C. State on Saturday. N.C. State (10-15 overall, 3-11 ACC) is the only team beneath Pitt in the conference standings.
Johnny McGonigal: jmcgonigal@post-gazette.com and Twitter @jmcgonigal9
First Published: February 10, 2022, 4:32 a.m.
