TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Patrick Williams scored 16 points, Anthony Polite had 10 points and six rebounds and No. 8 Florida State pulled away in the second half, beating Pitt, 82-67, on Tuesday night.
Williams, a freshman forward, scored in double figures for the 10th time this season as the Seminoles (22-4, 12-3 ACC) improved to 14-0 at home.
Au’Diese Toney had 15 points and seven rebounds, and Xavier Johnson added 12 points and seven assists for Pitt (15-12, 6-10), which has lost six of its last eight games.
Balsa Koprivica had seven rebounds, helping Florida State gain a 40-27 edge on the boards.
Devin Vassell returned from a one-game absence for Florida State and finished with three points and four rebounds.
The victory helped the Seminoles avenge a 63-61 loss at Pitt in the season opener Nov. 6.
The Panthers were able to keep the game close in the first half, but Trey McGowens was held to three points — he averages 12.5 — and the Panthers made only 4 of 22 3-pointers (18.2%).
Vassell and M.J. Walker, two of the Seminoles’ top guards, didn’t score in the first half. But the Seminoles had 29 bench points in the first half, more than making up for the scoring load. Walker finished with seven points.
