Florida State women’s basketball was down two starters, Ta’Niya Latson and O’Mariah Gordon, due to injuries.
Despite missing two important pieces on the team, the Seminoles (21-6, 11-4) pressed on and took care of business against Pittsburgh (11-17, 3-12), winning 69-55 on Thursday night in front of 1,818 fans at the Donald L. Tucker Center.
FSU’s offense was limited without the nation’s top scorer, Latson, and Gordon, who was coming off a 34-point performance last week against Miami.
“We would grow today, and we did, and I just credit the players because they never wavered, they never flinched,” FSU coach Brooke Wyckoff said. “They just roll with whatever happens in adversity, keep believing, and stay together.”
The game was low-scoring in the beginning − tied at 21in the first quarter − and the Seminoles edged the Panthers at the half 28-26.
FSU dominated the second half, outscoring the Panthers 41-29, including going on a 16-4 run.
Three Seminoles finished in double figures. Leading the way was Makayla Timpson, with 20 points. Carla Viegas added 15 and Sydney Bowles scored 14.
Here are the takeaways.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Makayla Timpson has another record-breaking night
Timpson was running the ship for the Seminoles. Despite her foul troubles, the senior led with 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 blocks.
Her seven blocks put the 6-foot-2 forward at 88 this year, breaking her single-season record. Another individual achievement in Timpson’s four-year with the Seminoles.
Before the game, Timpson was recognized for reaching 1,017 rebounds, placing her second in program history. All year, Timpson has averaged a double-double with 17. 1 points a game and 10.5 points a game.
“I’m just grateful to be here, grateful to be able to do it here with this team and with my coach right here,” Timpson said.
“I’m just grateful. I just gotta keep going. They trust me to do a lot of things, and I just a lot of things that I want to accomplish in my career.”
More: Ta’Niya Latson injury update: Will Florida State star play for Seminoles vs. Pitt today?
FSU basketball’s depth was put to the test
With Latson and Gordon unavailable, Wyckoff challenged the depth of her roster. Raiane Dos Santos made her first career start as a guard, and Amaya Bonner started her second.
The first quarter was shaky as the Seminoles had 12 turnovers in the first half and 20 the whole game.
“Obviously, I hate being without Ta’Niya and O’Mariah, but I was excited to see because I know what these players are capable of and how good they are, and so I they saw that in themselves today, too,” Wyckoff said.
“So that is, that is what we wanted. That’s what we know we’ve had as depth and the ability to step up and find different ways to win every night.”
Dos Santos and Bonner’s ball movement improved once the game slowed down. Bonner finished with nine points and four rebounds. Dos Santos finished seven points, four rebounds and three assists.
Viegas sparked the Seminoles in the second half by hitting three 3-pointers, giving them their first double-digit lead at 10. She finished the game with 15 and 5 for 9 from behind the arc.
More: Malique Ewin’s 24-point performance leads FSU basketball to victory over rival Miami | Takeaways
Defense keeps FSU basketball in the game
While Pitt was in the game for most of the night, FSU still had full control because of its defense and hustle plays.
The Seminoles won the rebound battle 44-35, mainly from the defensive end, when they outrebounded the Panthers 37-25.
Malea Williams may have only had two points, but she had 10 boards to make up for it. FSU had nine steals, forced 16 turnovers, and scored 11 off of those turnovers.
“We knew all five of us had to get involved out there to finish the play, and we did that,” Wyckoff said. “We came up with 39 defensive rebounds, which is pretty good.”
More: Ex-FSU football, NFL player Corey Fuller won’t let fire, cancer change outlook on life
What’s next for FSU women’s basketball
The status of Latson and Gordon remains a mystery. There are three more games left in FSU’s schedule. To end the regular season, the Seminoles will play three straight-ranked opponents, two are on the road back-to-back.
It starts Sunday when FSU travels to No. 19 Georgia Tech (21-6, 9-6) at 4 p.m. Next Thursday, the Seminoles head to South Bend to take No. 1 ranked Notre Dame (24-2, 15-0 at 8 p.m. and then finish the season at home to host No.11 Duke (20-7, 11-4) at 6 p.m.
More: FSU football’s Micahi Danzy: Burning up track and field en route to new position change
Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Here are takeaways from FSU basketball’s win over Pittsbugh
