North Florida Ospreys vs Pittsburgh Panthers Match Player Stats On Dec 17, 2022

Federiko Federiko scored a career-high 22 points Saturday and Pittsburgh won for the seventh time in eight games, pummeling visiting North Florida 82-56 in a nonconference matchup.

Federiko hit 10 of 14 shots from the field and added eight rebounds for the Panthers (8-4), which also got 18 points from Blake Hinson. Greg Elliott added 11 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, while Jamarius Burton chipped in 13 points.

Pittsburgh got the shots it wanted most of the game against a smaller opponent, converting at a 52.5-percent rate from the field, including a blistering 59.4 percent in the second half. The Panthers also dominated the rebounding battle 43-27 and committed only eight turnovers.

Jarius Hicklen scored 15 points for the Ospreys (3-7), while Carter Hendricksen and Jose Placer each added 12. North Florida shot just 37.7 percent from the field, including 6 of 25 (24.0 percent) from the 3-point line.

Leading by 39-25 as the second half started, Pitt wasted little time turning the game into a blowout. It took less than three minutes for the margin to reach 21 as Federiko converted a putback for a 49-28 lead.

It took both teams a while to get started offensively. Each committed a turnover in the first 16 seconds and neither managed a field goal until Federiko hit a jump hook two minutes into the game.

North Florida kept the game close for just over 12 minutes, trailing 19-15 with 7:43 left in the first half when Placer drilled a stepback 3-pointer. The Panthers started exploiting their size advantage inside, going to Federiko for a dunk and a layup during an 8-0 run that upped the lead to 27-15.

Federiko and Hinson teamed up for Pitt's final seven points of the first half, increasing its advantage to 16 before Placer drove for a layup with 20 seconds remaining that made the advantage 14 points at intermission.

--Field Level Media