TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Pitt hadn't trailed all season in the second half. But after Florida State scored the first 10 points after halftime yesterday, the Panthers found themselves down eight with the home fans ready to lift the roof off the Tucker Center in anticipation of an upset.

But just as quickly as the Panthers had given up the lead they got it back, and they did it in the most unlikely manner -- finally making some 3-pointers. A 3-point barrage forged a 17-0 run that turned the game back in Pitt's favor, and the No. 3 Panthers went on to beat the Seminoles, 56-48.

Pitt, which missed 12 of its first 14 3-point attempts, made three in a row in less than two minutes. What made the event even more unlikely was that Jermaine Dixon made two of them.

Dixon entered the game shooting 16.7 percent from 3-point range and had one 3-pointer in the previous three games.

"I feel like at any given time anyone can step up on this team," senior forward Sam Young said. "If he didn't hit those 3s we wouldn't have won the game. After the game I told him we need him to shoot like that all the time."

Dixon, who played in junior college at nearby Tallahassee Community College, had missed 17 of his previous 19 attempts from behind the arc, including two in the first half.

"They were big," a smiling Dixon said afterward outside the Pitt locker room. "I missed a couple in the first half. My coaches and teammates told me to keep shooting. They had confidence in me. I have confidence. I know I can hit shots."

The 17-0 spurt gave Pitt (12-0) a nine-point lead, but the Panthers had to hang on over the final minutes as the Seminoles mounted a furious comeback. Florida State (11-2) came all the way back to tie the score at 48-48 with 2:21 remaining.

Pitt stemmed the tide on its next possession with a big play from its best player. Young, who led all scorers with 21 points, flew in down the key and tipped in a missed shot by Levance Fields for a 50-48 lead with 1:52 remaining.

"I got it with these two fingers," Young said pointing to his middle and ring fingers. "They got a big team. There were a couple of them up there with me and I just got it up over them. I had great timing on it, I guess."

Even though the game was in Atlantic Coast Conference country, the game had a distinct Big East feel to it. It was a defensive struggle with baskets at a premium. Pitt held Florida State to a 29.8 shooting percentage while the Panthers only managed to shoot slightly better at 33.3 percent.

In addition to dealing with a poor shooting effort, the Panthers had to deal with extensive foul trouble for the first time this season. Four of their top six players picked up two fouls in the first half, including the top two scorers, Young and DeJuan Blair.

"This was one of those games when you don't shoot it well and you're in foul trouble, your defense and rebounding have to be there, and they were both there," Young said.

The defense was certainly there during the most decisive stretch in the game. Florida State did not score for almost 7 1/2 minutes when Pitt ran off 17 consecutive points.

And it was there again at the end of the game. With Pitt clinging to a 50-48 lead, Florida State missed three consecutive shots on its next possession. Young gave the Panthers a 52-48 lead with 1:00 to go, all but sealing the fate of the Seminoles, who would go on to miss their final four shots as well.

"That's what experienced, talented and well-coached teams do," Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said. "They finished their plays, and we didn't. In the end, they took advantage of the opportunities they had."

One of those opportunities was a 3-pointer from Fields with 4:12 remaining that boosted Pitt's lead to 48-44. It was the only shot he made all game after missing his first nine attempts.

Blair registered his eighth double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds despite playing only 24 minutes because of foul trouble. Jermaine Dixon was the only other Pitt player in double figures with 11 points.

Florida State was led by Toney Douglas, who had 20 points, but he failed to score over the final seven-plus minutes.

Pitt has the next nine days to enjoy its undefeated status. The Panthers open Big East play with a road game at Rutgers Dec. 31.

NOTES -- Florida State was 16 for 22 from the free-throw line, which represented season highs for Pitt opponents in free throws made and attempted, but the Seminoles only got to the line twice after halftime. ... Pitt had the rebounding edge, 42-36, and pulled down 17 offensive rebounds. ... The Panthers only received six points from their bench -- three from freshman Ashton Gibbs, two from Gilbert Brown and one from Brad Wanamaker. ... The Panthers had 16 turnovers and nine assists.