Pitt notebook: Jeff Capel finds places in lineup for 4 backups

Jeff Capel reduced playing time for Pitt starters Zack Austin and Federiko Federiko on Saturday night, but four backups took advantage of additional opportunities.

All four stepped up in the 82-71 victory against Canisius at Petersen Events Center.

• William Jeffress, who brings steady play and defensive diligence to the lineup, hit two 3-pointers — he had only one in the first nine games — while giving Capel what he demands from everyone.

“He played with force. He played with energy. He’s a guy who’s a connector out there,” the coach said.

Jeffress is averaging 15.3 minutes for the season, but he logged 26 and 22 in the past two games.

• Point guard Jaland Lowe complements Bub Carrington, but he also can play in the backcourt with him at the same time. Lowe has committed only one turnover in the past three games, and he was rewarded with nearly 14 minutes of playing time Saturday after getting a total of 17 in the previous two games.

• Guillermo Diaz Graham has made four of his past five 3-pointers, a unique skill for a 7-footer to bring to the court. He is averaging 17.5 minutes, but he received 25 at West Virginia and nearly 21 Saturday.

• Jorge Diaz Graham played 14 minutes in each of the past two games, bumping up his average to 11.7. His timely 3-pointer in the second half helped reduce Canisius’ seven-point lead.

Federiko and Austin didn’t play as much as they normally do. Briefly, but openly, Capel discussed those situations.

“In the first half, (Federiko) didn’t play with the force necessary, had some turnovers, didn’t rebound,” Capel said. “I thought he did a much better job in the second half of playing with force. He made some good passes. He finished.

“He just has to play better. It’s pretty simple.”

Capel said he wants to see Austin’s motor “revved up all the time.”

Time off … not really

After playing 10 games in a little more than a month, Pitt gets a break until Saturday — but only from basketball games.

Exams start this week, and Capel made a point of mentioning it after the Canisius game.

“Obviously, we want them focusing on their finals and the things that are necessary for them to finish strong there,” Capel said.

The team is off until Tuesday and will begin preparing for Saturday’s S.C. State game Thursday.

About those losses …

The three teams that defeated Pitt (7-3) this season have maintained a winning record while playing difficult competition.

• Two days after beating Pitt at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., Florida lost to Baylor, now ranked No. 6 in the Associated Press poll, 95-91. Florida (6-3) also lost at Wake Forest, 82-71, since defeating Pitt.

• Missouri (7-3) is 1-1 since defeating Pitt, and the loss came at No. 2 Kansas, 73-64, on Saturday night.

• Clemson (9-0) has moved into the Top 25 at No. 24 and should stay there this week after a 73-67 victory against rival South Carolina.

Finishing stretch

Pitt’s final two nonconference games of the regular season present teams with contrasting results.

S.C. State (2-8) is ranked 338th among 362 teams in the NCAA Net rankings. The Bulldogs lost to Missouri, 82-59.

Purdue Fort Wayne, which plays in the Horizon League with Robert Morris, comes to the Pete on Dec. 20. So far, the Mastodons are 10-1 and ranked 76th in the Net. Their only loss was at San Francisco, 76-60.