Pitt men’s basketball looked to continue their momentum heading into a road ACC contest against Miami. An emotional win against Duke didn’t stop them from defeating Georgia Tech last week.
In a game eerily similar to last year’s contest against Miami, the Panthers found themselves down double digits in the second half and found a way to bring it within one possession late in the second half. However this time, they were unsuccessful, losing to Miami 72-68.
Senior forward Blake Hinson led the Panthers with 21 points.
The two teams started off shooting the ball often. Miami got out to a 12-5 lead, helped by two three-pointers from two veterans, junior guard Nijel Pack and junior forward Norchad Omier.
The Panthers responded with a quick 6-0 run sparked by their two first-year guards. First-year guard Jaland Lowe, reigning ACC Rookie of the Week, found junior center Federiko Federiko in the paint for a smooth assist.
On the next possession first-year guard Carlton “Bub” Carrington, a four-time ACC Rookie of the Week winner, converted a turnaround midrange jump shot to bring the Panthers within one.
But from here the Panthers offense stalled, a trend that has haunted them all season. From the 14:48 mark to the 6:00 mark of the first half the Panthers scored just four points. During this span, the Hurricanes went on a 19-4 extended run to give them a 31-15 lead.
Hinson woke up after this. Over the next 3:46 of the first half, Hinson scored 10 points, the final two bringing the Hurricanes lead down to 10. Hinson finished the first half with 11 points.
Outside of the 6-0 run they triggered at the end of the first half, the Panthers first-year guard struggled mightily. The guard went a combined 2-for-11 in the first half and scored four points.
The Hurricanes coasted into the half with a 40-29 lead despite Hinson’s scoring burst to close the half.
The Hurricanes started the second half with their foot on the pedal. The Hurricanes jumped out to a 7-2 run highlighted by two ferocious dunks by junior guard Wooga Poplar and Omier on consecutive possessions, causing a Panthers timeout.
The Hurricanes had their way with the Panthers throughout the second half. The Panthers and Hurricanes both shot the three-pointer relentlessly but the Panthers shot just 30.6 percent from beyond the arc. The Hurricanes extended their lead to 60-41.
The Panthers responded as the second half dwindled down. The Panthers sparked a 10-2 run to cut the Hurricanes lead to 11. The Panthers capitalized off of the Hurricanes’ lackluster offense. A Carrington layup followed by a Lowe three-pointer bought the Panthers within six.
The Panthers were dominated through the first 34 minutes of this game but woke up in the last six minutes. Junior guard Ishmael Leggett nailed a three-pointer to cut the Hurricane to five.
On the next possession, Lowe nailed two free throws to bring the Hurricanes lead to three. Hurricanes guard Poplar answered with a midrange basket.
Leggett attempted a three-pointer that would have cut the Hurricanes lead to two, but missed. Off of the miss, Carrington grabbed an offensive rebound and Federiko found Lowe for a three-pointer to bring the game to 70-68.
After a defensive stop, the Panthers controlled the ball with 10 seconds left and an opportunity to take the lead.
But with the opportunity to win the game, Lowe attempted a three-pointer and was blocked by Omier. Two Hurricane free throws on the next possession put the dagger into the Panthers.
The Panthers look to return home to the Petersen Events Center, and to the win column on Wednesday against Wake Forest.