Pitt men’s basketball looks to bounce back in Miami matinee

Pitt men’s basketball has a chance to end its second four-game losing streak against Miami at home at noon on Saturday and pick up its sixth ACC win of the year. Miami (6-18, 2-11 ACC) heads to the Petersen Events Center as a weaker ACC opponent and could serve as a get-right game for the struggling Panthers (14-10, 5-8 ACC), who have now lost eight of their last 10. 

Pitt is reeling off Tuesday’s loss to SMU, which walloped the Panthers 83-63. Miami, on the other hand, has won two of its last three, most recently taking down Syracuse on Tuesday night. 

Pitt has continued to struggle in ACC play, falling to 11th in the conference. Every game from here on out is a must-win for the Panthers, who don’t have many easy games remaining on their schedule. Miami is one opponent, however, that could generate some positive momentum for the Panthers heading into the final stretch of the season.

Scouting the opponent

Against Syracuse last Tuesday, senior guard Matthew Cleveland led the Hurricanes, scoring a career-high 32 points, his third 30-point performance of the year. Cleveland has had a solid year for Miami, averaging 16.8 points on 53.8% shooting. 

First-year guard Jalil Bethea also shined in the win, setting a career-high in scoring with 21 points. Bethea, the seventh overall recruit in the country coming out of high school according to 247 Sports, also set a career-high in minutes played with 31 and has slowly eased his way into the rotation for the Hurricanes. 

Miami comes into Saturday’s matchup as the second-worst scoring defense and worst average scoring margin in the ACC, allowing 84.4 points per game and losing by an average of 13.3 points. Pitt, who has struggled offensively in conference play, has to exploit Miami’s weak defense and stay ahead of the Hurricanes. Miami is outpacing Pitt offensively in conference play, scoring 71.3 points per game compared to Pitt’s 70.2.

Panthers must start strong

Throughout this losing stretch, Pitt has started games at a sluggish pace, failing to set the tone early. Against Virginia, Pitt only mustered up 19 first-half points. During Pitt’s slow start against Virginia, the Cavaliers went on a 17-0 run to put the game out of reach before the half. Pitt started to wake up a bit before halftime, but it wasn’t enough, and the game was uncompetitive throughout most of the second half. 

It was a similar story in recent losses to Wake Forest and SMU, where the Panthers couldn’t get going from the tip-off. On Saturday, Pitt needs to show up, show out early and set the tone.

Live by the three, die by the three

Pitt is one of the better three-point shooting teams in the ACC this year, placing itself in the top 10 in both three-point percentage and three-point field goals made. Miami, on the other hand, is one of the weakest teams in the conference from beyond the arc, owning the second-worst three-point percentage of all ACC teams. 

Pitt can stay ahead of Miami by shooting threes but has to limit Miami from heating up from the three-point line. One aspect of Pitt’s defense that has hindered the team is preventing opponents from getting hot from three. Time and time again, opponents have gained confidence in shooting threes against Pitt, shredding its once-threatening defense. 

Virginia, which has averaged a 38% three-point percentage against ACC opponents, shot 45.5% from three against the Panthers. Additionally, Wake Forest, which has tallied a 33% three-point percentage in the ACC, shot 42.1% against Pitt. The Panthers need to defend beyond the arc if they want to outpace the Hurricanes

Fans can catch the game on ESPN2 or over the air on 93.7 The Fan. Tipoff is scheduled for noon.