Pitt Basketball Falls Just Short in Comeback Attempt Against Miami, 72-68

Pitt basketball made a big comeback in the second half against Miami, but fell just short of a win, falling 72-68 in Coral Gables, Fla. Saturday afternoon.

The Panthers (12-8 overall, 3-6 ACC) end their short two game winning streak, which saw them beat the No. 7 Duke Blue Devils last Saturday and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Tuesday with the loss to the Hurricanes (14-6 overall, 5-4 ACC). The loss also drops the Panthers to 21-27 all-time, 4-11 in ACC play and 8-16 on the road against the Hurricanes, respectively. It is also the fourth lost in the past five games against the Hurricanes since March 2021.

Miami used an 8-0 run to take a 12-5 lead early, with senior guard Nigel Pack leading with seven points on a 3-pointer and two jumpers.

Pitt would respond with a 7-2 run to cut the deficit to just one point at 14-13, thanks to scores from guards in first-year Carlton Carrington and junior Ishmael Leggett, as well as junior center Federiko Federiko.

The Hurricanes would dominate over the next six minutes, going on a 17-2 run to take a 31-15 lead with 6:24 left in the first half. They hit four 3-pointers, with two from junior guard Wooga Poplar, while the Panthers shot 0-for-8 from the field.

Pitt basketball did outscore Miami 14-9 the rest of the way, but went into halftime down 40-29. Senior forward Blake Hinson found some rhythm offensively, scoring 10 points on two jumpers and two 3-pointers, after not making any shots prior.

Miami shot 16-for-33 from the field, 48.5%, and 7-for-18 from behind the arc, 38.9%, while Pitt shot 10-for-31 from the field, 32.3%, and 4-for-17 from deep, 23.5%, in the first half.

The Hurricanes opened up the second half with a 7-2 run, increasing their advantage to 47-31 and leading Panthers head coach Jeff Capel to call a quick timeout.

Miami continued to hold a sizable lead, 60-41, over Pitt midway through the second half, thanks to good ball movement offensively and solid defense on the other side of the court.

The Panthers would start to turn things around after the 10 minute mark, going on a 9-2 run to cut the Hurricanes lead to 62-50, with first-year guard Jaland Lowe making two layups, Leggett a 3-pointer and a layup from Hinson.

Miami continued to struggle to find some continuity on offense, committing turnovers and missing shots, giving more opportunities to Pitt basketball to cut into the lead. They extended the run to 19-6, making it a 66-60 game with 2:46 remaining, with a 3-pointer each from Hinson and Lowe.

Leggett hit a 3-pointer and Lowe made two free throws to cut the Hurricanes lead to 68-65 with 1:23 remaining. Poplar made a difficult mid-range jumper, but Lowe responded with a 3-pointer to make it a two point game with 45.5 seconds left.

Pitt let Miami run the clock down and it worked, with Poplar airballing a 3-point attempt, giving them one last shot with just 10 seconds remaining.

Lowe took the ball in the back court, ran to look for a shot and tried to draw a foul on Miami senior forward Norchad Omier, but failed. First-year guard Kyshawn George made both of his free throws and Miami held on for the win.

Hinson led the Panthers with 21 points, shooting 8-for-19 from the field and 4-for-12 from behind the arc. Lowe continues to grow in his first season of collegiate basketball, finishing with 17 points on 6-for-13 shooting and two 3-pointers.

Pitt basketball will look to get back to winning ways, as they return home to host Wake Forest next Wednesday, Jan. 31.