Miami Collapses Late in Heartbreaking Loss to Pitt

Miami’s trend of failing to close out games on the road continued on Saturday, as Pittsburgh went on an 11-0 scoring run over the last 2:03 of the contest to win, 71-68.

Pandemonium broke out at the Petersen Events Center as the home crowd cheered on the Panthers (15-7, 8-3 ACC), who forced three turnovers in the game’s final 30 seconds. 

The two teams scored a combined 78 points in the second half, but it was the defense from both squads that shone at first.

Miami failed to score a basket on its first seven possessions of the game. This brutal 3:54 stretch included four turnovers and three missed shots.

The Hurricanes eventually found their offensive rhythm thanks to a tone-setting 14 first-half points from starting guard Jordan Miller.

Miller led a 19-5 scoring run that stretched almost seven minutes and gave the Hurricanes a double-digit lead. 

UM held a 33-28 lead heading into the break after Pitt ended the half on an 8-2 scoring run.

Senior guard Jamarius Burton spearheaded a hot offensive start for the Panthers, scoring nine points in the half’s first nine minutes. He finished with 19 points, which is over his season average of 15.9 points per contest.

Veteran forward Blake Hinton provided consistent offensive production for the Panthers in the second half. He scored a game-high 21 points, 14 of which came in the final 20 minutes.

Miami, like Pitt, was powered by the offensive production of its leading scorer. Fourth-year guard Isaiah Wong kept trading blows with Burton and Hinton and scored nine of his 14 points during the second half.

Miller, who was held in check after his spectacular first-half performance, still finished with a game-high 14 points. He also led the Hurricanes with four assists.

In addition to its poor late-game execution, Miami’s lack of rebounding played a role in its eventual loss.

The Hurricanes were out-rebounded by the Panthers, 39-30, and a second-chance basket by Hinson with 26 seconds remaining gave Pitt the game-clinching lead.

Miami will look to bounce back from the heartbreaking loss on Tuesday when it plays Virginia Tech at the Watsco Center. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m., and the game will air on ESPNU.