Blake Hinson scored 21 points, including the bucket that gave Pitt its first lead since midway through the first half, as the Panthers netted the game’s final 11 points to stun No. 20 Miami 71-68 on Saturday afternoon.
Hinson, who added eight rebounds and two blocks, also hit a 3-pointer, his fifth of the game, during the late run, which began with Pitt trailing 68-60 with 2:26 left.
Jamarius Burton finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three steals for Pitt (15-7, 8-3 ACC). Greg Elliott, whose steal and two free throws with 2.5 seconds snuffed out Miami’s best chance to recover, added 11 points.
After a poor shooting game most of the way, the Panthers recovered to hit 40 percent from the floor and 40.9 percent on 3-pointers, one game after hitting a school-record 18 treys and shooting 48.6 percent from deep.
Jordan Miller scored 18 points, but only four in the second half, to lead Miami (16-5, 7-4). Isaiah Wong scored 14 points, including nine in the second half, but had two critical turnovers in the closing minute. He also missed a last-gasp 3-pointer at the buzzer.
The Hurricanes shot 49.1 percent from the floor, including 47.1 percent (8 of 17) from long range.
With Miami leading by eight, Federiko Federiko’s dunk and Hinson’s 3-pointer whittled the deficit to three. When Wong missed a layup, a jumper by Nelly Cummings made it a one-point game.
Burton’s steal off a bad pass by Wong led to Hinson’s layup for Pitt’s first lead since the 8:50 mark of the first half, 69-68.
Wong again turned the ball over, but Pitt stepped on the line while attempting to inbound the ball, giving the Hurricanes another chance under their basket with 7.1 seconds left.
That’s when Elliott made the steal.
While both teams struggled shooting from the floor early, each at 31 percent about nine minutes into the game, the Hurricanes caught fire.
Miller scored 12 points during Miami’s 20-5 run, which covered more than six minutes. The Hurricanes turned a four-point deficit into a 31-20 lead with 2:35 left in the half, and still led 33-28 at the half after a 3-pointer by Hinson at the horn. Hinson went 1 for 3 on 3-pointers in the half after going 8 of 14 from deep in the win over Wake Forest.
Miller made 6 of 7 shots in the half and scored 14 points. Burton led Pitt with eight points.
–Field Level Media
