So close yet so far away, as the Panthers lose to Miami on a game winning tip in with 1.4 seconds remaining. This loss is their third in four contests, which drops them to 6-5 in conference play.
Recap:
It was a cold start to the game for both teams, combining to miss the first five shots of the contest. Once the teams found the range it was nip and tuck for much of the first half. At the first TV timeout it was an 8-6 advantage for Pitt, while at the second it was tied at 12. The trend would continue, until Jamel Artis and Michael Young hit back-to-back field goals to stretch their lead to eight with 3:21 left in the half. The Hurricanes battled back and after an Artis missed three, that would have put the Panthers up 10 for halftime, Sheldon McClellan made a running three-pointer at the buzzer. The six-point swing had the halftime score at 33-29 in favor of Pitt.
After the break Miami came out on fire hitting four of their first six shots en route to a 38-35 lead. From there the Hurricanes kept a consistent advantage over the Panthers, Chris Jones did make a run for Pitt to take a two-point lead. However, the lead was short lived as a three by Angel Rodriguez took it right back. The Panthers would not lead again until 3:49 remaining with Sheldon Jeter’s dunk, once again Miami hit a three to take it right back. Things got very interesting with 2:09 to go, as the Hurricanes led 63-58 when Pitt clawed back to tie it with a Young drive and dunk, then a James Robinson three. In the last possession of the game Miami’s McClellan missed a corner three and after the first missed tip in, Rodriguez was able to make the game-winning tip in.
Only two Pitt players were hit double figures in the contest. Ryan Luther had 12 points and added seven rebounds, while Michael Young put up 12 points on four of nine shooting from the field.
Positives:
Chris Jones- Jones has not been listed as a positive this season, making a living in the negative category. But against all odds here he is and that has to do with his eight points on four of five shooting, while only playing in the second half. He attacked the rim and made plays, which is something this team desperately needs.
Defense- For once this Pitt team did not let a scorer for the opposing team go off versus them. McClellan averages 16 points per game and against Pitt he had only 10. Also, the Panthers did a good job of closing out on shooters holding a potent Miami outside attack to 6-20 from three.
Held Their Own- All of Pitt’s losses before this came by at least 13 points. As well, their games versus ranked teams such as Purdue, Louisville, and Virginia were ugly losses. Even though they lost at least this Pitt team finally proved they can stick with a good team. Hopefully, that will help them mentally moving forward.
Negatives:
Wasted Opportunity- Even though they held their own, it is still a loss and at this point moral victories do not mean much to this team. They need to collect wins it is just that simple. Pitt is a team devoid of a signature win and that will hurt them if it does not change soon.
Jamel Artis and Michael Young- These two are supposed to be the leaders of the team and in the final seconds of the game neither one of them boxes out. They let 5’11 Angel Rodriguez beat them to the ball. The rest of their game was not much better with Artis only scoring five points and Young looking lost on defense.
Three-point Shooting- The biggest problem with the shooting from Tuesday’s game was that they had plenty of open looks. Sterling Smith missed both of his wide-open threes and Artis had an open look before half. The ACC is loaded with teams that can shoot, Pitt just does not look like one of them.
Offensive Grade: C
The offense was hot and cold in this game. At some points they looked great moving the ball and attacking, but for far too much of it they were left heaving up a wild attempt at the end of the shot clock. Pitt has a fundamental problem of being way too passive and that has to change from here on out.
Defensive Grade: B-
The zone defense Pitt played worked well to slow down the Miami shooters. However, the zone sacrificed rebounding to a team already playing undersized. As well, the zone communicated poorly on several instances leading to wide-open lay-ups. So even though the defense was better it still had some glaring holes.
Coaching Grade: C+
Jamie Dixon did a good job of mixing up his lineups and getting solid bench production, the bench scored 28 of the 63 points. The switch to zone also was a nice change of pace that Miami struggled to adjust to. However, Dixon should not of been in zone for the last possession. First off it let up an open three in the corner, then it let up two tip in attempts. Clearly the zone ended up costing them.
Up Next:
The Panthers travel to North Carolina to take on the Tar Heels at 1:00 P.M. for a Sunday February 14th special.