The Pitt Panthers did not want to disappoint Cameron Wright, Derrick Randall and Aron Phillips-Nwankwo with a loss in their final home game and also wanted to strengthen its NCAA Tournament resume.
Instead, the Panthers (20-11) came away with a 67-63 loss against the Miami Hurricanes (18-12) Wednesday night.
Sophomore forward Michael Young had 20 points and seven rebounds for the Panthers. Sophomore forward Jamel Artis scored 11 points and Wright contributed. 11 points and five assists.
“There was a quiet locker room obviously, two times in a row,” Panthers coach Jamie Dixon said. “Two disappointing losses with a home loss you can’t have. We never quite got control of the game and defensively, we are just not where we need to be. We have been stressing it, working on it and trying to get better. Obviously we would have been better off to win this game and the last game, but what we can do now is get ready for Florida State.”
The Hurricanes were led by their leading scorer Sheldon McClellan’s 20 points. Davon Reed’s 19 points on 7-8 shooting from the field also were a key contribution for the team. Tonye Jekiri had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Reed scored the first five points of the game as the Hurricanes went on a 7-0 run over the first three minutes of the half.
The Panthers replied scoring the next nine points and going on a 14-3 run, much of which was done with Phillips-Nwankwo on the court limiting the rebounding opportunities for Jekiri [10.4 rebounds per game for the Hurricanes]. Sheldon Jeter made two three point shots during the scoring run.
With the Panthers up 16-12, both teams went a long stretch without a basket. The Hurricanes went nearly four minutes without a basket during a 2-13 shooting stretch from the floor. The Panthers also went four minutes without a basket until Young made three consecutive baskets. Young was 4-7 from the field in the first half scoring eight points.
At the half, it was the Panthers on top 33-29. They shot 52 percent from the floor led by Wright’s nine point, four assist, 4-5 from the field performance. This despite the Hurricanes holding a 16-8 points in the paint advantage and 9-4 edge in points off turnovers. Sheldon McClellan [14.9 ppg] was held to four first half points for the Hurricanes on 1-7 shooting.
The Hurricanes opened the second half as aggressors taking its first lead 43-41 at the 15:58 mark on a Manu Lecomte three point basket. It was the first lead for the visiting Hurricanes since they held a 10-9 lead with 13:58 to play in the first half.
The Panthers were unfazed however going on a 6-0 run. Young continued to draw Jekiri away from the basket and after scoring a basket, passed off to Wright for another Panthers score bringing the lead back up to four points. The Hurricanes then went on a 6-0 run taking a 49-47 lead.
With the Panthers shooting 2-10 from the floor, Artis gave his a needed boost with a three point shot to cut the Hurricanes lead to 57-56, however McClellan drained a three on the other end to extend the lead to four.
Young scored a quick basket to cut the lead to two points although McClellan again converted a key basket, this one a fade away two for the Hurricanes to push the lead to 62-58.
After the Panthers came up empty, Jekiri made two free throws to push the lead to six. Artis grabbed a Panthers miss and saw his three point basket go in and out.
With the Hurricanes up three with under 10 seconds to play, it was McClellan at the free throw line making two shots to secure the win.
Both teams were on the bubble going into this season. The Panthers already listed as one of the next four teams out of Joe Lunardi’s ESPN Bracketology, with the Hurricanes coming into the contest a spot below them as the sixth team out. Pitt will now fall at least one spot on the same list.
Earlier in the season, the Hurricanes defeated then eighth-ranked Florida on the road, then 25th ranked Illinois, won at third-ranked Duke 90-74 and took second-ranked Virginia to double overtime.
The Panthers will wrap up regular season play Saturday at Florida State in a contest that will tip off at noon.
“We knew we had to make these last two games to make to the tournament, this was our best chance and we let another one go,” said Young. “We’re trying to be playing at the end of the season not watching teams and sitting at home. I feel like we still have a chance we just have to win games, keep playing hard but it’s a tough pill to swallow.”
Of note: Miami was playing without junior transfer guard Angel Rodriguez due to a wrist injury. Rodriguez is second on the team with an average of 12.3 points per game and leads the team with 4.24 assists per game.
Pitt seniors Cameron Wright and Aron Phillips-Nwankwo are 91-48 in their time at Pitt good for a 65.5 winning percentage. The two also are 58-18 at home for a 76.3 winning percentage. The Panthers are 14-3 at the Petersen Events Center this season.
Photo courtesy: USA Today
