Despite an early deficit, Miami Hurricanes Men’s basketball fought back to open up ACC play with a big win against the Pittsburgh Panthers, 76-69.
Jai Lucas and the Hurricanes (12-2), open up ACC play with a statement win, showcasing resilience in a hard-fought comeback in Watsco Center.
Miami got off to a hot start, opening the game with a 25-15 lead with Malik Reneau leading the charge. From there, though, the Hurricanes went cold, going six and a half minutes without a single point, and as the offense could not get going, Pitt’s offense started to pull away.
Pittsburgh was able to score at ease, shooting 53% from the field and nearly 42% from three in the first half. Forwards Cameron Corhen and Barry Dunning Jr. combined for 23 points with just two missed shots in the first half. With that, the Panthers were able to pull away in a 20-0 run in the half and held a double-digit lead over the ’Canes, 43-33, at halftime.
Going into the second half, several of the Hurricanes’ key starters found themselves in foul trouble. Miami’s leading scorer Malik Reneau only played 10 minutes in the first after racking up three fouls, and Tre Donaldson and Shelton Henderson notched two each.
It seemed like a hot start to the season would have been halted by a rout in the opening of conference play.
Despite the rough end to the half and the foul trouble this Hurricanes team faced, there was confidence that they could find their way back into the game.
“I knew we were struggling a little bit, but I never felt like we were out of it,” said Head Coach Jai Lucas after the game.
Coach Lucas was right, as in the second half Miami started to click on both ends, led by their veteran transfers.
Out of the gate it was Miami’s guard duo that stepped up and did some damage. Tre Donaldson and Tru Washington took turns getting buckets as the two went on a 9-2 run and forced a timeout as Miami closed the gap to three. A few plays later and the Hurricanes had the lead back just about six minutes into the second half.
Dishing to teammates and creating his own shot, Donaldson led the resurgence for the Hurricanes in the second half. His early buckets got the Hurricanes going, and as the half went on, Donaldson finished with 17 second-half points, tied for the most on the team after going 0-5 in the first half. As he got going for Miami, he and this team found the confidence that they needed.
“Confidence. It’s what I do. That’s just plain and simple. I mean, my guys trust me. When they’re open, I’m going to get it for them no matter where it’s at,” said Donaldson.
Donaldson was just one part of the solution for the Hurricanes in that second half.
Defensively the Hurricanes also started to click, and the Panthers started to slow down. Miami allowed just one 3-point make on 13 attempts from Pittsburgh and held them to just 36.7% shooting in the second half.
And more so, Miami was able to stay out of foul trouble, giving up just six free throw attempts in the second half compared to 11 in the first half. This allowed Malik Reneau to play 19 of the 20 second-half minutes and dominate the game for Miami. He brought in another 17 points himself in the second half, combining with Donaldson for 34 of Miami’s 43 second-half points.
“That’s why you go find guys in the portal who’ve played big-time basketball in big environments,” said Lucas after the game.
The Panthers fought back from the Hurricanes’ second-half surge, taking the lead, and the two teams traded blows, with four lead changes in the second half alone. With seven minutes left in the game, the Hurricanes were able to make their run to truly take over the game. Following a putback layup from Reneau, Donaldson scored nine straight points for the Hurricanes, and with a six-point lead, Miami built enough cushion to run away with the game, winning the game 76-69.
It’s the first test in what will be a long road in conference play, and through the second half we saw the identity the Hurricanes need to play with to establish themselves as a potential contender for the conference.
“A big part of us is going to be our offensive rebounding. It’s always going to be our points in the paint. We did a great job tonight of free throws,” Lucas said.
“We saw that was the difference.”
Miami is going to need to play physical, effort-filled basketball and continue to win games on the boards and in the paint. The ’Canes next ACC matchup will be at Wake Forest to take on the 9-4 Demon Deacons. Tip-off is Jan. 7, at 7:00 p.m. EST.
