Miami Survives Scare Winning First ACC Game of the Season Against Pitt
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The Miami Hurricanes (12-2) are one of the best teams in the ACC this season as they survive an awful shooting night against the Pitt Panthers, battling back in the second en route to a 76-69 victory, moving to 10-0 at home.
It was a monster night from the Hurricanes' quiet but always consistent star player, while others struggled on the court. This also proved that the Hurricanes are a team that can win games multiple ways early into conference play.
Head coach Jai Lucas loved the way his team battled back and highlighted why he brought these players in from the portal because of moments like this.
“That’s why those guys are here, and that’s why you go find guys in the portal that have played big time basketball in big environments,” Lucas said. “They have some kind of substance about them in games like this where they’re not going to be afraid.”
Malik Reneau's Monster Performace
Reneau finished the game with 28 points and eight rebounds. What was most impressive was his free-throw shooting, as he finished 12-12 at the charity stripe, and it was one of the main reasons why the Canes were able to stay in the game.
“I had a bad little stretch where I gave up the offensive rebound and put back 2 and then gave a foul unnecessary,” Reneau said. “After those three fouls, we were all crumbled, but we came back down the stretch. We just trusted in our defense and the guys around us. We just made it one possession at a time and we slowly cut the lead down and allowed us to take the next step and get the win.”
Tre Donaldson in the Clutch
Some nights you get a Donaldson that is nuclear hot, and others you get an ice-cold one. Though 35 minutes in the battle against the Panthers, the star point guard struggled to find a shot. He was missing free throws, easy layups, and easy jumpers.
After a flip switch, he knocked down two free throws and then went on a 9-0 run to close the game himself. He did not have the biggest assist numbers like he had heading into this game, finishing with four, but his lutch gene activated when the Canes needed it most.
Miami Still Figuring Out Rotation
Head coach Jai Lucas is still ironing out the right rotation with players returning to the lineup. For the first time since Nov. 28, freshman Dante Allen returned to the lineup playing 14 minutes coming off the bench. He adds much-needed depth to a team that had none a week ago, but it also takes away minutes from others.
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.