’Canes stall over final 2:26 of loss

Blake Hinson tipped in a Jamarius Burton miss with 31 seconds remaining and Pittsburgh rallied past No. 20 Miami 71-68 on Saturday.

The Panthers (15-7, 8-3 ACC) held the Hurricanes (16-5, 7-4) scoreless over the final 2:26 while closing on an 11-0 run to beat a ranked team for the third time this season to bolster its increasingly impressive NCAA tournament resume.

Hinson finished with 21 points for Pitt. Burton had 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as the Panthers stunned Miami in front of a rare sell-out crowd at the Petersen Events Center.

Jordan Miller led the Hurricanes with 18 points. Isaiah Wong added 14 but Miami committed three of its 12 turnovers in the final 35 seconds as the Panthers stormed back.

Burton stripped Wong with 35 seconds left and raced downcourt. His layup bounced out but Hinson followed to give the Panthers their first lead since the middle of the first half.

Wong attempted to back Burton down in the lane but Burton wrested the ball free. Pitt turned it over on the ensuing inbounds but Miami’s Wooga Poplar gave it away. Greg Elliott made two free throws at the other end with 2.5 seconds to go and the Panthers had the latest and perhaps most unlikely in a series of NCAA tournament resume building wins.

The Hurricanes used a 20-5 surge in the middle of the first half to take control. Miami’s half-court trap disrupted the Panthers, who needed a 30-foot heave from Hinson just before the halftime buzzer to draw with 33-28 and give them a needed boost.

Big picture: The experienced Hurricanes seemed firmly in control for long stretches but their inability to execute in the final seconds was surprising for a team that reached the Elite Eight last season.

Up next: Miami: Hosts Virginia Tech on Tuesday.