UM survives Pitt comeback, wins 72-68 with big plays by Norchad Omier, Kyshawn George
The Miami Hurricanes had just seen their comfortable 19-point lead shrink to two with 10 seconds to go, and the pesky Pitt Panthers, who stunned seventh-ranked Duke a week earlier, were one shot away from pulling off another stunner on the road.
Nearly every fan at the Watsco Center was standing, and nervous. The decibel level in the building reached a crescendo.
UM coach Jim Larranaga gathered his players during the timeout and calmly told them the same thing he has told players in similar situations for the past 40 years: “Poise down the stretch. Stay calm. Stay together…We need one stop. That’s all. We’re going to switch the ball screen, execute the plan, and everything will work out.”
They heeded their coach’s advice, and Miami survived 72-68.
The Hurricanes led by 19 points with 10 minutes to go, and seemed to have the game in hand before the Panthers got hot from distance and clawed their way back to cut the gap to 70-68 on a clutch three-pointer by freshman Jaland Lowe with 46 seconds to go.
Lowe had a chance to win the game with two seconds left, but Norchad Omier, who was switched to cover the guard coming out of the timeout, got his hand on the ball as Lowe launched it, blocked the shot and UM freshman Kyshawn George buried a pair of free throws with one second remaining to seal the win.
Omier and George came up big all afternoon and were among four Hurricanes who scored in double figures. Omier led the team with 18 points and 10 rebounds, his 10th double-double of the season.
The Nicaraguan power forward was coming off his best game as a Hurricane three days earlier, accounting for 45 percent (33 points) of Miami’s point total in a road win against Notre Dame. The 33 points was a new Miami high for Omier and two points short his career high of 35, set when he played at Arkansas State. Omier also hauled in 10 rebounds against the Irish.
Omier said he had a feeling the Canes would win during the final timeout.
“They called the timeout and when we came in, everybody was up, nobody was down,” he said. “Everybody looked so confident. Everybody was like, `It’s not over yet.’’’
Pitt coach Jeff Capel heaped praise on Omier and George after the game.
“He’s terrific,” Capel said of Omier. “His physicality. His energy. He made a couple of threes. When he does that, you have to get out a little bit and he’s able to drive it. He’s a man on the boards. He’s a really, really good player. One of the best in our league.”
Wooga Poplar and Nijel Pack each scored 17 for Miami and George finished with 11 points, nine rebounds, and three assists. George’s composure down the stretch was key as the Hurricanes weathered the Pitt comeback.
“He’s a really talented freshman, not just an ordinary guy,” Capel said of George, who was born and raised in Switzerland and has already caught the attention of many of the NBA scouts in attendance at Saturday’s game. “Some of the shots he made, obviously the free throws, it just shows how good and mentally tough he is. He made some deep threes. He handles the basketball.
“He is actually a better defender than you think a freshman would be, especially a freshman who is new to this country and new to basketball here. I’ve been really impressed with him, and even more impressed seeing him in person.”
The Hurricanes improved to 14-6 and 5-4 in the ACC. Pitt dropped to 12-8 and 3-6 in the league. Blake Hinson led the Panthers with 21 points. Lowe had 17 and Ishmael Leggett 14.
The last three times Miami has played Pitt the game has been decided by a total of nine points. Miami has won two of those, including a thriller last March to clinch a share of the ACC regular season title.
February is a few days away, and the Hurricanes, coming off their historic Final Four appearance, were falling out of the 2024 NCAA Tournament conversation after an up and down January. Desperate for another quality win to gain ground in the ACC standings, UM got it.
They did it without starting guard Matt Cleveland, who injured his hip during the previous game against Notre Dame. Larranaga said they hope to have him back for the next game, on the road Tuesday at North Carolina State (9 p.m., ESPN2). Cleveland is averaging 14.8 points this season.
With Cleveland missing, UM coaches went deeper into the bench and turned to little-used freshman Paul Djobet. He had played in just five games this season, none since Dec. 29, and averaged 3.9 minutes in those games. He played 19 minutes against Pitt, had two points, two rebounds and an assist.
Larranaga made it a point to mention Djobet in his post-game comments, saying he played a key role.
“He’s got a great attitude, great work ethic, and we as coaches look for guys who can bring energy,” Larranaga said. “The season is long. We tried Paul and he did a great job. I’m sure his teammates are very happy for him. The coaches are happy for him. He’s probably a happy camper.”
This story was originally published January 27, 2024 at 5:57 PM.