PITTSBURGH (AP) – Davon Reed scored 18 points, Bruce Brown added 17 and Ja’Quan Newton chipped in 14 as Miami blew out reeling Pittsburgh 72-46 on Saturday.
The Hurricanes (12-4, 2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) snapped a two-game losing streak by smothering the Panthers. The Hurricanes outrebounded Pitt 37-23 and held Pitt (12-6, 1-4) to just 34 percent shooting (18 of 53).
Jamel Artis led Pitt with 15 points a game after going for a career-high 43 in a loss to Louisville on Wednesday. Chris Jones scored 10 points for the Panthers, who have dropped three straight.
Pitt played without forward Ryan Luther, who sat out with an injured right foot. Senior forward Michael Young played with a mask on his face to protect his right eye. Young missed all 10 of his field goal attempts, his two points coming on a pair of free throws early in the second half.
Miami used a 14-0 run spanning the end of the first half and the beginning of the second to turn a competitive game into a blowout. The Panthers went 9:37 between field goals as Miami’s advantage ballooned from 29-27 to 46-31.
The Hurricanes never came close to giving it up. After some early issues taking care of the ball, Miami effectively picked the Panthers apart defensively. The Hurricanes outscored Pitt 34-20 in the paint and converted Panther turnovers into 19 points at the other end of the floor.
First-year Pitt coach Kevin Stallings ceded things early. Young and Artis – one of the highest-scoring duos in the country – spent the last eight minutes on the bench as things got out of hand.
BIG PICTURE
Miami: The Hurricanes can rebound with anybody. Miami converted eight offensive boards into 12 second-chance points.
Pitt: There could be some serious issues for the Panthers going forward. They’ve trailed by at least 20 points in each of their last three games and the next three weeks include a visit from Louisville and a trip to North Carolina to face the Tar Heels and Duke.
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