No. 24 Miami Defeats Pittsburgh In Double OT, 76-69
Jan 15, 2002
By MARK LONG
AP Sports Writer
MIAMI – Marcus Barnes shook his head after missing two free throws in overtime that probably would have given No. 24 Miami a victory over Pittsburgh on Tuesday night.
Then he shook it off, hitting a key 3-pointer in the second overtime and helping the Hurricanes beat the Panthers 76-69.
“I know if I hit those two free throws, the game was basically over. But I missed,” said Barnes, who struggled in regulation, scoring six points on 2-of-9 shooting, but hit a 3-pointer that helped send the game into overtime.
Barnes, a 79 percent free throw shooter, could have given Miami the lead – and probably the win – in overtime but missed two free throws with 1.3 seconds to play.
“I just tried to forget it,” he said.
And he did.
Barnes’ basket from beyond the arc in the second overtime gave Miami a 70-66 lead with 3:07 to play.
“It definitely made up a little bit,” Barnes said.
The Hurricanes (16-2, 3-2 Big East) pulled away from there as John Salmons scored six points in the second overtime, including all four of his free throw attempts.
Salmons finished with 25 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
Reserve forward Ontario Lett scored a career-high 18 points to pace the Panthers (15-3, 3-2), who lost consecutive games for the first time this season.
Each team had a chance to pull ahead in the final minute of regulation. Jaron Brown missed a jumper for Pitt, and Salmons turned the ball over on the other end, giving the Panthers one final shot.
Brandin Knight picked up the loose ball, drove the length of the court and got off a running shot under the basket. But James Jones blocked it just before the buzzer sounded, sending the game into overtime.
The Panthers had a 64-60 lead and the ball with four minutes to play in the first overtime, but missed the rest of their shots. Miami tied the game when Darius Rice hit one of two free throws with 41 seconds remaining.
“We helped them get back in the game by not playing really smart,” Pitt coach Ben Howland said. “It comes down to making shots, and we didn’t.”
Pittsburgh outscored Miami 15-5 to end the first half, then the Hurricanes scored just four points in the first seven minutes of the second half. But the Panthers couldn’t put Miami away.
Donatas Zavackas hit three straight 3-pointers in the second half and helped the Panthers build an 11-point lead at 44-33. But he missed his final four shot from beyond the arc.
The Hurricanes used a 20-9 run to tie the score, and then Barnes’ 3-pointer helped send it into overtime.
Zavackas finished with 16 points, and Julius Page added 13 for Pitt. Knight, the Panthers’ leading scorer at 15.8 points per game, struggled because of a right calf injury and finished with five points. He was 1-of-10 from the field, including 1-of-8 from 3-point range, but had eight rebounds and 11 assists.
“Brandin wasn’t his normal self because of the injury,” Howland said.
