Miami Storms Back to Beat Pittsburgh on the Road
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Miami women’s basketball team (7-5, 4-5 ACC) stormed back from down 23 in the first quarter to take a 72-68 victory over the Pittsburgh Panthers (3-4, 1-3 ACC) Thursday night at the Petersen Events Center.
Senior Kelsey Marshall poured in five 3-pointers in the contest and recorded her third 20-point outing of the season with a team-best 21 points against the Panthers. Naomi Mbandu and Endia Banks joined Marshall in double-figures, totaling 15 and 13 points respectively.
Banks led the Canes on the boards, hauling in nine rebounds, one shy of a double-double. The senior also tallied six assists in the game, eclipsing the 300-assist mark in her career and becoming the 14th Cane to reach 300 career assists.
As a team, Miami totaled 15 assists in the game, marking the fifth time this season the Canes have posted 15-plus assists in a contest. The Canes are 5-0 when recording 15 or more assists. Miami knocked down 10 threes against the Panthers for its second game with 10-plus 3-pointers in the last three games.
The Panthers controlled the first quarter, outscoring Miami 31-10 on 60 percent shooting from the field. Five different Canes tallied a bucket in the first quarter, including perfect shooting from Banks and Sydnee Roby.
Down 21 after the first quarter, Miami went to work at the beginning of the second, embarking on a 12-0 run to start the frame. The Canes shot 47 percent in the second quarter and outscored the Panthers, 26-6, to make it a 1-point game heading into halftime.
Marshall came out of the locker room on fire, posting five straight points in the first two minutes of the quarter to give the Canes a 41-37 lead. The teams traded baskets throughout the rest of the quarter, but Miami posted a 4-of-8 effort from 3-point range to extend its lead to five with 10 minutes to play.
It was an all-out battle in the fourth quarter as both teams hit the glass hard, tallying 12 rebounds apiece. While the Panthers edged the Canes, 13-12, in the frame, an outstanding fourth-quarter effort from Naomi Mbandu helped Miami to the 72-68 victory. Mbandu recorded seven points, including two critical free throws with four seconds remaining in the game, in the final quarter.
