Late Basket Helps No. 12 Miami Edge Pittsburgh 65-63
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CORAL GABLES (AP) — Guard Angel Rodriguez scored on an offensive rebound with 1.4 seconds left Tuesday, and the No. 12-ranked Miami Hurricanes edged Pittsburgh 65-63.
With the game tied, the Hurricanes missed two shots in the final 6 seconds and Pitt's Ryan Luther batted the ball before Rodriguez charged into the lane and slapped it into the basket with his left hand.
That was the only offensive rebound of the game for the 5-foot-11 Rodriguez, who had 17 points and eight assists.
The Hurricanes (19-4, 8-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) trailed by eight points in the first half but won for the sixth time in the past seven games. Pittsburgh (17-6, 6-5) has lost two straight for the first time this season.
Pitt overcame a 55-49 deficit and took its final lead at 58-57 on Sheldon Jeter's fast-break dunk. Miami went ahead 63-58, but the Panthers tied it on James Robinson's 3-pointer with 31 seconds left.
The Hurricanes then ran the clock down to 6 seconds. Sheldon McClellan missed a 3-pointer, and Davon Reed missed a follow before Rodriguez scored, and then raised his right fist in triumph as the crowd erupted.
Robinson missed a shot from midcourt at the final buzzer.
The Panthers' Jamel Artis shot 2 for 10 and scored a season-low five points, 10.5 below his average. Luther had 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench, and Michael Young scored 12 points.
Seven-footer Tonye Jekiri played only 6 minutes in the first half after picking up two fouls but finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Hurricanes, who shot 52 percent in the second half.
The Panthers led for most of the first half, and their largest margin was 27-19. McClellan drove the length of the court and sank a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to cut Pitt's lead to 33-29.
That marked the start of an 18-4 run by the Hurricanes. Jekiri made three consecutive Miami baskets, hustled for the rebound that set up a 3-pointer and even forced a turnover at midcourt that led to another score.
When the flurry ended, the Hurricanes led 44-37.
TIP-INS
Pitt: The Panthers fell to 0-4 against ranked teams. ... They are 17-0 when scoring at least 70 points and 0-6 in other games.
Miami: The Hurricanes' 12 consecutive weeks in the rankings ties the school record set in 2001-02.
SITTING OUT
Hurricanes reserve Ivan Cruz Uceda didn't dress because he was ill.
UP NEXT
Pittsburgh: is at No. 9 North Carolina on Sunday, the Panthers' third consecutive game against a ranked team.
Miami: is at Florida State on Sunday.
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