Miami basketball tries for first 2020 road win at Pitt: Game Info

The Miami basketball team has not won a road game since winning their inaugural ACC game away from home this season on New Year’s Eve. The Hurricanes have a noon tipoff on Sunday at Pittsburgh.

The Miami basketball team has not won a game away from home in 2020. The Hurricanes’ last win away from home was on New Year’s Eve at Clemson. After beginning the 2019-20 season 9-3, including three true road wins and a victory over Temple at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, Miami is 2-6 since.

The two wins at the Watsco Center were over Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech on Tuesday night. The Miami basketball team needs a victory over the Panthers on Sunday afternoon to continue the momentum. Miami has not won back to back games since the victory over Clemson was the last in a five-game winning streak.

Pittsburgh enters Sunday’s game 13-8 overall, 4-6 and ninth in the ACC. The Panthers have lost four of their last six games and enter Sunday’s game with a two-game losing streak. Pittsburgh is 9-4 at home this season with a win over Florida State, but losses to Nicholls State, West Virginia and Wake Forest.

Miami played without Chris Lykes the last two games. The Hurricanes returned Kam McGusty who was out last Saturday against North Carolina and Keith Stone who missed 3.5 weeks after reaggravating a knee injury he suffered last year at Florida. The torn ACL ended Stone’s 2018-19 season and caused him to miss early 2019-20.

"GAME 21 | FEB. 2, 2020 • 12 P.M. ET • PITTSBURGH, PA.Miami Hurricanes (11-9, 3-7 ACC)Head Coach: Jim Larrañaga (Providence, 1971)Record at UM: 186-106 (ninth season), Career Record: 656-440 (36th season)Pittsburgh Panthers (13-8, 4-6 ACC)Head Coach: Jeff Capel (Duke, 1997)Record at UP: 27-27 (second season), Career Record: 189-137 (11th season)Courtesy HurricaneSport.Com"

Both teams need a victory to gain some momentum and move up in the ACC standings. It will be a tough game to be motivated for on Superbowl Sunday. It could be tough for the Panthers to draw a good crowd. Snow is expected in the Steel City on Sunday and most fans will have plans later in the day.

It is not known if Lykes will play. It the Hurricanes 66-58 victory in Coral Gables last month Lykes scored 12 points and had four assists on 5-7 from the floor. McGusty scored his ACC high and Miami high against a Power Conference team with 19 points. The former Oklahoma transfer shot 8-12 from the floor and 3-7 from three.

Freshman Isaiah Wong has played exceptionally well. He scored 29 points over the last two games on 9-18 from the floor, 3-8 on three-point attempts and 8-8 from the free-throw line. Twenty-seven of the 29 points have come in the last three halves of basketball. If Wong continues to play well that helps Miami out a ton.

"SERIES HISTORYAll-Time: 23-18 (16-14 since rebirth) | Home: 14-7 | Away: 8-10 | Neutral: 1-1 | Coach L: 7-2 (7-1 at Miami)Streak: Won 7 | Last Meeting: 66-58 home win (1/12/20) | First Meeting: 43-40 road win (12/26/47)BROADCAST INFORMATIONACC Network • Play-by-Play: Jon Meterparel • Color: Malcolm Huckaby | WatchESPNWQAM 560 AM • Joe Zagacki | WQAM.Radio.com"

Pittsburgh is very perimeter-oriented. The Hurricanes were able to use their size in the win over Virginia Tech. Center Rodney Miller has improved as the season has progressed. The Panthers’ five leading scorers are guards averaging between 8.4 and 12.3 points per game. Freshman Justin Champagnie averages 11.6 PPG and 7.0 RPG.

Following their trip to Pittsburgh, Miami returns home on Wednesday night to host North Carolina State. The Wolfpack is 14-7 overall and 5-5 in the ACC. North Carolina State defeated Miami 80-63 in Raleigh last month. The Wolfpack have lost their last two games and play at number six Louisville on Sunday.