5-foot-11 Angel Rodriguez wins game for Miami with tip-in
A 3 by Pitt's James Robinson tied the score with only 31 seconds remaining in the game.
Twelfth-ranked Miami didn't have a timeout, leading to a wild finish at the BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Fla., on Tuesday night.
The Hurricanes' Sheldon McClellan missed an open 3 from the corner. Teammate Davon Reed came crashing in for the rebound, but his second-chance attempt missed the rim. With the ball in the air, Miami's 5-foot-11 point guard Angel Rodriguez beat Pitt's 6-9 Michael Young to it, tipping in the game-winning shot with 1.4 seconds left.
"That was a major league play for the smallest guy on the floor to go over everybody, time it right and just tip it in," Miami coach Jim Larranaga told reporters after the game, according to The Associated Press.
"I don't know why in the world Angel went to the offensive boards," Larranaga added. "Point guards are really not supposed to do that. But he didn't listen to me throughout the game anyway, so I'm glad he didn't listen at the end."
Rodriguez would break up Pitt's desperation 3-pointer from half court by attempting to draw a charge. Despite the contact, the officials did not blow the whistle and Miami held on for a 65-63 win.
Rodriguez scored 17 points and recorded eight assists for Miami, which improved to 19-4 overall and 8-3 in the ACC. Pittsburgh fell to 17-6 and 6-5.
"They got the break at the end," Pitt coach Jamie Dixon told The AP "Just one of those things. Don't know what we could have done different."
