Pitt 76

Miami 71

When point guard Brandin Knight and coach Ben Howland arrived at Pittsburgh three years ago, they clashed immediately, like fire and ice, or Ike and Tina. But the coach knew if his Panthers were going to become a championship team, he would need to win over the talented but tempestuous New Jerseyan.

Howland won Knight over, and now it is their Panthers that are doing the winning. Last night, Knight put on one of the greatest displays of point-guard play the Big East Tournament has ever seen, lifting Pittsburgh to a 76-71 semifinal win over Miami and carrying the Panthers into their second straight conference final, tonight against Connecticut.

Knight had 20 points and 14 assists, tying the tourney record set by Mark Jackson on March 7, 1986 and tied by Pearl Washington a day later. Heady company, but Knight is used to it. His father, who starred and coached at Seton Hall, and his brother Brevin, who plays for the NBA Grizzlies, were among the 19,528 in the Garden who saw Brandin help beat the Hurricanes.

“It was a heck of a game,” Howland said. “You can’t say enough about our team’s character; [despite] falling behind, they never think they’re going to lose. It shows a lot of poise, a lot of character and a lot of heart to come back and beat a good team like Miami.”

No. 20 Miami (24-7), which got a career-high 30 points and nine rebounds from center Elton Tyler, led 58-54 with 8:42 left before Pittsburgh went on a game-winning 12-2 run. Guard Julius Page (16 points, two alley-oops) hit a 3-pointer and Knight hit a pair of foul shots.

After Tyler gave Miami the lead back with a pair of free throws, center Ontario Lett hit a driving layup, Page hit an NBA-range 3-pointer and Jaron Brown a layup for a 66-60 lead with 4:56 left that Pittsburgh (27-4) never surrendered.

“I still don’t think we get the respect [we should],” Page said. “I think Miami came in here thinking we beat Pitt, we can do it again. Teams like that still don’t respect us.”

Miami does now. The ‘Canes cut a 74-65 lead to three, after a basket and free throw by Tyler and a 3-pointer by guard John Salmons made it 74-71. They had the ball, but when Tyler couldn’t handle Salmon’s pass with :15 left, the Panthers had the win, thanks to their defense – they held Miami’s leading scorer Darius Rice scoreless for the first time in his career – and Knight.

Howland inherited a team that was 5-13 in-league and an internal mess, suspending five players in his first two years. And he clashed with Knight, an incoming freshman but the team’s best player. However, as Knight gradually bought into Howland’s system, the results have been spectacular, and he was the Big East’s Co-Player of the Year.

“It’s just gotten better and better each year. I’ve grown a lot, and he’s given me a lot of leeway to go out and play,” Knight said.

And Howland said, “Brandin’s a great kid. He was 17 when he came to college, but he’s matured a lot, and you could see it [last night]. He’s one of the best point guards in the country. He’s unbelievable. He was like a maestro running a symphony.”