Au’Diese Toney posts first double-double of Pitt career

Pitt and Miami squared off at the Petersen Events Center on Sunday, with the Panthers eager to avenge a 66-58 loss to the Hurricanes in Coral Gables, Florida, back on Jan. 12. And thanks in part to Au’Diese Toney, who posted the first double-double of his collegiate career, Pitt was able to secure a 62-57 win.

Toney ranked second on the team in scoring, with 15 points in the game. Thirteen of those points came in the first half, but the 6’6” wing also reeled in a game-high 10 rebounds that were more evenly distributed over both halves. Toney would also record two steals and one three-pointer in five attempts from distance.

Despite Toney’s reputation as one of Pitt’s top rebounders, Sunday’s game marked just the second time that he grabbed 10 or more in a game. The only other time he was able to do so was last season, in a 73-65 road loss to Georgia Tech on Feb. 20, 2019.

However, the native of Huntsville, Alabama, has hit his stride as an offensive threat in ACC play, as the win over Miami marked the third time in the last four games that he scored in double figures. The timing of his uptick in production has been opportune, as Toney played a key role in a tight 74-72 Pitt win over Boston College and helped to fill the void left by an injured Ryan Murphy against Miami on Sunday.

Toney’s contributions will be important moving forward, as Murphy’s status for Pitt’s road matchup with Notre Dame on Wednesday is uncertain, meaning Toney could once again be leaned on heavily as a complement to top scorers Trey McGowens and Xavier Johnson. The date with the Fighting Irish in South Bend, Indiana, kicks off a quartet of winnable games against teams in the middle of the pack in the ACC, as Georgia Tech, Clemson and Virginia Tech are next up on the docket.