A quick take on Syracuse’s 77-61 win over Pitt on a frigid Tuesday evening at the Carrier Dome:
WHAT HAPPENED: Up 35-34 at halftime, Syracuse held Pitt without a field goal for the first 9:16 of the second half. By the time Mouhamadou Gueye finally hit a jumper from the free throw area with 10:44 left, the Orange had amassed a 58-43 lead. The closest Pitt would get from there was 67-54 with 5:26 left after two made free throws from Jamarius Burton, but the Panthers only scored three points in the final three minutes as SU snapped its three-game losing streak. The second half stood in direct contrast to the first half, where the Orange jumped out to an early 19-11 lead, but saw the Panthers roar back to take a 32-25 lead with 3:51 before intermission.
ANALYSIS: Jim Boeheim has never had a losing record this late into the year, and for one night, the Orange was able to keep that streak intact. It wasn’t always pretty, as Syracuse committed 20 fouls, with Jesse Edwards fouling out for the fourth straight game. The Orange was also dreadful from beyond the arc with the exception of Buddy Boeheim, and Jim Boeheim was so fed up with his usual rotation in the first half that he played an odd-ball lineup which featured little used reserves John Bol Ajak and Frank Anselem on the court at the same time. Still, Syracuse shot 51.0 percent from the field, and after Pitt shot 5-12 from beyond the arc in the first half, it regressed to the mean in the second, hitting just 2 of 10.
HERO: Buddy Boeheim led Syracuse with 24 points on 5 for 8 shooting from distance, and Jimmy Boeheim chipped in 18 points and seven rebounds for the Orange. Burton was one of three Pitt players with 14 points.
» Related: Could Syracuse have a losing season for the first time under Jim Boeheim?
ZERO: Cole Swider and Joe Girard combined to shoot 0-7 from downtown, while Pitt guard William Jeffress was 0-5 from the field and missed all four shots from 3.
WHAT’S NEXT: Syracuse hosts Florida State on Jan. 15 at 3 p.m. at the Carrier Dome. TV: ESPN.
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