Cold Shooting Leads Pitt to Loss Against Syracuse

The Pitt Panthers couldn't get their offense going against Syracuse.

PITTSBURGH -- With their postseason hopes hanging on by a thread, the Pitt Panthers were up against it entering Tuesday night's game against the Syracuse Orange. In a contest where the Panthers had to put their best foot forward, they fell short in each facet of the game as the Orange captured a 69-58 win. Pitt's offensive struggles continued as they shot 35.4% from the field and 19.2% from deep while leading for just 5:34 all night in spite of a heroic 20-point performance by Jaland Lowe. Syracuse found immense success from behind the arc on 10 threes and took impeccable control of the ball as they cruised to a road victory and swept the season series over the Panthers.

Syracuse opened the game on a 4-0 run before Hinson backed down Judah Mintz en route to a layup for Pitt's first points of the game. The Panthers showed increased energy right out of the gate and showed improved ball movement throughout the opening minutes as they took a 9-7 lead into the first media timeout at the 15:55 mark. 

Pitt made a concerted effort to push the ball inside and take advantage of the size mismatch they held over the Orange. The Panthers came away with four offensive rebounds and eight points in the paint over the course of the first eight minutes, though Syracuse tied the game at 14-14 before the second media timeout. 

A Lowe three out of the break gave Pitt the lead right back, though it fell into an over two-minute-long scoreless lull shortly after that allowed the Orange to roar back and cut it to 20-19 at the 8:00 mark. 

Syracuse took the lead on a Quadir Copeland layup as part of a 9-0 run that pushed it to 23-20. A pair of threes from Copeland and Mintz further extended it to 29-22 at the 4:56 mark as their seven-point lead would hold serve going into the final media timeout of the first half. 

The Panthers made the switch to zone on the defensive end in the closing minutes of the half, though it didn't slow down the Orange as Chris Bell nailed a three on the first possession out of the stoppage. Pitt went the final four minutes without a field goal, leaving the door open for Syracuse to carry a 37-26 lead into halftime. 

The Panthers scored six points in the final ten minutes of the first half, building on a recurring trend that has seen the team's offense sputter in conference play. Pitt shot 33.3% from the field and 28.6% from three to go with six turnovers. The Panthers' offense received few contributions from Hinson and Carrington, their two leading scorers, who went a combined 2-of-14 from the field and 1-of-9 from deep as well. 

The Orange, on the other hand, thrived against Pitt's defense. Despite its status as one of the ACC's least efficient three-point shooting teams, Syracuse went 6-of-10 from behind the arc in the first half while shooting 51.7% overall. Bell led all scorers with 10 points while Mintz followed close behind with seven of his own. 

JJ Starling kept the ball rolling for the Orange as he hit a three-pointer just 18 seconds into the second half that extended their lead to 40-26. Hinson made the Panthers' first field goal in over five minutes at the 18:34 mark, and a three-and-a-half-minute stretch without a field goal for Syracuse provided Pitt with an opportunity to get back into the game. It didn't take advantage, however, as the Orange scored on a Copeland lineup at the 16:10 mark and took a 44-32 lead into the first media timeout of the half. 

Two consecutive buckets from Lowe brought the deficit back down to single digits at the 14:29 mark, though Justin Taylor quickly responded with a three for Syracuse. After tempers flared at center court led to offsetting technical fouls, the Orange broke off a 7-0 run that grew their lead to 51-36 leading up to the media timeout at the 11:25 mark. 

The two sides traded baskets as Syracuse held a 54-40 lead with the game transitioning into another media timeout at the 9:23 mark. Hinson converted an and-one at the 8:30 mark, but a Starling turnaround jumper two possessions later essentially negated his efforts. 

Two layups on back-to-back possessions for Lowe helped Pitt trim the Orange's lead to 60-50 at the 6:27 mark before Syracuse turned two second-chance opportunities into a Starling jumper at the 5:11 mark. An and-one from Lowe made it a nine-point game at the 3:44 mark before Mintz pushed it to 64-53 shortly after on a pair of free throws. 

The Panthers failed in their comeback efforts down the stretch, putting a cap on the contest and leaving them with a 1-5 record in conference play that may prove tough to overcome. 

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