Basketball: Pitt falls to No. 1 Syracuse

Pitt fell to Syracuse 71-63 on Monday night, providing further evidence that this year’s team… Pitt fell to Syracuse 71-63 on Monday night, providing further evidence that this year’s team is a far cry from last year’s Big East regular-season championship team.

Monday’s loss extends Pitt’s losing streak to seven games, during which it has averaged 15 turnovers. The Panthers (11-8, 0-6 Big East) had 13 turnovers against Syracuse, several of which led to fast-break dunks for the Orange (20-0, 7-0 Big East). The easy buckets contributed to Syracuse’s 52 percent field goal percentage in the first half, despite their shooting a dismal 14 percent from beyond the arc.

In last season’s win against Syracuse, the Pitt men’s basketball team started the game by scoring 19 unanswered points. This season, however, the Panthers were on the scoreless end as the top-ranked Orange raced to a 13-0 lead. Pitt responded with a 9-2 run of its own, but turnovers and poor shooting prevented any chance of a comeback.

Pitt entered the game with the second-worst defensive field goal percentage (43.9) in the Big East. Syracuse’s 48.7 shooting percentage leads the Big East.

Paced by Dion Waiters’ 16 points, the Orange had five players finish in double-digits. Seven-foot center Fab Melo dominated the paint, registering 10 points, six blocks and a career-high 10 rebounds,

Pitt’s offensive woes continued Monday night. The Panthers shot 39 percent from the field and 30 percent from the three. Ashton Gibbs followed his career-high 29-point performance against Marquette on Saturday with 10 points against Syracuse. Lamar Patterson and Cameron Wright each added 10 points for the Panthers.

Talib Zanna’s jumper pulled Pitt within four points of its opponent with eight minutes to play in the second half, but that was as close as the Panthers came to leading. Syracuse’s two 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions restored its double-digit lead and effectively ended the game.

The win marks Syracuse’s best start in school history. It was also only the third time that the Orange has defeated the Panthers in the Jamie Dixon era. Before Monday night’s loss, Pitt had won eight of the last nine meetings against Syracuse.

The Panthers will look to pick up their first Big East win Saturday when they host No. 21 Louisville at the Petersen Events Center. The ESPN College GameDay crew will also be on hand to broadcast live from 10 a.m. to noon. Doors open at 8:30 a.m.