After a brutal loss at home to Duke and three losses in their last four games, Pitt (10-7, 1-5 ACC) men’s basketball aimed to bounce back against ACC rival Syracuse (12-5, 3-3 ACC). The last matchup between the two teams back in December didn’t go well for the Panthers.
This matchup was important for both teams’ postseason potential. And despite the importance, the Panthers couldn’t get it done, falling to the Orange 69-58.
The Panthers’ two best scorers, senior forward Blake Hinson and first-year guard Carlton “Bub” Carrington, shot a combined 4-for-27.
Both teams needed the win and their energy at tipoff showed that. The teams shot a combined 7-for-13 through the first 4:05 of the game, with the Panthers taking a 9-7 lead.
Junior guard Ishmael Leggett, who battled through injuries to start the new year, led the way with eight points on 3-for-3 shooting for the Panthers. This effective shooting gave the Panthers a 20-14 lead.
But a nearly four-minute scoring drought from the Panthers allowed Syracuse to take the lead after a quick 9-0 run. The Orange extended this to a 17-4 run, causing a Panthers timeout at the 3:26 mark of the first half.
The Panthers started off hot, but their offense dried up. This is a common trend for the Panthers this season. The lack of offensive production allowed the Orange to end the first half on a 23-6 extended run, giving them a 37-26 lead.
Leggett and redshirt junior forward Will Jeffress scored 12 of the Panthers’ points in the first half on 5-for-6 shooting. The rest of the team shot a combined 5-for-34.
For the Orange, sophomore guard Judah Mintz, a former Pitt commit, filled the stat sheet for the Orange with seven points, four rebounds and three assists. The Oakland Zoo gave Mintz all they had by booing him louder than any other player, but he was hardly affected.
A back-and-forth ensued to start the second half. The Panthers attempted to chip away at the lead but any time they would, the Orange would answer with a basket of their own. Emotions boiled over for the Panthers, causing Hinson and Orange junior forward Benny Williams to receive double technical fouls.
This scuffle energized Syracuse, though, as the Orange went on a 5-0 run afterward to take a 51-36 lead.
Carrington, a four-time ACC-freshman of the week award winner, struggled severely for the second game in a row. Carrington finished with zero points on 0-for-10 shooting
On the other hand, first-year guard Jaland Lowe has blossomed into the player the Panthers hoped he would. Lowe led the way in the second half. A 5–0 run by himself brought the Orange lead down to 60-50. Another and-one finish moments later cut the Orange lead to single digits. Lowe attributes his scoring burst to trying to pull out a victory.
“I just wanted to win,” Lowe said. “That was the only thing on my mind. I just wanted to be that spark for the team.”
But it was too late for the Panthers. Despite Syracuse converting just one field goal for the last five minutes of the game, their lead was insurmountable.
The Panthers now drop their seventh game of the season and their fifth ACC contest.
