Pitt women’s basketball falls to Syracuse, extends losing streak

Pitt women’s basketball (6-13, 0-6 ACC) took on Syracuse (16-2, 6-1 ACC) on a snowy Sunday afternoon at the Petersen Events Center. This was the pair’s 71st meeting in program history, with the Orange taking the last 24 straight games.

Syracuse went into the game on a winning streak, while Pitt came in on a losing one. Pitt’s dry spell extended on Sunday after a 72-59 loss to the Orange. The Panther’s defense was formidable, but their turnovers and shot execution ultimately caused their loss.

Pitt senior forward Liatu King continued to prove herself as the backbone of the team. King posted 27 points in the matchup, while Pitt’s second-leading starter posted just three. Pitt head coach Tory Verdi commented on his team’s disproportionate scoring. 

“Now we just got to figure out a way to get a little bit more scoring production,” Verdi said. “To score, we need our guards to step up and knock down shots.”

King put the first four points on the board for Pitt, giving her team the early lead. The Orange played a game of catch-up for much of the first quarter. That was, until the last two minutes. 

The contest picked up after Pitt first-year guard Jasmine Timmerson’s turnover. The Orange capitalized on the Panther fault and cut the Panthers’ lead down to two. In response, Pitt sophomore guard Aislin Malcome sank a contested layup. 

On the next Panther drive, junior guard Bella Perkins chipped in her points with a three-point shot. Pitt took the quarter 17-12, with nine credited to King. 

In the second quarter, Syracuse took their first and only lead of the game.

Syracuse graduate student guard Dyaisha Fair was a formidable force against the Panthers. Fair averages 20.1 points per game this season, edging King by just one. In her 2023 season, Fair was ranked second in scoring in the ACC. She showcased her high field goal percentage after the first quarter.

Fair scored 11 points in the second quarter alone and extended Syracuse’s lead to 33-26 with 1:15 left in the half. King responded with a jumper, chipping away at the Orange’s lead. 

The Panthers went into the locker room down 35-28. 

Syracuse’s offense came out swinging to start the third quarter, while Fair conducted their lead. Fair continued her performance after the break with a behind-the-back assist to Syracuse junior guard Georgia Woolley, who made two straight three-pointers. The Panthers continued to trail 41-28. 

Syracuse capitalized on almost every Pitt turnover. In all, Syracuse racked up 25 points off of Panther turnovers. Verdi knows how pivotal his team’s turnovers were.

“That’s the difference of the ball game right there,” Verdi said. “We got to value the ball. We got to take care of it.”

In an attempt to build up the Panther’s offensive momentum, Perkins earned a layup off of a breakaway. Not long after, Fair took a deep three in a fight against the shot clock and made it, extending their lead 46-38. 

By the end of the third, the Panthers cut the Orange advantage down to eight and went into the break 53-45. 

After the break, Fair sank her sixth three-pointer of the game off of a Pitt turnover. Despite Pitt’s offensive turnovers, their defense kept Syracuse’s top shooter six for 18 from the three-point line. 

Down by 14, Verdi took a timeout with 7:02 to go in the final quarter. Perkins stepped up after the timeout and made a three-pointer, followed by another field goal on the very next Pitt drive. 

With every Pitt basket, Syracuse responded with one of their own. With 2:34 to go, Verdi took his final time-out of the game. In a last attempt to cut Syracuse’s lead, King fought her way to the block but missed the shot. Graduate student forward Jala Jordan made her way down to the paint shortly after for the fadeaway. This was Jordan’s final play of the game after she was charged with a technical foul.

The horn sounded at the end of the matchup, and the Panthers fell short to the Orange 72-59.

The Panthers will hit the road this Thursday to take on Virginia at 7 p.m. with hopes of gaining their first conference win.