Orange Gets First ACC Road Win at Pitt, 58-47

Sunday, January 19

Pittsburgh, Pa.

2 p.m.

Syracuse University

(13-5, 2-3ACC)

Pittsburgh

(9-10, 1-4ACC)

Syracuse

PITT

1/19/2014 4:27:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Box Score | Season Stats

PITTSBURGH - Brittney Sykes scored seven of her team-high 15 points in the final 2:27 to lead Syracuse women's basketball (13-5, 2-3 ACC) to a 58-47 win at Pittsburgh (9-10, 1-4 ACC) on Sunday at the Petersen Events Center. Brianna Butler added 14 points, while Briana Day and Taylor Ford had double-doubles as the Orange picked up its first ACC road victory.

Syracuse returns home to host a pair of ACC games. On Thursday, Clemson comes to the Carrier Dome for a 7 p.m. game on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel. On Sunday, Virginia comes to town for a 2 p.m. start on RSN.

In a game dominated by the defenses, Syracuse benefited from a 22-12 scoring advantage in the paint as it out-rebounded the Panthers, 47-39. SU also enjoyed a 15-5 edge in fast-break points.

Day recorded her third double-double of the season with a career-high tying 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Ford had the first of her career with 10 points and a career-best 12 boards.

Syracuse shot 30.9 percent overall, while holding Pitt to 22.6 percent from the field. In a game that saw 44 fouls, the Orange was 20-of-28 at the free throw line, while the Panthers were 18-of-24.

After back-to-back 3-pointers by Ashlee Anderson and Brianna Kiesel gave Pitt an early 11-5 lead, the Orange took over, going on a 16-0 run in which it held the Panthers scoreless for 7:17 to take a 21-11 lead. Day scored seven points in the run, capped off by a layup with 10:33 left in the half.

SU held the Panthers without a field goal for 9:56 as the run expanded to 19-2, giving the Orange a 24-13 lead on a Ford 3-pointer from the top of the key with 8:46 on the clock.

The Orange took a 30-18 lead into the half with Day's nine points leading the way, while Ford grabbed seven rebounds. SU shot just 33.3 percent in the half, but held the Panthers to 16 percent as they struggled to find open looks against the 2-3 zone.

Pitt opened the second half with a 9-0 run over the first 6:38, led by six points by Kiesel, to cut the Orange lead to 30-27. SU was 0-of-7 shooting with five turnovers during the drought, but a 3-point play by Ford and a 3-pointer by Butler at the 13:22 and 12:44 marks extended the lead back to nine, 36-27.

The Orange lead would fluctuate between five and nine until Chyna Golden went 2-of-2 at the free throw line on back-to-back possessions for Pitt to draw within three, 46-43, with 3:10 left.

Sykes scored five-straight crucial points for the Orange between the 2:27 and 1:27 marks to put SU in front by eight, 51-43. After an Anderson layup, Sykes scored in transition with 1:09 left to give her seven points in a row for her team and guide the Orange to victory.

Pitt was led by 13 points by Anderson and 12 from Kiesel.