#12/10 Pittsburgh Sinks #25/24 Syracuse, 80-67

Monday, January 23

Pittsburgh, PA

7:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

#12/10 Pittsburgh

Senior guard Gerry McNamara moved into ninth place in career points at Syracuse (1,878) with 18 against Pitt.

1/23/2006 9:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Senior guard Carl Krauser scored a career-high 32 points, including a 13-of-14 performance from the foul line to lift #12/10 Pittsburgh (16-1, 5-1 BIG EAST) to an 80-67 victory against #25/24 Syracuse (15-5, 3-3 BIG EAST) at the Peterson Events Center. The Panthers went to the free throw line 35 times and scored 23 points, while the Orange finished 3-of-5 from the line for the game.

It was SU's third-straight loss to a Top 10 team.

SU senior guard Gerry McNamara scored 18 points to move into ninth place on the school's all-time scoring list (1,878). He surpassed Rafael Addison who recorded 1,876 points from 1982-86. McNamara also moved into sole possession of third place on the all-time steals list.

After Pitt jumped out to an early 7-0 lead, McNamara scored nine points during the next seven minutes to help bring Syracuse back. His first 3-point basket of the night with 10:18 remaining tied the score at 17-17. He tallied a team-high 13 points in the first half.

Krauser had 11 points in the opening stanza for Pitt. The Panthers were 12-of-19 from the free throw line during the first 20 minutes, while Syracuse was just 3-of-5.

McNamara dished to Terrence Roberts and Demetris Nichols made two free throws right before halftime to diminish Pitt's 12-point lead down to eight, 39-31, at the break.

The Panthers opened the second half with a 9-2 run to increase its lead to 15 points, 48-33. Krauser scored the first four points, while Ronald Ramon set up Aaron Gray and then drained his own 3-pointer.

Despite foul trouble and injury to its front line, SU was able to hang around and even pulled within four, 58-54, at one point. Freshman guard Eric Devendorf registered eight of his 18 points during the mini-comeback, while Nichols had seven. Senior forward Matt Gorman came off the bench and provided a spark with a shot off the glass and a couple of tough rebounds.

Pittsburgh put the game out of reach with a 12-3 run, including Krauser's third 3-pointer of the night, which pushed the Panthers' lead back to 12 points, 69-57, with less than eight minutes remaining.

Gorman's 3 pulled SU to within nine, 74-65, but Krauser sealed the win with six-straight points in the closing minutes.

Ramon and Keith Benjamin each scored 11 points for Pittsburgh.

McNamara finished with six assists. Nichols ended up with 13 points. The Orange was hampered by foul trouble, losing two of its best big men to the whistle. Junior center Darryl Watkins fouled out of the contest early in the second half. It was his third-straight game with five fouls. Roberts and junior guard Louie McCroskey also fouled out.

Syracuse has some time to regroup before its next contest, a Jan. 29^th home date with Seton Hall at 4:30 p.m.