Syracuse's Comeback Not Enough Against Pittsburgh

Thursday, January 4

Carrier Dome

7:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

Pittsburgh

Syracuse's Comeback Not Enough Against Pittsburgh

1/9/2007 11:13:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Coach Boeheim Quotes

SU Player Quotes

Syracuse, N.Y.- Syracuse (11-4, 0-1 BIG EAST) lost to #10/10 Pittsburgh (13-2, 1-0 BIG EAST), 74-66, in the BIG EAST opener for both teams. It was a tale of two halves as the Orange led for the entire first period, but the Panthers used some sharp shooting early and often in the second period for the win. Syracuse trailed by as many as 11 points in the second half and was able to pull within a basket with more than six minutes remaining, but could not complete the comeback. The loss was Syracuse's first in a BIG EAST opener in eight years and the first loss at home since the 1992-93 campaign.

Eric Devendorf scored 17 points for the second-consecutive game to lead the Orange and had a team-high four assists. Demetris Nichols had 11 points and three steals. Darryl Watkins added 11 as well to go along with eight rebounds. Paul Harris led Syracuse with nine rebounds.

Levance Fields led the Pittsburgh attack with a career-high 24 points and five assists. Ronald Ramon added 12 points. Syracuse was able to hold Aaron Gray, who was 10th in the BIG EAST in scoring coming into the night, to just nine points. Gray had only three points in the first half and did not score until 16 minutes into the game.

Syracuse started out hot from long range as Andy Rautins and Josh Wright nailed back-to-back triples. Nichols added four points as Syracuse gained a 10-7 lead in the first five minutes. Both offenses became stagnant after that with no points scored in nearly the next three minutes.

The Orange was up 14-10 when Keith Benjamin hit a long three-pointer to pull the Panthers within one. Pittsburgh stayed within three points, answering each Syracuse field goal with one of its own. Terrence Roberts, who was back after missing two games with a knee injury, made an impact down low. He scored six points, including a two-handed dunk off a missed jumper, during an 8-3 run that put the Orange up, 24-18, with 6:39 left in the first half.

Pittsburgh came back to within a point with a 7-2 run. Devendorf got into the action for the Syracuse offense, scoring five points in nine seconds with a layup and a three. Mike Cook had two layups in the final 39 seconds, one of them coming on a fastbreak at the buzzer. Syracuse led, 34-33, at the half.

Pittsburgh jumped out early in the second half with seven points in the first 1:12 to take its first lead of the game, 40-34. Syracuse had a 6-0 run, also during a 1:12 span, to tie the game, 40-40, with 17 minutes left. Wright contributed four points during the stretch with a pair of free throws and a jumper.

Fields scored nine points during a 13-2 run during the next four minutes to put the Panthers up by 11 points, 53-42. Syracuse missed five field goals and committed three turnovers during that stretch.

Syracuse all but erased the Pittsburgh lead with 16 points during the next five minutes. After a three-pointer by Fields, Syracuse scored on three straight possessions to pull within four. Rautins hit a long jumper at 6:56 and Syracuse was down by just a bucket, 60-58.

Pittsburgh scored five points to extend its lead back to seven, but Syracuse refused to back down. Watkins had a tip in and Devendorf slashed inside for a layup to cut the deficit down to three with three minutes to go. Ronald Ramon hit a three-pointer for Pittsburgh to extend its lead to 68-62.

Devendorf made another layup to pull the Orange within four, but that is the closest the Orange could get. Ramon and Fields combined for six free throws in the final minute to ice the game for Pittsburgh.

Syracuse visits #17/21 Marquette (13-3, 0-1 BIG EAST) on Sunday at 8:00 p.m. The Golden Eagles lost to Providence, 74-59, in their BIG EAST opener on Thursday.