Orange Comeback Falters Against Pitt

Saturday, February 21

Syracuse, N.Y.

12:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

(17-10) (8-6)

Pittsburgh

(18-10) (7-7)

Pittsburgh

Syracuse

Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski

2/21/2015 2:45:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Syracuse cut a nine-point deficit to one with less than a minute remaining, but couldn't overcome Pittsburgh in a 65-61 setback on Saturday, Feb. 21 in the Carrier Dome. Senior Rakeem Christmas led the Orange with 20 points and 12 rebounds in front of a crowd of 30,166.

Christmas posted his 10th double-double of the season. Junior Michael Gbinije had 12 points and sophomore B.J. Johnson came off the bench to score 11.

The Orange (17-10, 8-6) trailed by nine, 60-51, with 2:35 remaining. Gbinije started Syracuse's final comeback attempt with a pair of free throws before sophomore Tyler Roberson's basket cut the deficit to five. After a missed layup by Pittsburgh (18-10, 7-7), Christmas' turnaround jumper brought the Orange within three. The Panthers' Jamel Artis went 1-for-2 from the free throw line to extend Pitt's lead to four, but Johnson hit his third three-pointer of the day to cut the deficit to one, 61-60, with less than a minute left.

A block by Christmas and defensive rebound by Roberson gave SU possession with 42 seconds left on the clock, but Christmas was called for an offensive foul, sending James Robinson to the free throw line. He hit both attempts to put the Panthers up 63-60 with 35 seconds remaining. On Syracuse's next possession, Gbinije went 1-for-2 from the line, again putting the Orange within two at 63-61.

After Syracuse's press forced the Panthers to take a timeout in the backcourt, Pitt was able to break the pressure and Cameron Wright's layup with 17 seconds remaining sealed the victory for the Panthers. Roberson's layup at the buzzer rolled off the rim for the 65-61 final.

The Orange's offense struggled in the first eight minutes of the game, hitting just one of its first 14 shots. The Panthers took advantage and built a six-point lead at 13-7. Four straight points by Syracuse cut the deficit to two, but Pittsburgh again went up by six at 17-11 with 9:06 remaining. Johnson hit a pair of free throws to spark the Orange on a 10-0 scoring run that gave SU its largest lead of the game at 21-17 with 4:14 on the clock. However, the Panthers outscored the Orange, 14-4, the remainder of the half to take a 31-25 lead into the locker room at intermission. Chris Jones hit a pair of three-pointers during the run, which was capped by Artis' three at the buzzer.

Pittsburgh continued its offensive outburst after halftime when Michael Young scored the first four points of the second half to give Pitt a 10-point advantage at 35-25. Following a Syracuse timeout, Christmas recorded back-to-back baskets, the second a layup off a pass from Gbinije that brought SU within three at 41-38. However the Panthers answered with 10-2 scoring run to take its largest lead of the game of 11, 51-40, with 8:58 remaining.

Syracuse tried to rally as back-to-back three-pointers by Johnson cut the deficit to five at 53-48 with 6:33 remaining, but Pittsburgh again responded, this time with a 7-3 scoring run to extend its advantage to 60-51, setting up the SU's final comeback attempt.

The Orange shot 42.9 percent from the field (21-for-49) and, after not hitting a three-point shot in the first half, finished 4-for-12 from behind the three-point arc. The Panthers were 26-for-52 (50 percent), including 6-for-14 from three-point range, and 7-for-8 (87.5 percent) from the free throw line.

Syracuse goes on the road for a pair of games, starting Tuesday at Notre Dame. Tip off is set for 8 p.m.