Panthers Hold Off Orange, 72-71

Wednesday, March 9

Washington, D.C.

12 p.m.

Syracuse University

19-13

Pittsburgh

21-10

Syracuse

Pittsburgh

3/9/2016 2:26:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A furious rally from a 12-point deficit ultimately came up short when Syracuse (19-13) lost to Pittsburgh (21-10), 72-71, at the ACC Tournament in Washington, D.C. Graduate student Trevor Cooney's 3-point attempt fell short in the final seconds.

Syracuse emerged from a timeout with 4:08 left, trailing 66-54. A steal by freshman Frank Howard led to a layup by junior Tyler Roberson. Following a Roberson rebound, freshman forward Malachi Richardson converted a 3-pointer to narrow the gap to 66-59. The two teams traded baskets before a 3-pointer from graduate student Michael Gbinije made it 68-64, Pittsburgh, with 2:31 remaining.

Another theft by Howard resulted in two free throws from Richardson. Roberson then stole the ball and found a breaking Gbinije for a dunk that tied the game at 68-68 with 1:58 remaining. The Panthers, who already owned two regular-season victories over the Orange, regrouped and scored consecutive baskets by James Robinson. Gbinije struck again with a 3-pointer, making it a 72-71 deficit with 18 seconds remaining.

Syracuse fouled Sheldon Jeter, who subsequently missed a free throw. The rebound went off Pittsburgh, giving the Orange the ball with 6.6 seconds left. Playing against full-court pressure, Syracuse inbounded the ball to Cooney, whose last-second attempt missed the mark.

Gbinije led the Orange with 24 points on the afternoon, marking the 32nd game he's reached double-digits this season. Richardson added 13 points, and junior DaJuan Coleman had his first double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Richardson tallied the first basket of the game after nearly three minutes of play, and a trey from Gbinije started the Orange on a 5-2 lead. Two 3-point buckets by Cooney extended the lead 11-4, marking six unanswered points from 'Cuse just under the 13-minute mark.

The Orange used a 12-4 run in the heart of the first half to bring a 17-8 lead with 8:57 left to play, highlighted by two 3-pointers from Cooney.

A 3-point basket from Gbinije gave Syracuse its largest lead of the game at the 7:07 mark, 22-12. The Panthers cut the Orange lead to five off of a Cameron Johnson three with 4:16 left in the half, 26-21. Johnson continued to produce, knotting it up at 26 with another 3-pointer with just over three minutes left to play.

The Panthers snatched its first lead of the game at the 2:22 mark thanks to a jumper by Sheldon Jeter, and another three by Jamel Artis made it 31-27 Pitt with 1:41 left. Coleman gave the Orange its last shot of the opening half, making it a two-point game 31-29 heading into the locker rooms.

Gbinije finished the first half 5-7 from field goal range, leading the Orange with 12 points.

The Orange brought it within two again to start the half, but a quick 5-0 run by the Panthers made it a seven-point game, 41-34, forcing a 'Cuse timeout at the 16:50 mark. The Panthers continued the surge, extending the lead to 11 off of a dunk by Johnson to trigger another Orange timeout less than two minutes after the first.

Pitt didn't let up, as a 3-pointer by James Robinson extended a 12-0 run, marking the largest lead of the game at the 14:26 mark, 48-34. A dunk by Coleman broke the Pitt run, and the Orange continued to cut the lead down to 10 with just under 12 minutes left to play, 50-40.

The Orange came within reach with a three by Richardson marking eight unanswered points, while bringing 'Cuse within six at the 11:24 mark, 50-44. Syracuse didn't let up heading into the single-digit minutes, as freshman Tyler Lydon diminished the Pitt lead to five off of a 3-pointer with 7:29 left to play, 56-51.