Orange Reserves Score 52 In Win Versus Pitt

Saturday, December 30

Syracuse, N.Y.

12 PM

Syracuse University

10-3,1-1ACC

Pittsburgh

9-4,0-2ACC

Pittsburgh

Syracuse

12/30/2023 2:29:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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Sophomore swingman Quadir Copeland scored 16 of his career-high 22 points in the second half and Syracuse (10-3, 1-1 ACC) defeated conference rival Pitt (9-4, 0-2 ACC), 81-73. Copeland went 13-of-15 from the foul line, and added nine rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Junior forward Benny Williams and sophomore center Maliq Brown each tallied 15 points. Copeland, Williams and Brown joined to produce 52 points, the top combined bench effort since Dec. 10, 2016, when Syracuse had 55 from reserves against Boston University.

WHEN THE GAME WAS DECIDED
With the game tied at 61-61 with five minutes remaining, Syracuse strung together a 13-2 run to go ahead by 11 with 1:26 to go. The Orange held the Panthers without a field goal from the five-minute mark until 1:26 left in the game. Williams scored six, Copeland had five and Brown logged two during the rally. Copeland scored four from the line in the final minute, and Syracuse held a lead of six or more for the rest of the contest.

A BACK-AND-FORTH OPENING HALF
There were five lead changes and ties in the first half. The Orange went ahead to start the game, 4-0, after buckets from sophomore backcourt pair Judah Mintz and J.J. Starling. The Panthers scored the next seven points to take the lead, 7-4. Syracuse responded with an 8-1 run to go up, 12-8. Pitt grabbed an 18-14 advantage after 3-pointers from freshman guard Carlton Carrington and senior forward Blake Hinson.

With 11:57 in the first half, Copeland sparked a 10-2 run for the Orange after making his first 3-pointer this season, which he turned into a four-point play. The stretch was capped by Copeland, who scored a fastbreak layup after a steal and feed from sophomore center Maliq Brown. The Panthers responded with a 9-2 rally that gave them a three-point edge, 29-26, with 4:26 in the period. Brown made one in the paint four minutes before halftime and Syracuse was held scoreless until just before the intermission. Williams tallied a second-chance dunk with 14 seconds in the half, and the teams went into the locker rooms with the Pitt ahead, 38-30.

THE ORANGE TAKEOVER
The second half started with a Pitt 3-pointer from Guillermo Diaz Graham, which gave the Panthers an 11-point lead, 41-30. Syracuse responded with six unanswered points, including five from Brown, to bring the Orange within five, 41-36. After a Pitt bucket, the Orange delivered eight unanswered points. Mintz made one from long range, Copeland made one-of-two from the line and Williams slammed one in off a fast break to cut into the Panther lead, 43-42. Mintz made two foul shots to extend the run to 14-2, effectively grabbing the lead for the Orange, 44-43. The advantage was the first for the home team since the 6:21 mark in the first half.

Copeland capped off the 16-2 run with two from the foul line, making the score 46-43. Pitt ended a 4:30 scoring drought with a jumper from Carrington. Syracuse extended its advantage to seven, 52-45, after stringing together a six-point rally. Four points of the run came from Copeland and the other two from Mintz.

Pitt battled back to cut the Syracuse margin to one, 56-55, with 7:11 remaining. Starling cashed one from beyond the arc and drove one to the hoop to keep the Orange ahead, 61-56. After a Panther 3-pointer from Austin Zack and a fastbreak layup from Ishmael Leggett, the game was tied at 61-61. The Orange regained the advantage and, aided by an 8-of-10 effort from the line in the last two minutes, held on for the triumph.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

The Orange snapped a three-game losing streak against the Panthers with the win.
Syracuse reserves have scored 44 or more points in the each of the last three games.
Williams and Brown each scored 11 of their season-best 15 points in the second half.
The Orange have a 7-0 record in the JMA Wireless Dome, this season.
Junior center Naheem McLeod blocked three shots in the first six minutes of the game, and finished with four.
Syracuse forced six turnovers in the first 10 minutes and 10 in the first half.
Eight of nine players for the Orange scored a basket in the beginning period.
This game was the 125^th meeting between Syracuse and Pitt.
Syracuse improved its series advantage to 75-50.
Pitt is Syracuse's most frequent ACC opponent.
Pitt's Carrington scored a team-leading 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds.

UP NEXT
Syracuse travels to Durham, N.C. to face rival Duke on January 2 in the Cameron Indoor Stadium. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN.

TICKETS
Syracuse men's basketball tickets are available online (cuse.com/tickets), by phone (1-888-DOMETIX), and at the Dome Box Office (Gate B).

For complete coverage of Syracuse men's basketball, follow the team on Twitter (@Cuse_MBB) and Instagram (@cuse_mbb).

Gallery: (12-30-2023) Syracuse vs. Pitt