Syracuse Improves to 20-0 With Win Over Pittsburgh
In a battle of future ACC members, #1 Syracuse improved to 20-0 on the season with a 71-63 win over Pittsburgh. In a year where several current ACC members have been underwhelming, Syracuse has certainly provided a reason for ACC fans to be optimistic about the basketball future.
For Syracuse, this win was noteworthy for several reasons. First, the 20-0 record sets the school record for a start. Second, with the win, Jim Boeheim tied Adolph Rupp for #4 all-time on the career win total list with 876 wins. Next up? A coach that all ACC fans should be familiar with–Dean Smith. Syracuse also ended a string of futility against Pittsburgh, including losing 5 straight at the Carrier Dome. The last time Syracuse beat Pittsburgh at home was 2003. And that year ended pretty nicely for the Orange.
The game itself was a typical bruising match-up between these two schools. Syracuse jumped out to a quick 13-0 lead, but the margin varied between 4 and 14 throughout. Despite being 0-6 in conference play, Pitt put up a very good fight. In fact, the Panthers absolutely dominated Syracuse on the boards with a 38-24 edge, suggesting that rebounding may very well be a vulnerability for the Syracuse team. Syracuse allowed Pitt to get 18 offensive rebounds. Pitt also featured a balanced attack with 5 players scoring either 9 or 10 points. This team is much better than its recent record would suggest.
As usual, Syracuse was well-balanced too, with 5 players in double-figures. Dion Waiters led the Orange with 16 points. Also, Syracuse had the rare double double-double. Fab Melo had 10 points and 10 rebounds (as well as 6 blocked shots). Senior guard Scoopy Jardine has 12 points and 10 assists.
Another big edge for Syracuse was at the free throw line, where the Orange were 20-23 for an 87.0% clip. Pitt struggled by making only 12 of their 23 free-throws. The margin of victory? 8 points–the exact amount reflected in the free throw shooting.
Kris Joseph for the easy two. Photo courtesy of the Syraucse Post-Standard at Syracuse.com
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