Syracuse and Pitt conclude disappointing regular seasons Saturday when the Orange host the Panthers in ACC action.
The Orange (15-15, 6-11 ACC) are limping to the finish line with four straight defeats, including a 77-62 setback against Louisville on Tuesday. Naithan George scored 16 points and Nate Kingz chipped in with 14, but Syracuse shot just 4 of 19 from 3-point range and finished with more turnovers (11) than assists (eight).
The Orange’s top two scorers this season, Donnie Freeman and J.J. Starling, combined to score just 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting. Freeman has failed to reach double figures in three of his last four games, while Starling has finished with single-digit points in four of the last five contests.
“This group has always responded (to the season’s ups and downs), and I expect them to respond again,” said Syracuse coach Adrian Autry.
Pitt (11-19, 4-13) is facing plenty of adversity of its own, having lost seven of its last nine games. Most recently, the team fell 75-74 to Florida State despite Barry Dunning Jr.’s 26 points and 10 rebounds and Damarco Minor’s 10 points and 10 assists.
“Those two guys have shown up every day,” Pitt coach Jeff Capel said. “They’ve had good attitudes about working. I think each of them have grown as young men, I’ve think they’ve grown as players and I think they’ve enjoyed their experience here, although the season hasn’t gone like we thought it would go.”
Dunning and Minor struggled in the first matchup against Syracuse this season, totaling just 13 points on 6-of-17 shooting (1 of 10 from 3-point range). The Panthers shot 5 of 26 from long distance as a team that day in an 83-72 home defeat.
Freeman scored 22 points and Starling had 19 for the Orange, who had lost five of their previous seven meetings with the Panthers.
“When we shoot (10 of 22) from 3, and we lock it in defensively, we’ll give ourselves a chance pretty much every game,” Autry said after the win.
