Syracuse Men’s Basketball Drops Close Game to Pitt

Syracuse men’s basketball lost for the second time this week, falling 77-73 to Pitt on Sunday at the JMA Wireless Dome.

The Orange started out fast, making their first five shots and jumping out to a 13-4 lead before the first media timeout. However, Syracuse’s shooting quickly dried up from there. The Orange went 8-25 (32%) from the field the rest of the half.

Pitt didn’t shoot well in the first half, going just 10-30 (33%) from the field and 2-9 (22%) from three. However, the Panthers got to the free throw line a lot, going 10-11 (91%) from the charity stripe in the first half. The Orange went into halftime up one.

Syracuse’s shooting woes continued in the second half. The Orange shot under 40% from the field, while Pitt went 18-31 (58%) in the half. Junior forward Guillermo Diaz Graham buried a 3-pointer to give the Panthers the lead early in the second half, and Syracuse couldn’t get even ever again. Every time the Orange got a bucket to make it close, Pitt would answer with a bucket of its own.

Eddie Lampkin Jr. steps to the line to take a free throw. Photo Credit: Jake Lazarus

Graduate center Eddie Lampkin, Jr. had a career-high 23 rebounds. It was Syracuse’s first 20-rebound game since Jesse Edwards on March 4, 2023 vs. Wake Forest. Lampkin also had 10 points for his eighth double-double of the season and fifth in the last six games.

Despite Lampkin’s performance and winning the rebounding battle 48-31, Syracuse head coach Adrian “Red” Autry thought the Orange didn’t do enough on the glass.

Eddie Lampkin Jr. and a Pitt player battle for rebound positioning. Photo Credit: Jake Lazarus

“We didn’t get the rebounds we needed to get,” he said. “It’s very frustrating because it’s something that we work on.”

Syracuse (9-11, 3-6 ACC) looks to avoid its first three-game losing streak of the Autry era when it travels out west to play Stanford on Wednesday. Tipoff is set for 11 p.m. ET.