University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
Syracuse
Men's Basketball Stops No. 23 Syracuse, 75-63
2/10/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb 10, 2002
By CONNOR ENNIS
Associated Press Writer
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - Pittsburgh's comeback from a 14-point deficit amazed even Panthers coach Ben Howland.
"He was speechless," Brandin Knight said after Pittsburgh made that second-half comeback and beat No. 23 Syracuse 75-63 Sunday. "He really didn't have much to say."
The Panthers made their statement on the court.
Knight scored 11 of his 16 points over the final 5:34 as the Panthers, who were down by 14 with 13:32 left, rallied to win in the Carrier Dome for the first time since March 2, 1997.
Knight, the Panthers' leading scorer, was held in check most of the game. He hit two 3-pointers, made two free throws and had a layup off a steal in a 16-6 run for Pittsburgh (21-4, 9-3 Big East). He also led the Panthers with nine assists.
"He looked like the best point guard in the Big East, to me, today," Howland said.
Preston Shumpert had 28 points for Syracuse (18-7, 7-4), which lost for the fifth time in seven games.
Syracuse led 47-33 with 13:32 left before Pittsburgh went on a 12-0 run, capped by Chevon Troutman's short pull-up on a fast break to make it 47-45 with 10:02 left.
The teams traded baskets over the next several minutes before Ontario Lett scored to give the Panthers a 51-50 lead with 7:05 left, their first since about three minutes into the game.
Lett's basket started a 16-6 run that gave Pittsburgh a 65-56 lead with 3:36 left.
During their comeback, the Panthers were able to disrupt the Orangemen on both offense and defense, creating plenty of fast break opportunities for themselves and causing Syracuse to rush shots.
"When we got down, I thought we got more aggressive," Howland said. "We said, 'The hell with this, we're going to play."'
Pittsburgh's physical advantage also showed in the second half.
Pittsburgh beat Syracuse 72-57 in the season's previous meeting between the teams thanks to a 43-18 rebounding edge and Julius Page's outside shooting.
On Sunday, the Orangemen stayed with the taller, more physical Panthers on the boards for one half but Pittsburgh took control in the second and finished with a 37-27 rebounding advantage, 21-11 in the second half.
Page was limited to eight points but hit a crucial 3-pointer, right after the two 3-pointers by Knight, during the late run that put the game away for Pittsburgh.
"We battled them even in the first half and as long we were battling them even on the boards we were in the ballgame," Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said. "(In the first half), we did a good job on the boards, the second half we didn't and that really was the difference, those 10 rebounds.
"When it got close they hit three straight 3s and won the ballgame. You have to give them credit, they played better than we did today."
With Syracuse leading 23-20 with 6:57 remaining in the first half, the Orangemen went on an 8-0 run to take a 31-20 lead.
Pittsburgh got the deficit back into single digits before the half after Lett scored off an offensive rebound and had a dunk to make the score 33-25 at halftime.
