Panthers Travel to Syracuse for Tuesday Night ACC Battle

Pitt (6-9, 1-3 ACC) at Syracuse (7-8, 1-3 ACC)
Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022 • 7:00 PM
Syracuse, N.Y. • Carrier Dome
ESPNU • 93.7 The Fan

The Opening Tip
• Pitt is on the road at the Carrier Dome to face Syracuse Tuesday, Jan. 11. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. with Mike Couzens and Dan Bonner calling the game on ESPNU.
• Pitt is coming off a fourth consecutive league game decided by three points or fewer. The Panthers are the first team in ACC history to have its first four conference games decided by three points or fewer. Syracuse has had three of its four ACC games decided by three points or fewer.
• The Panthers lead the NCAA in free throw rate (46.9 percent) and are one of just nine schools with a free throw rate above 40.0 percent. Pitt is also third in the NCAA with 25.6 percent of its points coming from the free throw line.
• John Hugley is averaging 20.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game, while going 16-of-30 (.520) from the field and 26-of-34 (.765) from the foul line over the past three contests.
• Jamarius Burton has scored in double figures in each of the past eight games and is averaging 15.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in that span. He has scored 15 or more points in four of the past eight contests.
• Mouhamadou Gueye is 10-of-22 (.455) from three-point range and is averaging 13.0 points per game over the past five contests.
• Femi Odukale has scored in double figures in three of the past four games and is averaging 14.8 points per game in that span.

By The Numbers
• John Hugley has scored in double figures a team-best 11 times, including five games with 20 or more points. He leads Pitt in scoring (15.7 ppg.), rebounds (8.2 rpg.), offensive rebounds (43), field goals (74), field goal attempts (160), free throws made (83), free throw attempts (116) and double-doubles (5).
• Jamarius Burton has scored 15 or more points in four of the past six games and is averaging a team-best 16.2 points to go along with 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game in that stretch.
• John Hugley ranks 10th in the NCAA in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (7.3) and free throw rate (72.5 pct.). He drew 13 fouls and set career highs for free throws made (15) and attempted (20) in Pitt's last outing.
• Mouhamadou Gueye is averaging 10.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in nine games when playing 25 minutes or more. He has scored in double figures and blocked two or more shots in seven of the 10 contests.
• Femi Odukale ranks 17th in the NCAA and third among major conference players in free throw rate (69.2 pct.). He also ranks among the ACC leaders in free throw attempts (4th - 90) and made free throws (T-6th - 57).
• Pitt's sophomore class - Noah Collier, John Hugley, William Jeffress and Femi Odukale - combines to average 34.4 points and 18.7 rebounds per game for the Panthers. Odukale (32.0), Jeffress (29.8 mpg.) and Hugley (29.3 mpg.) are three of the top four Panthers in minutes played per game and have combined to make 41 starts.
• Jamarius Burton is averaging 12.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in a team-high 33.9 minutes per game in 13 games played. He has scored 10+ points in each of the past eight games and 36 times in his career. Burton is nine points shy of passing the 800-point mark for his career.
• John Hugley has gotten to the free throw line 89 times in the past 10 games, including a career-best 20 times in the win over Boston College. He leads the league in free throw attempts (7.7 ftapg.) and free throws made (5.5 ftmpg.), while shooting 72.6 percent (83-of-116) from the charity stripe.
• Femi Odukale is averaging 15.6 points per game in contests he makes at least one three-point field goal. He has scored in double figures in six of the seven games this season when he has made a three-pointer.
• Pitt has more made free throws (240) than its opponents have attempted (235) on the season. The Panthers lead the ACC with 23.6 free throw attempts per game and have outscored the opposition by 78 points from the free throw line.
• The Panthers have been outrebounded just one time this season. Pitt ranks third in the ACC in rebounding margin (+4.93) with the starting frontcourt of John Hugley (8.2 rpg.), Mouhamadou Gueye (5.6 rpg.) and William Jeffress (4.7 rpg.) combining for 51.1 percent of the team's rebounds.
• Pitt is averaging 24.2 points in the paint and 16.0 points from the foul line per game. Interior scoring and foul shots have accounted for 64.5 percent (604-of-936) of the team's points this season.
• The Panthers are looking to snap a seven-game ACC road losing streak. Pitt's last conference road win was a 63-60 come-from-behind victory at Syracuse Jan. 6, 2021. The Panthers overcame a 14-point halftime deficit in last season's win at the Carrier Dome.
• Seven of the past nine Pitt games have been decided by three points or fewer. The Panthers are 3-4 this season in one-score games.
• Pitt leads the NCAA with 23.6 free throw attempts per game. The tandem of John Hugley (116) and Femi Odukale (90) has combined for 206 of the team's 354 free throw attempts.

Panther Spotlights
• John Hugley leads the NCAA in free throw attempts (116), while also ranking fourth in made free throws (83). He is 33-of-42 (.786) from the free throw stripe in conference play.
• Jamarius Burton has made 24 consecutive free throws and is 38-of-42 (.905) from the foul line for the season. He is shooting 97.1 percent (34-of-35) from the line over the past 10 games.

Panthers Travel to Syracuse for Tuesday Night ACC Battle

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Players Mentioned

Jamarius Burton

Noah Collier

Mouhamadou Gueye

John Hugley IV

William Jeffress

Femi Odukale