Saturday, February 25
Pittsburgh, PA
5 PM
Pitt
21-8,14-4ACC
99
vs
82
Syracuse
16-13,9-9ACC
1
2
F
Syracuse
33
49
82
Pittsburgh
37
62
99
Photo by: Alex Mowrey/Pitt Athletics
Pitt Moves Into Top Spot in ACC with 99-82 Win Over Syracuse
2/25/2023 8:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PITTSBURGH – Pitt used a dominating second-half performance in front of raucous sellout crowd at the Petersen Events Center en route to a 99-82 win over Syracuse Saturday evening. The Panthers scored a season-best 62 second half points (tied for fifth most in program history) as six different players reached double figures in scoring.
With the victory, Pitt improved to 21-8 overall and 14-4 in the ACC. The Panthers are now atop the ACC standings as they head into the final week of the season looking to secure the first ACC regular season championship in program history.
Blake Hinson knocked down six three-pointers and finished with 22 points and six rebounds, while Greg Elliott went 5-of-6 from three and scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half. Nelly Cummings added 14 points and 13 assists for his first career double-double and Jamarius Burton stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists.
Federiko Federiko was 5-of-5 from the field and 4.-of-6 from the foul line during a 14-points, 6-rebound effort. Nike Sibande helped ignite the second half run with a pair of threes and a highlight reel dunk while scoring eight of his 10 points early in the second half.
The Panthers shot a blistering 63.6 percent (21-of-33) from the field and made 11 three-point field goals after halftime.
Pitt jumped out to a 37-33 halftime lead despite shooting 31.4 percent (11-of-35) from the field in the opening 20-minutes. The Panthers took advantage on the offensive glass converting 12 offensive boards into 15 second chance points. Federiko and Burton both grabbed four rebounds on the offensive end of the floor and the team extended its consecutive made free throws streak to 28 with a 10-of-10 effort from the charity stripe.
Burton delivered eight points, eight rebounds, and two assists, while backcourt mate Cummings added eight points, three rebounds, and four assists. Cummings knocked down three free throws with 5.5 seconds left in the half and the Panthers got a stop on the Orange's last possession to enter the break with a four-point advantage.
Hinson knocked down three three-pointers in the opening half, while coming off the bench on Senior Night, but Pitt managed to go just 5-of-21 (.238) from beyond the arc in the first half.
Syracuse got 12 points from Joseph Girard III and 11 points from Benny Williams to stay within striking distance in the opening 20 minutes.
Pitt came out firing in the second half making three of its first five three-point attempts to grab a 10-point lead on a Nike Sibande wing three. Following a circus layup by Quadir Copeland, Sibande nearly took to roof off the Petersen Events Center with a lob dunk off an underneath out of bounds play following the under 16 timeout. Sibande added three-pointer at the 14:30 mark to counter a three-point play by Jesse Edwards and five the Panthers a 53-43 lead.
Cummings hit Pitt's 10th three of the game and finished off a four-point play for a 57-45 advantage with 14 minutes remaining. Pitt continued to counter each push by Syracuse with an efficient offensive attack and extended its lead to 73-58 at the 9:47 mark on a fast break dunk by Federiko.
Syracuse chipped away and got to within nine points at the 8:33 mark on a Judah Mintz three. Elliott countered with a three and Hinson capped an 8-0 run with his sixth three of the night at the 5:21 mark to once again send the Oakland Zoo into a frenzy.
Elliott broke the back of the Syracuse press with two more dagger threes and Pitt continued to make the right play down the stretch to close out the Orange.
The Panthers finished the night with a season-best 27 assists, including 19 assists on 21 made field goals after intermission.
Williams finished with 24 points and nine rebounds to lead Syracuse, going 5-of-6 from three-point range after entering the game with just 10 threes on the season. Girard added 19 points, while Jesse Edwards (17 points) and Mintz (16) also scored in double figures.
TOPPING 90 = WINS
Pitt's 99 points matched the most scored during Jeff Capel's tenure in Oakland. It was the seventh time the Panthers have scored 90 or more points in a game in the past five seasons and is the most in the an ACC game under Capel. The previous high was 96 points scored at the Petersen Events Center against Syracuse Jan. 13, 2021.
NEW MARK FROM THREE
Pitt made 16 threes in the game to set a new team single-season mark with 274 three-point field goals. The 16 threes is tied for third most in program history as the Panthers have made 16 or more threes in a game three times this season.
CUMMINGS HAS MEMORABLE NIGHT IN FRONT OF HOME CROWD
Cummings, a Midland, Pa., native finished off Senior Night in memorable fashion with his first career double-double (14 points, 13 assists). His career-high 13 assists are tied for the seventh most in program history.
HINSON HITS MILESTONES
Hinson surpassed the 1,000-point mark in his career and now has 1,007 points in 89 career games. He now has 80 three-point field goals on the season, tied for seventh most in a season at Pitt.
SENIOR NIGHT SUCCESS
Pitt honored graduates Jamarius Burton, Nelly Cummings, Greg Elliott, Aidan Fisch and Nike Sibande. The group combined for 59 points, 18 rebounds, 24 assists, and 10 made threes. On a night when the Oakland Zoo and Petersen Events Center was at full roar throughout the second half there was no more electric moment then when Fisch, a former manager turned walk-on turned scholarship player, scored a driving left-hand layup with 14 seconds remaining and the shot clock winding down.
UP NEXT
Pitt closes out the regular season with a pair of road games next week beginning with a trip to Notre Dame Wednesday, March 1. The Panthers face Miami in Coral Gables, Fla. Saturday, March 4 in a game that will help determine the ACC regular season champion.
With the victory, Pitt improved to 21-8 overall and 14-4 in the ACC. The Panthers are now atop the ACC standings as they head into the final week of the season looking to secure the first ACC regular season championship in program history.
Blake Hinson knocked down six three-pointers and finished with 22 points and six rebounds, while Greg Elliott went 5-of-6 from three and scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half. Nelly Cummings added 14 points and 13 assists for his first career double-double and Jamarius Burton stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists.
Federiko Federiko was 5-of-5 from the field and 4.-of-6 from the foul line during a 14-points, 6-rebound effort. Nike Sibande helped ignite the second half run with a pair of threes and a highlight reel dunk while scoring eight of his 10 points early in the second half.
The Panthers shot a blistering 63.6 percent (21-of-33) from the field and made 11 three-point field goals after halftime.
Pitt jumped out to a 37-33 halftime lead despite shooting 31.4 percent (11-of-35) from the field in the opening 20-minutes. The Panthers took advantage on the offensive glass converting 12 offensive boards into 15 second chance points. Federiko and Burton both grabbed four rebounds on the offensive end of the floor and the team extended its consecutive made free throws streak to 28 with a 10-of-10 effort from the charity stripe.
Burton delivered eight points, eight rebounds, and two assists, while backcourt mate Cummings added eight points, three rebounds, and four assists. Cummings knocked down three free throws with 5.5 seconds left in the half and the Panthers got a stop on the Orange's last possession to enter the break with a four-point advantage.
Hinson knocked down three three-pointers in the opening half, while coming off the bench on Senior Night, but Pitt managed to go just 5-of-21 (.238) from beyond the arc in the first half.
Syracuse got 12 points from Joseph Girard III and 11 points from Benny Williams to stay within striking distance in the opening 20 minutes.
Pitt came out firing in the second half making three of its first five three-point attempts to grab a 10-point lead on a Nike Sibande wing three. Following a circus layup by Quadir Copeland, Sibande nearly took to roof off the Petersen Events Center with a lob dunk off an underneath out of bounds play following the under 16 timeout. Sibande added three-pointer at the 14:30 mark to counter a three-point play by Jesse Edwards and five the Panthers a 53-43 lead.
Cummings hit Pitt's 10th three of the game and finished off a four-point play for a 57-45 advantage with 14 minutes remaining. Pitt continued to counter each push by Syracuse with an efficient offensive attack and extended its lead to 73-58 at the 9:47 mark on a fast break dunk by Federiko.
Syracuse chipped away and got to within nine points at the 8:33 mark on a Judah Mintz three. Elliott countered with a three and Hinson capped an 8-0 run with his sixth three of the night at the 5:21 mark to once again send the Oakland Zoo into a frenzy.
Elliott broke the back of the Syracuse press with two more dagger threes and Pitt continued to make the right play down the stretch to close out the Orange.
The Panthers finished the night with a season-best 27 assists, including 19 assists on 21 made field goals after intermission.
Williams finished with 24 points and nine rebounds to lead Syracuse, going 5-of-6 from three-point range after entering the game with just 10 threes on the season. Girard added 19 points, while Jesse Edwards (17 points) and Mintz (16) also scored in double figures.
TOPPING 90 = WINS
Pitt's 99 points matched the most scored during Jeff Capel's tenure in Oakland. It was the seventh time the Panthers have scored 90 or more points in a game in the past five seasons and is the most in the an ACC game under Capel. The previous high was 96 points scored at the Petersen Events Center against Syracuse Jan. 13, 2021.
NEW MARK FROM THREE
Pitt made 16 threes in the game to set a new team single-season mark with 274 three-point field goals. The 16 threes is tied for third most in program history as the Panthers have made 16 or more threes in a game three times this season.
CUMMINGS HAS MEMORABLE NIGHT IN FRONT OF HOME CROWD
Cummings, a Midland, Pa., native finished off Senior Night in memorable fashion with his first career double-double (14 points, 13 assists). His career-high 13 assists are tied for the seventh most in program history.
HINSON HITS MILESTONES
Hinson surpassed the 1,000-point mark in his career and now has 1,007 points in 89 career games. He now has 80 three-point field goals on the season, tied for seventh most in a season at Pitt.
SENIOR NIGHT SUCCESS
Pitt honored graduates Jamarius Burton, Nelly Cummings, Greg Elliott, Aidan Fisch and Nike Sibande. The group combined for 59 points, 18 rebounds, 24 assists, and 10 made threes. On a night when the Oakland Zoo and Petersen Events Center was at full roar throughout the second half there was no more electric moment then when Fisch, a former manager turned walk-on turned scholarship player, scored a driving left-hand layup with 14 seconds remaining and the shot clock winding down.
UP NEXT
Pitt closes out the regular season with a pair of road games next week beginning with a trip to Notre Dame Wednesday, March 1. The Panthers face Miami in Coral Gables, Fla. Saturday, March 4 in a game that will help determine the ACC regular season champion.
Team Stats
SU
UP
FG%
.500
.471
3FG%
.563
.390
FT%
.708
.864
RB
31
37
TO
11
5
STL
2
6
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
22
FGM
6
3FGM
6
FTM
4
Pts
19
FGM
5
3FGM
5
FTM
4
Pts
14
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
4
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's Basketball
G
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