The Pitt Panthers are looking to try to build some late season momentum. Over the weekend, Pitt snapped a four-game losing steak with a 74-65 win over Miami. The Panthers will look to stack another win on top of that as they welcome Syracuse to town for a 7:00 p.m. tip at the Petersen Events Center tonight.
Pitt used a methodical approach to slowly break away from the Hurricanes, and did so without starting point guard Jaland Lowe. The Panthers received a stat-steet-stuffing performance from Ishmael Leggett, who delivered 21 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and four steals with his backcourt mate sidelined with an injury. Pitt also received 17 points from Cam Corhen, and 11 from Zack Austin.
Perhaps more surprisingly, the Panthers got a 14-point boost from Amsal Delalic, and fellow freshmen Brandin Cummings chipped in 11 in his second career starting assignment. Both freshmen were instrumental in the Panthers’ ending the losing streak. Pitt head coach Jeff Capel confirmed on Monday that Lowe will be available for tonight’s game, thus giving the Panthers a little more depth, as only five players accounted for all 74 points scored against Miami.
The Panthers defeated Syracuse 77-74 back on January 25th behind 22 points from Lowe. In that game, Pitt played a steady second half to slowly pull away from the Orange. Still, Syracuse gave Pitt some trouble, with big man Eddie Lampkin putting up an epic 23-rebound performance in that January meeting.
Lampkin, the ACC’s third leading rebounder, as well as junior guard JJ Starling make a formidable 1-2 punch for head coach Adrian Autry, but Syracuse is just 11-15 this season and have lost three out of four entering tonight.
Can Pitt secure a much-needed win to improve to 16-10 on the season? The Panther-Lair.com staff gives their picks.
Stephen Gertz (16-9, 9-16 ATS) - The last time around, the Pittsburgh Panthers benefited from J.J. Starling battling early foul trouble and only committing three turnovers. But they also allowed Eddie Lampkin Jr. to haul in a career-high 23 rebounds, including eight on the offensive end. While Pitt may not be able to rely on drawing fouls on Starling, they should be able to keep their turnovers down. The Syracuse Orange are one of the worst teams in the country at creating steals and forcing turnovers in general. The Panthers need to have a better plan against Lampkin Jr. this time around. Also, Damian Dunn played some key minutes after Pitt shifted from their two big lineup in their first meeting. Obviously, they will not have Dunn this time around. But even without him, the Panthers just need to play their game, defend the three-point line a little better, keep Lampkin Jr. from dominating the glass, and they should win at home.
Prediction: Pitt 74-65
Jim Hammett (19-6, 14-11 ATS) - When these two teams met in January, Pitt won the game by four points, but the lead for the Panthers never extended beyond single digits. Syracuse also led a good portion of that game as well, so when looking at tonight's line of 10.5, I'm not sure if I would pick Pitt to cover it. This just feels like a game where I think Pitt will win, but I think it might have a better chance to be close like the first meeting. The key for Pitt is to obviously not let Eddie Lampkin grab 23 rebounds and control the paint once again. The Panthers should also look to get out in transition a bit more to make him work. In a perfect world, Jaland Lowe returns engaged and blends into some of the good things they did on Saturday. Pitt has more scoring options if the depth can get involved and I think that should be enough to pull away in the end.
Prediction: Pitt 75-68
Matt Steinbrink (18-7, 9-16 ATS) - It is not easy to sweep teams in your conference, but this Syracuse team is in a rough spot. Jaland Lowe is back for this one, and I have a feeling that sitting one out may help him. The Panthers got nice efforts from Cummings and Delalic on Saturday, and that could be the boost that gives this team new energy down the stretch. It would be hard to believe Lampkin dominating the glass like he did last time, so I think Pitt methodically takes control of the game and takes care of business.
Prediction: Pitt 78-66
Houston Wilson (18-7, 12-13 ATS) - Pitt has a prime chance to pick up a much-needed win against a struggling Syracuse squad. Pitt will get a boost with Jaland Lowe expected back in the lineup, a key addition for Jeff Capel’s team. With their NCAA Tournament hopes hanging in the balance, this is a game Pitt simply can't afford to drop. Syracuse has struggled to find consistency, making this a must-win for Pitt to stay in the postseason conversation. Capel’s squad needs to capitalize on this opportunity to gain momentum and that should happen.
Prediction: Pitt 82-71
Chris Peak (18-7, 12-13 ATS) - Pitt has earned a season sweep over Syracuse three times since joining the ACC, with the most recent coming two years ago. I say the number gets to four with another win for the Panthers tonight. I don’t expect Pitt to do much better on the boards in this game than the Panthers did the last time they faced the Orange, but I do think Pitt will repeat something they did well in that game and limit Syracuse’s second-chance scoring. I’m also going to be an optimist and predict that some of the lessons from Saturday’s win over Miami were learned by the players on the court, the coaches and Jaland Lowe, who watched that one from the sideline. I think Lowe will make a positive impact in his return to the lineup, and I think we’ll see a balanced scoring attack lead to a Pitt win.
Prediction: Pitt 83-71
