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Last time out against No. 15 Florida State, Syracuse was on the ropes in the third quarter. FSU started the second half on an 8-0 run and led by as many as 18 points.

Five days earlier, SU trailed by as many as 19 points in the third before completing the largest comeback of the Felisha Legette-Jack era, defeating Clemson 83-82. Thursday, the Orange, with a new-look lineup, chipped away throughout the third frame to cut FSU’s lead down to eight.

Then, like it did against Clemson, everything clicked for Syracuse in the fourth quarter. The Orange began the quarter on a 9-0 run, helping them take their first lead since the second quarter. A pair of late 3-pointers from Dyaisha Fair, whose nine 3s set a single-game program record, helped lift SU to a 79-73 win over FSU. The victory marked Syracuse’s second over an AP top-25 team and kept it undefeated at home.

Next, the Orange travel to face Pitt Sunday. The Panthers have gone winless in Atlantic Coast Conference play thus far, losing five consecutive games to Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Louisville and Boston College.

Here’s everything to know about Pittsburgh (6-12, 0-5 ACC) before it hosts Syracuse (15-2, 5-1 ACC):

All-time series

Syracuse leads 51-16.

Last time they played…

In SU’s last regular-season game of the 2022-23 campaign, it traveled to Pitt looking to boost its NCAA Tournament resume. The Orange and Panthers had a back-and-forth first quarter but Syracuse dominated the second frame, taking a 14-point lead into halftime.

Behind Fair, who scored 23 points and shot 7-for-10 from 3, SU broke the game open in the second half, defeating Pitt 85-55. The win marked Syracuse’s 24th consecutive victory over Pittsburgh.

The Panthers report

After starting the season 6-7 in nonconference play, Pitt has lost its last five games, all against ACC teams. Last season, the Panthers finished 3-15 in conference play — the worst record in the ACC.

Amber Brown, Pitt’s leading scorer from a year ago, transferred to St. John’s for her graduate season. Despite Brown’s departure, the Panthers have been better offensively this season than last, improving from the 207th most points per game in 2022-23 to 167th in Division I this season, per HerHoopStats.

The Panthers had no scorers average 10 or more points per game last season, but their offense has been powered by breakout senior Liatu King (19.3 points per game) and sophomore Aislin Malcolm (10.3) in 2023-24. Even with its improved offense, Pitt’s defensive struggles have carried over from 2022-23. After surrendering 68.6 points per game last season, opponents are scoring 68.1 on average thus far — 249th most in D-I.

How Syracuse beats Pittsburgh

Like their last two games, the Orange have gone through stretches where they’ve struggled in the first half and needed to overcome large deficits in the second. While SU has been an incredible second-half team and will likely beat Pitt if it does fall behind, starting fast can help put the game away early.

Against a team that struggles to put the ball in the basket and corral defensive stops, Syracuse needs to ensure it doesn’t play down to its competition and give Pittsburgh early momentum to pull off an upset.

Stat to know: 24 straight

The last time the Panthers beat the Orange, no player on either team had graduated from elementary school.

Pitt defeated SU 67-55 on Dec. 8, 2005, but it hasn’t gotten the better of the Orange since then. Syracuse and Pittsburgh had an over four-year hiatus where they didn’t face each other. But since Feb. 2, 2010, the teams have faced 24 times, with SU winning all 24 contests — its largest-active winning streak against any program.

Player to watch: Liatu King, forward, No. 2

Throughout every season King has played for the Panthers, she has continuously gotten better and received more opportunities. King is averaging a career-high 19.3 points per game while playing a career-high 35.3 minutes per game as a senior.

Despite Pitt’s loss, King had the best game of her career against Notre Dame on Jan. 4. King scored 34 points, doing what she does best — dominating inside. She was 13-for-18 from the field (all 2-pointers) and made 8-of-11 free throws.

Even in Izabel Varejão’s absence, SU forwards Kyra Wood, Alyssa Latham and Saniaa Wilson have played well on both sides of the court. With or without Varejão — whose timetable for return is unknown — Syracuse’s forwards need to be at their best to contain King, who averages the fifth-most points per game in the ACC.

Published on January 20, 2024 at 4:31 pm

Contact Justin: justingirshon@gmail.com | @JustinGirshon