Pitt upsets Syracuse 64-53 to snap two-game skid

Pitt and Syracuse met for the second time this season at the Petersen Events Center on Tuesday night, and after a 77-61 loss at the Carrier Dome on Jan. 11, the Panthers had vengeance on their minds. And despite a slow start, they would surge in the second half to knock off the Orange 64-53.

Neither team looked especially inspiring early in the game, as Pitt and Syracuse exchanged missed shots to kick things off. However, Cole Swider got the ball rolling with a triple, and Onye Ezeakudo answered with a three of his own to tie the game early. But from there, the Pitt offense would stagnate, and Syracuse would go on a 10-1 run to make it 13-4.

That slow start by the Panthers was the result of a…