Syracuse 77, Pittsburgh 61: Orange emerge in second half effort

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team ended a three-game losing skid, handling the Pittsburgh Panthers by a final score of 77-61 inside the Carrier Dome. Syracuse led by just one at the half, but the defense stepped up in the second half, allowing just 27 Pittsburgh points.

The Syracuse offense started off strong behind Jimmy Boeheim and Jesse Edwards. The two front-line players scored five points each by the first media timeout and although the defense continued to lag, Syracuse held a slight 10-8 lead at the first media timeout.

As the half wore on, Pittsburgh lost track of Buddy Boehiem. A screen on the left wing gave him as open of a look as he’s had in the last four…