Syracuse basketball, when it connects on a poor percentage from the field, is typically in trouble. But the Orange grinded out a 69-61 triumph on Saturday afternoon inside the Carrier Dome against Pittsburgh, and the ‘Cuse displayed a pivotal ability to take care of business even when its shots didn’t fall at a terrific clip.
Additionally, Syracuse’s and the Atlantic Coast Conference’s leading scorer, redshirt junior forward Elijah Hughes, couldn’t get going until after intermission.
To compound the situation, freshman point guard Joe Girard III struggled a bit, too. The Orange held a 30-10 edge in the first half, yet the Panthers hung around, eventually closing the gap to three points in the contest’s waning minutes.