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Syracuse’s matchup with Pittsburgh Thursday was crucial for both squads. Since the two possessed the same conference record entering the contest, the winning team would clinch its spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. Despite SU’s recent struggles, head coach Felisha Legette-Jack still trusted her players to get there.

“All the things I’m asking them to do (are) the things you can’t coach,” Legette-Jack said Wednesday. “If they can do that, this could be a longer season. If they don’t do that, the season’s over on Sunday.”

The game also gave the Orange a chance to get back on track. On Sunday, SU fell 80-49 to then-No. 11 Duke behind an abysmal offensive showing. Syracuse scored just six points in the second quarter and 19 points in the first half to trail 41-19 at halftime, never recovering.

But Thursday against the Panthers, SU righted the ship, claiming its ACC Tournament berth. Syracuse dominated in the paint offensively, scoring 40 points in the area, while its defense also held strong, forcing 19 turnovers in the win.

Here are some observations from Syracuse’s (11-17, 5-12 ACC) 83-65 win over Pitt (12-18, 4-13 ACC) Thursday:

Paint scoring revives offense

Versus Duke, Syracuse’s struggles were defined by its unbalanced attack. Just Sophie Burrows and Georgia Woolley scored over six points. They combined for more points than SU’s 11 other players combined.

But that was against one of the best defenses in the ACC. Versus Pitt, a middling unit, Syracuse returned to form offensively. While SU’s defense snuffed Pitt early, the Orange got going via makes in the paint. First, Burrows sank a contested lay-in, then Kyra Wood and Saniaa Wilson followed with their own. The Orange led 9-2 early through four makes inside.

Then, Izabel Varejão converted two straight shots under the rim, SU’s 10th point down low. Wood cashed in once more to put the Orange up 34-16 midway through the second off a sprawling pass from Dominique Camp. Syracuse scored 22 points under the rim heading into halftime, allowing it to double its first-half point total versus Duke.

As Pitt cut Syracuse’s lead to just six, SU padded its lead via Woolley and Wood buckets inside. Woolley then dished to Wilson and Varejão to add on twice more from the paint. The fourth was more of the same, with Syracuse’s total reaching 40 paint points, leading to its win.

Faye powers Pitt

Many of Syracuse’s recent opponents haven’t had a marquee scoring threat. And no one player has carried most of the load for an opponent since Nya Robertson’s 28 points for SMU on Jan. 9. But Pittsburgh’s Khadija Faye provided a challenge for the Orange Thursday.

The Dakar, Senegal, native entered the game on a six-game double-double streak and led the Panthers in both points (18.5) and rebounds (10.2) per contest. She started her day against SU by missing three consecutive layups. Faye also didn’t make her first basket until the 25-second mark of the first quarter, after hitting 2-of-2 free throws late in the quarter to get on the board.

But in the second, she began to get her way. As Wood took over as her primary defender, Faye drilled three layups over her to push her to a team-leading 10 points at the break. But because no other Panthers player had more than five points, Syracuse still held a 38-29 advantage.

Faye began the third by going against Varejão and banking in a hook shot, then added a jumper from the free throw line to cut Pitt’s deficit to 54-48 to end the third. She finished with 25 points after three made shots in the fourth, but it wasn’t enough to snatch the win.

SU’s defense shines

Early in the contest, the Orange excelled on defense. To start, Burrows poked the ball away from Faye, followed by Camp tipping an inbounds pass, giving possession to SU. Also in the first quarter, Varejão blocked a Mikayla Johnson shot, and Burrows wrestled the ball away from Pittsburgh.

Through one quarter, SU held the Panthers to just 10 points, forcing four turnovers after Wood stole another near the end of the first. In the second, Syracuse again limited Pitt’s scoring chances. It began with Shy Hawkins knocking the ball loose from Faye inside. Madeline Potts also forced the Panthers’ 10th turnover toward the end of the half, helping the Orange to a 38-29 halftime lead.

To open the third, Woolley forced the ball from Marley Washenitz’s hands, then Wood intercepted a dangerous pass from Brooklynn Miles. This helped the Orange move back to a 12-point lead. And although Pitt moved within four early in the fourth, the Panthers’ 19 turnovers held them to just 65 points in the game.

Hawkins provides depth

After Syracuse’s blowout to Duke, Legette-Jack said Syracuse’s freshmen — Hawkins, Potts, Olivia Schmitt and Keira Scott — needed to step up to win games. SU desperately needed production from another player other than Burrows and Woolley, who still combined for 46 points versus Pitt.

On Thursday, Hawkins rose to the occasion. She didn’t score in the first quarter, but she made her mark in the second. Just a minute in, she canned a jumper, then added an uncontested layup on a fast break to push her to four points.

With six minutes left in the second, Hawkins drilled her first-career triple from the right wing, putting Syracuse up 32-16. She then forced the ball from Faye, turning it into a mid-range jumper on the other end. Hawkins finished the first half with nine points, providing an added boost that SU’s offense desperately needed.

Though Hawkins went scoreless in the second half, her early burst propelled the Orange to victory.

Published on February 27, 2025 at 9:05 pm

Contact Noah: njnussba@syr.edu | @ Noahnuss99