Syracuse Basketball: Orange shows it can win even when its shooting is off

Syracuse basketball withstood a furious Pittsburgh rally to boost its winning streak to five games, and the Orange has a big week ahead.

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.

That the ‘Cuse gave back virtually all of its sizable advantage is a tad frustrating, but it’s equally impressive that Syracuse proved able to gut out a victory, particularly at home, where the Orange had fallen on several occasions in recent weeks.

Despite a lackluster non-conference performance, the ‘Cuse (13-7, 6-3) has now captured five-consecutive affairs and sits alone in fourth place in the muddled ACC standings. Syracuse has also defeated Pittsburgh six instances in a row, and that’s an achievement, because in the past the Panthers had owned the Orange for a period of time.

While the ‘Cuse committed way too many unforced miscues, it prevailed in the rebounding department versus a physical Panthers crew. Syracuse continues to improve on the boards, and it’s no surprise that this factoid aligns with the Orange’s recent success.

Sophomore guard Buddy Boeheim finished with 21 points, but he did most of his damage in the first half, collecting 18 points, and the ‘Cuse desperately needed his production, because Hughes didn’t score until the second stanza.

Furthermore, although Hughes and Boeheim get a lot of the attention for their point-production prowess, can we begin talking about junior forward Marek Dolezaj as Syracuse’s MVP? He tallied 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists against Pittsburgh (13-7, 4-5). Dolezaj is just so, so solid and dependable.

Throw in 10 points and eight boards from freshman forward Quincy Guerrier, and the Orange has become a balanced scoring attack, with paint points coming more and more frequently. That will serve the ‘Cuse well as it completes its league calendar.

Speaking of that, Syracuse this week will travel to Clemson on Tuesday, and then the Orange hosts powerhouse program Duke on Saturday in a prime-time encounter.

The ‘Cuse has work to do before re-entering the conversation for a March Madness invite, but momentum is on its side, and Syracuse possesses a pair of crucial opportunities over the next seven days to bolster its post-season resume.