This has proven a rough 2024-25 season for Syracuse basketball to date. There's no other way to slice it.
And I'm not really going to get into moral victories here. I don't see the point. Yet at the same time, even though the Orange lost at home by four points to long-time rival Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon, by and large, I thought the 'Cuse roster played pretty well.
Syracuse basketball, for the sixth straight game, was minus injured freshman power forward Donnie Freeman. Graduate student center Eddie Lampkin Jr. went full beast mode against the Panthers, and several other Orange players had solid performances.
Syracuse basketball, at home, fought tough against Pittsburgh but loses, 77-73. J.J. Starling with 16 points. Eddie Lampkin Jr. with 23 rebounds. Up next, 'Cuse (9-11, 3-6 in the ACC) will head to Stanford on Wednesday night. Thoughts on today's game?
— InsideTheLoudHouse (@LoudHouseFS) January 25, 2025
In his post-game press conference, after Syracuse basketball fell 77-73 to Pitt at the JMA Wireless Dome, head coach Adrian Autry acknowledged that his players battled hard. "I talked to the guys about toughness," Autry said. "Toughness at the time that plays needed to be made. They made them. We didn’t. ... And that was the difference in the game."
Syracuse basketball hung tough with a quality foe but couldn't close Pittsburgh out.
Entering Saturday's Atlantic Coast Conference clash, the Panthers had struggled of late, having lost four consecutive affairs. Yet Pitt (13-6, 4-4 in the ACC) still resides inside the top 40 of the NCAA NET rankings and is a legit contender to hear its name called on Selection Sunday for the 2025 Big Dance.
The 'Cuse (9-11, 3-6 in the ACC) absolutely had its chances to conquer the Panthers, a group that Syracuse basketball now leads 75-51 in their all-time series together. The Orange held a massive 48-31 margin on the glass, buoyed by a ridiculous 23 boards from Lampkin.
I'm stating the obvious, since the 'Cuse only lost by four points, but not a lot separated these two teams on Saturday in Central New York. Pittsburgh led 38-30 in paint points, 10-4 in points off turnovers and 13-10 in fast-break points.
Additionally, in such a tight contest, the Orange's empty possessions due to miscues loomed large. The Panthers only committed three turnovers, as compared to 11 for Syracuse basketball. Also, Pittsburgh scored seven more points at the free-throw line. That was big.
For the 'Cuse, Lampkin notched 10 points to go along with his 23 rebounds. He produced his fifth double-double over the last six games.
Junior guard J.J. Starling had 16 points, junior small forward Chris Bell and senior wing Lucas Taylor chipped in 12 points each, and freshman forward Petar Majstorovic collected 10 points.
Up next, Syracuse basketball travels to the west coast to face Stanford on the road, with the tip-off scheduled for 11 pm on Wednesday, Jan. 29, with television coverage on ESPN2.