PITTSBURGH — It was a rarity for Syracuse’s offense. Even without its two-best scorers, the Orange excelled against a strong Pittsburgh defense.

Shot after shot, Tyus Battle and Elijah Hughes came up empty-handed. It didn’t matter whether it came from beyond the arc or on drives inside the paint. The ball continually clanked off the rim.

But the Panthers had an opportunity to bounce back from a four-game losing streak, playing on their home court, where they’ve been much better this season. They struggled to create offense on Saturday night. Syracuse’s role players provided the spark as the Orange wouldn’t relinquish the lead they established nearly four minutes in. Despite an off night from Battle and Hughes, who combined to score just 11 points, Syracuse (16-6, 7-2 Atlantic Coast) cruised to a 65-56 win over Pittsburgh (12-10, 2-7) on the back of Oshae Brissett’s game-high 18 points inside Petersen Events Center.

“I wouldn’t think we would survive a game where Tyus has four points,” SU head coach Jim Boeheim said. “He’s been so consistent for us all year long. He just couldn’t get the ball in the basket.”

With the win, Syracuse has begun to separate itself from comparisons of last year’s team, specifically the narrative that the Orange consistently fail to win easy games on the road. After falling at then-No. 10 Virginia Tech a week ago, SU has responded with back-to-back wins over lesser foes Boston College and Pittsburgh.

Battle did not score in the first half for the third time this season. Hughes made just one basket in the same frame. Battle’s first basket came nearly 29 minutes in, after he missed his first 10 shots. The Orange, however, continued to lead by double digits.

Battle combatted struggles by playing in his newfound role as a point guard. He drove into the lane to open up shooters and found teammates. Buddy Boeheim nailed two 3s, and Frank Howard said that he’s had more room in part due to Battle’s driving. And when defenders didn’t collapse, sticking with the wings, Battle snuck the ball inside to Paschal Chukwu. Battle had five assists while Chukwu made all four of his first-half shots.

Chukwu’s hot start, Boeheim said, led to Pittsburgh keying on the 7-foot-2 big man. That opened an opportunity for Brissett to step up and become the primary scorer.

“He had eight points right away and then he was a non-factor after that,” Boeheim said of Chukwu. “Part of the reason is they stay with him and keep him blocked out, which gives Oshae a chance to drive.”

Brissett shot a perfect 3 for 3 in the first half and grabbed seven rebounds. That offensive success carried into the second half, as the sophomore strung together his best game – shooting wise – in his career. He finished shooting 67 percent from the field, made 75 percent of his free throws and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds.

The turnaround from Brissett shooting-wise comes after Boeheim said his sophomore forward needed to “make a friggin’ layup” after the upset of then-No. 1 Duke. It was once an area he had been dominant in as a freshman but his efficiency changed drastically the year after.

Before Saturday night, Brissett’s struggles largely came when he resorted to outside shots or looked for contact rather than maintaining control and finishing. The result was a poor field-goal percentage and constant criticism from Boeheim about his shot selection.

Recently, however, Brissett knew his shots were not following and that he had been too caught up in drawing fouls. So he started to attack the rim, worrying about finishing first, he said. It started in a blowout loss to Virginia Tech, in a game filled with so many negatives. Brissett was a bright spot, shooting 6-for-13 from the field. The following game, against Boston College, he shot 67 percent inside the arc.

“Just being comfortable around the basket,” Brissett said. “That’s my main focus right now.”

The change in Brissett’s attacking mentality has given Syracuse yet another weapon to its arsenal. It has given Syracuse an inside presence that has been tumultuous due to Chukwu’s inconsistencies. But more importantly, it has given Syracuse the ability to rely on yet another player if Battle or Hughes struggles.

“We are trying to look for (Brissett),” Battle said. “We thought we had a mismatch tonight. They are a lot smaller than us. So we just tried to get him the ball so he could attack, get some layups and get them to foul him.”

By half, Battle and Hughes had combined to shoot 1-of-9 with just three total points. The rest of the Syracuse team had shot 75 percent from the field en route to a 35-22 lead over the Panthers.

The second half cued a Pittsburgh comeback. The Orange regressed offensively, shooting 32 percent from the field and turning the ball over seven times. SU’s sloppiness allowed Pitt to push transition and consistently find an open Terrell Brown around the rim. The big man shot 7 for 11 and scored 14 points in the second half.

As the Panthers chipped away at the lead, the stands began to shake. The fans clad in yellow “Oakland Zoo” shirts jumped up and down, screaming. After Brown’s putback fell through, the SU lead had been cut to just one possession.

Syracuse had rarely been in this position all season. Never had the Orange led by double digits only to blow the lead and game. They were normally on the opposite end of comebacks, turning double-digit deficits against Georgetown, Notre Dame and Duke into wins.

Battle’s first basket came at an optimal time. Nearly 29 minutes in, the junior guard drove into the paint and floated the ball in to give SU a seven-point lead. After a response by Brown, Frank Howard grabbed the ball on the left wing.

Howard let go of a 3 as the SU bench joined him in watching the ball arc toward the net. He nailed it and celebrations ensued. A rare silence amid a Pittsburgh run ensued as Syracuse took an eight-point lead with under 10 minutes left. It began to start a trend where anything the Panthers threw at the Orange, there was an answer.

Even if it wasn’t from Battle or Hughes.

Published on February 2, 2019 at 8:12 pm

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