The #4 Pittsburgh Panthers took down the #3 Syracuse Orange in one of the better matchups we’ve seen this season, winning the contest last night by a score of 74-66.  The beginning of the game was exceptionally odd, as Pitt jumped out to 19-0 lead only to all but squander it by the half.  “We got off to a horrible start and Pitt got off to a great start,” Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim told media members following the game.  ”We had a long way to come from back from the beginning. … That’s as good a Pitt team as I’ve seen.  That’s probably the best team we’ve played.”

Pitt did a great job of breaking Cuse’s infamous zone defense.  “We practiced all week with me attacking the middle of their [2-3] zone and then passing to Brad or Ashton [Gibbs],” Nasir Robinson said.  ”Getting inside opens up a lot against that zone.”  Robinson led the way for the Panthers with 21 points in the game.  Three other Pitt starters contributed double-digit scoring, showing the well-rounded group that coach Jaime Dixon has to work with this season.  This victory could propel the Panthers into the Top 2 in the nation.

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