The Pitt Panthers and Syracuse Orange will renew their rivalry tonight at the Petersen Events Center. Fans of both teams are surely eager to see the two teams battle it out, and the stakes are high for both sides.
The Panthers come into tonight’s game with a 19-7 overall record and an 8-5 ACC record, good for fourth in the conference standings. Pitt is hoping to make a run at an ACC title and needs to win this game to keep pace with first place Miami. Syracuse, on the other hand, is clinging to its NCAA Tournament hopes. The Orange are sitting at 15-10 overall and 6-7 in the ACC, and must make a run if they want to secure a spot in March Madness.
When these two teams last met back in December, the Panthers squeaked out a 84-82 win. Pitt was led by freshman standout Justin Champagnie, who scored 24 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. Syracuse was led by Elijah Hughes, who had a team-high 28 points in the loss.
The Panthers will need to bring the same energy tonight if they want to come away with the win. Pitt is led by Champagnie, who is averaging 15.3 points and 9.1 rebounds per game this season. Senior guard Xavier Johnson is also a key contributor with 13.3 points and 4.2 assists per contest.
The Orange will look to Hughes to lead the way offensively. He is averaging 19.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game this season. He will be joined by Buddy Boeheim and Marek Dolezaj, who are both averaging double figures in points as well.
This is sure to be an intense game, and one that both teams will be eager to win. Pitt needs to keep pace with Miami in the ACC title race, while Syracuse needs to turn it on and go on a run if they want to make the NCAA Tournament. It should be a great game, and one that will be sure to have fans of both teams on the edge of their seats.
