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Syracuse entered its matchup with Pittsburgh coming off one of its worst performances of the season — an 80-49 loss to then-No. 11 Duke Sunday.

While its offense was as putrid, its defense couldn’t stop anything either. The Blue Devils finished with five scorers in double digits and scored at least 19 points in every quarter. The Orange’s defense has been its kryptonite all season, allowing an ACC-worst 71.8 points per game entering Thursday’s contest.

But against the Panthers (12-18, 4-13 Atlantic Coast), Syracuse (11-17, 5-12 Atlantic Coast) cleaned up defensively, leading to a comfortable 83-65 win that clinched its spot in the ACC Tournament. Syracuse head coach Felisha Legette-Jack said her team kept it simple, allowing it to force 19 turnovers and produce 11 steals in the contest.

“If we get beat, that’s okay. Your teammates should be there to help her,” Legette-Jack said. “So we went back to the basics, and they got better.”

Senior guard Georgia Woolley — who finished with two steals — said SU’s defensive success boiled down to its game plan coming in. Legette-Jack and the scout team hammered home the idea of players staying set on their feet, which would lead to less blowbys and quicker closeouts.

Woolley said fellow senior Saniaa Wilson helped, too. Wilson has been limited to a bench role this season, playing just 12.7 minutes entering the contest. But her defensive work allowed Syracuse’s players to go into the game feeling prepared.

“I think that we did a really good job of just executing the game plan,” Woolley said. “I think that Saniaa got us really prepared this week, and she did such a good job that when we got into the game, it felt easy.”

Wilson’s advice shined through early. Just two minutes into the game with SU up 4-2, Pitt ‘s Brooklynn Miles dribbled to the right of the arc and handed the ball off to Mikayla Johnson. Johnson immediately flung a pass down low to the Panthers’ leading scorer Khadija Faye.

But Izabel Varejão was positioned perfectly. The Brazilian used her 6-foot-4 frame to jockey with Faye. She got her hand in and poked the ball away from behind, which Sophie Burrows snagged out of the air.

Faye is easily Pitt’s best player, entering the game with six straight double-doubles and leading the team in both points (18.5) and rebounds (10.2) per contest. But Syracuse often double-teamed or stuck the 6-foot-2 Kyra Wood or Varejão on Faye, and it worked to start. She didn’t make her first bucket until 25 seconds left in the first, helping SU garner a 19-10 lead.

The Orange forced three giveaways in the first and quickly got back to work in the second. They caused Marley Washenitz to travel and pass out of bounds by clogging her passing lanes.

Midway through the second, MaKayla Elmore received the ball outside the paint. Elmore saw Wood slightly trailing behind Faye and lobbed a pass to the senior. But Wood got up to force the ball from Faye’s hands, turning it into a Shy Hawkins jumper on the other end.

SU closed the half with another stellar steal, as Washenitz drove into the paint and heaved a pass behind her to Audrey Biggs. But Madeline Potts was there to intercept the pass.

Syracuse’s defense certainly hasn’t been its strong suit this season. It entered allowing teams to shoot 41.6% from the field and score over 70 points per game. But with Legette-Jack’s consistent advice, the unit was stifling Thursday, holding the Panthers to just 29 first-half points with 10 turnovers.

“Just play,” Legette-Jack said she told her players. “Play defense with your feet, and we’ve been really getting at that the last couple days, just moving our feet more.”

The Panthers opened the second half strong, cutting the Orange’s lead to six. But backed into a corner, Syracuse’s defense prevailed. On two straight possessions, Miles possessed the ball on the right wing and swung passes inside. Both times, SU forced the ball free — first it was Wood, then Burrows. It responded with two straight layups to move back to a 10-point lead.

Burrows’ contribution was especially a welcome sign for Legette-Jack. She said the sophomore was flustered defensively in the first half, even offering to take herself out of the game. But Legette-Jack kept her in, and she held her own in the second half.

“(Burrows is) going out defensively softly, wondering, ‘Do I need to come out?’ Make a decision, live with it. It’s desperation time,” Legette-Jack said.

In the fourth, after maintaining a comfortable lead for the majority of the contest, Pitt began to crawl back in the game. Needing a spark, Syracuse’s defense provided it once again.

The Panthers cut the advantage to 62-57 with 7:38 remaining. Amid an SU offensive burst, Pitt tried to go through Faye — who posted a team-leading 25 points — giving her the ball under the rim. But she was immediately swarmed by Varejão, Wood and Burrows. Wood leaked away from the group and blocked Faye’s pass to Johnson, taking it the other way.

After the giveaway, the game never got within 10 points again.

Entering the contest, Syracuse desperately needed a win. Despite not being one of its strongest areas, its defense proved to be the difference against Pitt, forcing bad passes and costly mistakes.

And as the Orange prepare for their upcoming ACC Tournament game next week, strong defensive performances will lead to success in the postseason.

Published on February 27, 2025 at 11:14 pm

Contact Noah: njnussba@syr.edu | @ Noahnuss99