Syracuse beats Pitt at its own 3-point game in 11-point road win
In their 11-point win over Pitt Saturday, the Orange limited the Panthers to 17% under their season average from 3. Courtesy of Pitt Athletics
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PITTSBURGH — Syracuse was aware of Pitt’s strength. Very aware, as sophomore Donnie Freeman put it postgame.
Through its first 15 games, the Panthers shot 35.7% from 3 – the fifth-best mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Pitt made over eight 3-pointers per game and shot over 30% in 10-of-15 games. The game plan for SU, the top defensive team in the conference, quickly turned simple.
“We’re not gonna let them come out here and just tee up 3s on their home court,” Freeman said. “(We’re) gonna make them do something else.”
In Syracuse’s (11-5, 2-1 ACC) 83-72 win over Pitt (7-9, 0-3 ACC) Saturday, the Orange held the Panthers to their worst 3-point performance of the season. Pitt shot just 5-for-26 (19.2%) from deep range after starting the game 0-for-7.
Meanwhile, SU beat the Panthers at their own game. Syracuse, who entered shooting 31.3% for the second-worst mark in the conference, shot the lights out in the first half. The Orange were 8-for-13 to start the contest, and while their numbers diminished in the second half, the fast start catapulted them to victory.
“When we shoot the ball like that from 3, and we lock it in defensively, we’ll give ourselves a chance pretty much every game,” Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry said postgame.
Attempting to shut down an efficient 3-point shooting is one thing. Actually executing is another, far less simple than it seems. Knowing the Panthers’ capabilities, SU attempted to “make it tough for their shooters,” Autry said.
One of Syracuse’s top perimeter defenders, Nate Kingz, added it was key to know which Pitt shooters to go over screens on to secure a closeout and force them out of clean looks. Kingz believes while SU’s defense was already strong, it has improved with rotations and added help from the backside.
As the Panthers’ shots rattled in-and-out early on, their top shooter was heavily limited. Guard Damarco Minor shot 41.7% on 72 attempts before Saturday but missed his first three looks. Pitt didn’t make an attempt from 3 until 12 minutes into the game, when Omari Witherspoon knocked one down. Syracuse already led by double digits.
Witherspoon made another, less than a minute later and Brandin Cummings made one, too. On 13 attempts in the first 20 minutes, the Panthers made just three. The struggles continued into the second half as Pitt converted 2-of-13 attempts. Syracuse’s last three opponents have shot under 30% from 3, while just eight have all season. Per guard J.J. Starling, shutting down Pitt was a little more complicated than it looked.
“Coming in, we knew that’s what they want,” Starling said. “So we kind of changed our ball screen coverages to limit that. That’s what allowed us to get the result that we had.”
“As of late, nobody has really been getting open looks against us,” guard Naithan George added. “And that makes teams uncomfortable.”
When the Orange weren’t shutting down Pitt’s offense, they were splashing 3s themselves. For the first time all season, SU made double-digit 3-pointers. Syracuse knocked down 10 or more 3s in just 10 of Autry’s first 80 games at the helm.
To Autry, the key is being hard to guard, creating open looks in the process. Saturday, the Orange found the open man a ton through the first 10 minutes. Point guard George tallied seven assists, with four on 3-pointers. George said if someone’s “hot,” his job is to keep them rolling. In Pittsburgh, it was Tyler Betsey.
The Cincinnati transfer canned 3-of-4 attempts, as he once again showed he has no fear of letting a shot fly. His three makes were all in a four-minute span. When it wasn’t Betsey, Starling splashed three. Though it was the work and presence of Freeman that opened things up.
In his limited freshman season, Freeman showed somewhat of an ability to shoot the 3. In his sophomore campaign, especially in his return from injury, Freeman has found comfort from the top of the key. He said if he were his opponent, Freeman would rather have himself shoot a 3 than drive. Hence, he understands why teams are leaving him open. He’s made them pay, making at least two in all three games in ACC play.
Against the Panthers, Freeman again found comfort from deep. He feels “prepared” to shoot, and has worked on it for most of his career. Freeman said he’s okay with taking “tougher shots” but knows he’s more efficient when his feet are set and his elbow is tucked. His first three shot attempts were 3-pointers, sinking one. He finished with 22 points on 3-for-6 shooting from deep.
Syracuse didn’t take too much time revealing its defensive identity this season. As the Orange work to find an offensive identity, they’re expanding their defensive one at the same time. SU’s greatest weapon currently is cutting out its opponent’s strength. On Saturday, Pitt’s 3-point shooting was the latest victim.
