Jamel Artis scored 20 points and pulled down 10 rebounds as the Pittsburgh Panthers defeated the Syracuse Orange, 83-77, in an ACC battle at the Petersen Events Center.
Sheldon Jeter added 18 points for the Panthers (16-8, 5-5 ACC). Chris Jones contributed 15 points and Michael Young had 13 points and 11 rebounds. James Robinson chipped in with 13 points to give Pittsburgh their third win in a row.
As for the Orange (15-8, 6-4), Rakeem Christmas scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Michael Gbinije added 23 points and Trevor Cooney chipped in with 12 and five assists in the first game since the team announced a self-imposed, postseason ban earlier this week.
The Orange shot 56.7 percent from the field and outscored the Panthers 26-10 in the paint in the first half as Syracuse took a 40-38 lead at the break. Pittsburgh shot 38.7 percent from the field and converted on 10-of-13 free throws through the first 20 minutes of action.
In the second half Pittsburgh shot 58.6 percent from the field and scored 12 points off of seven Syracuse turnovers in the six-point win. The Orange shot 40.9 percent from the field and was only 16-of-24 at the charity stripe in the frame.
In a game that featured eight ties and nine lead changes, the Panthers bench outscored the Orange reserves, 33-3.
[SportsNetwork.com]
