After bouncing back with a road win against Boston College on Wednesday night, Syracuse (15-6, 6-2 Atlantic Coast) will round out its three-game road trip on Saturday against Pittsburgh (12-9, 2-6) at Petersen Events Center. The Orange have won eight of their last 10 games while the Panthers enter on a four-game losing streak.

Here’s what to know about the Panthers ahead of Saturday’s matchup:

All-time series: Syracuse leads, 69-45

Last time they played: The game after upsetting then-No. 1 Duke, Syracuse took care of business against Pittsburgh, 74-63. Tyus Battle poured in a game-high 22 points as SU shot 46 percent from both the field and from 3. Four Syracuse players scored in double digits, while Pittsburgh’s Jared Wilson-Frame led the Panthers with 19 points and five 3s.

The Pittsburgh report: Not much has changed in the last two weeks when Syracuse last played Pittsburgh. The Panthers are strongest on defense, ranking No. 30 in the country in 2-point defense and No. 31 in 3-point defense. They also rank No. 27 in defensive turnover percentage and have some dominant home wins that include Louisville and Florida State.

Offensively, the Panthers are led by freshman Xavier Johnson. The 6-foot-3 point guard averages 16.9 points per game, most recently scoring 30 against Clemson. Alongside Johnson, the majority of Pitt’s offensive possession comes from its freshmen. However, it has struggled at times with production — the Panthers shot 33.8 percent from the floor against SU last time.

How Syracuse beats the Panthers: The Syracuse offense breaking past the stout Pittsburgh defense was key two weeks ago and will be vital once again. Battle will once again be relied on the shoulder the load, but Oshae Brissett has begun to find his stride, hitting shots at a higher percentage as of late.

Pittsburgh’s biggest defensive flaw is allowing offensive rebounds, where the Panthers rank 316th in the country. The Orange will need to crash the boards and will rely on recently-inconsistent bigs Paschal Chukwu and Marek Dolezaj to provide that extra spark.

As for the Orange defense, they need to focus on Johnson, who scored 17 points in the last matchup, and has been Pittsburgh’s best player all season long. If SU can limit the freshman and show up with the same defensive pressure it flashed two weeks ago, Pittsburgh should struggle from the floor once again.

Stat to Know: 47.5 — Percentage of team scoring that freshmen duo Xavier Johnson and Trey McGowens account for in conference play.

Kenpom Odds: Syracuse has a 50 percent chance to beat Pittsburgh, by a score of 66-65.

Player to Watch: Xavier Johnson, freshman guard

As mentioned earlier, Xavier Johnson is undoubtedly the Panthers’ best player. After struggling against Duke and Louisville — 17 total points — Johnson dropped 30 against Clemson, shooting 10 for 14 from the field. He’s scored double digits in all but two games this season and is now familiar with the Syracuse 2-3 zone. For Pittsburgh to down the Orange on Saturday, it’ll start with Johnson’s offensive production.

Published on February 2, 2019 at 9:27 am

Contact Charlie: csdistur@syr.edu | @charliedisturco