Fresh off its first conference win of the season, Syracuse men’s basketball (10-5, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) battles Pittsburgh (7-8, 0-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) for its first of two contests against the Panthers this season.
SU enters this clash coming off an 82-72 victory over Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Tuesday, a game in which the Orange controlled from the get-go, leading by as much as 20 points early in the second half. That was until the Yellow Jackets rallied, coming within five points with just over three minutes to play. The Orange ultimately avoided a collapse, evening up their ACC record two games into conference play.
A late run from @GTMBB wasn't enough, as @Cuse_MBB held off Georgia Tech 82-72 for its first ACC win of the season.@GiffMD and @SamuelReisTV had the call from McCamish Pavilion. pic.twitter.com/WW5unjObHh
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) January 7, 2026
“I thought they fought from the beginning to the end, even when [Georgia Tech] made their comeback. We knew they would make a run, that’s what happens, but I thought we kept composed,” said SU head coach Adrian Autry.
Syracuse rolls into Saturday’s tilt against Pittsburgh with a star player reaching the peak of his powers. In his first two games back from a six-week absence, forward Donnie Freeman collected 18 points (all in the second half) against Clemson, and notched a career-high 27 points against Georgia Tech.
Forward Donnie Freeman had a career night for @Cuse_MBB against @GTMBB on Tuesday.@SamuelReisTV had the call when the sophomore eclipsed his top single-game scoring mark, and sealed an SU win in the process.
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) January 8, 2026
🎥: (ACCN) pic.twitter.com/kieOSzZX5z
“I feel like we’re in a good place. I feel like we’re building; we’re just getting better,” Freeman said after Tuesday’s win.
Pitt, meanwhile, came out on the wrong end of a back-and-forth battle against Clemson that ended in a 73-68 Tigers victory. The pendulum swung many times, with seven ties and 14 lead changes, and while each side traded haymakers, Pitt fell when it was all said and done. Despite the loss, guard Damarco Minor led the squad with 17 points.
“We’ve played two top-35 teams, as far as the NET is concerned, in conference so far, and we’ve led both teams at halftime, and we’ve had a chance to win both games. We just have to figure out how to win,” said Pitt head man Jeff Capel.
A win in western Pennsylvania on Saturday would flip the script for Syracuse, as the Orange lost both their matchups against the Panthers last season. After this week’s contest, the two will face off once again in the final game of the regular season in early March.
Tipoff between SU and Pitt is Saturday at 2, with McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Tipoff at 1:30.