SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Parker Stewart scored a career-high 23 points, but it wasn’t enough for Pitt to overcome the Syracuse Orange at the Carrier Dome Tuesday night, as the Panthers were defeated, 59-45.
The Panthers lost their sixth straight ACC game, but came tantalizingly close upsetting the Orange, who were favored by 17.5 points. Pitt played tight throughout, with Syracuse not gaining a double-digit lead until late in the second half.
Stewart was everything for the Panthers, as he was 7 of 13 from 3-point range for a career high 23 points. His seven three-pointers set a new Pitt record for a freshman.
But down the stretch, the Panthers couldn’t get another scoring option to emerge. With usual point guard Marcus Carr in deep foul trouble and on the bench for most of the second half, Jared Wilson-Frame was called on to run the offense against Syracuse’s 2-3 zone.
The Panthers turned the ball over 18 times, giving the Orange 16 points off turnovers, and the non-Stewart Panthers combined to go 6 for 26 (23 percent) from the floor.
Kene Chukwuka started for the second straight game and was Pitt’s most effective interior option. He was 2-for-2 from the floor and had seven points.
Three Orange players cracked double figures, led by junior guard Frank Howard, who had 18 points.
The Panthers will return to action on Saturday, when they visit the No. 5 Duke Blue Devils at historic Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina. That game will have a 4 p.m. tip-off and will be broadcast on WTAE-TV.
