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Syracuse is amid its longest losing streak of the season, and it comes at a crucial stretch.

SU has endured three-game losing streaks twice this season, but after falling to then-No. 11 Duke Sunday, it dropped its fourth straight game. During the stretch, the Orange have faltered down low, as they’ve been outrebounded by 30 and outscored by 62 points in the paint.

On offense, Syracuse’s depth hasn’t shown, as Georgia Woolley and Sophie Burrows were its lone players to score more than six points against the Blue Devils. The Orange sit 16th out of 18 Atlantic Coast Conference teams, needing to finish in the top 15 to reach the conference tournament.

Now, SU looks to return to the win column when it faces Pitt in its penultimate regular season game Thursday. The Panthers are set to visit the JMA Wireless Dome with the same ACC record as the Orange and hold a 1-6 mark in ACC road games. A win would likely boost SU into an ACC Tournament spot.

Here’s everything you need to know before Syracuse (10-17, 4-12 ACC) faces Pitt (12-17, 4-12 ACC):

All-time series

SU leads 53-16.

Last time they played…

Then-No. 17 Syracuse completed a 63-53 comeback victory over Pitt on Feb. 25, 2024, to sweep the Panthers on the season. The Orange trailed by eight points heading into the fourth quarter before Dyaisha Fair spearheaded a comeback, scoring 15 fourth-quarter points. The win marked SU’s 23rd of 2023-24, tying the program-record for single-season regular season wins.

The Panthers report

Pitt got out to a 1-9 start in ACC play. But, behind leading scorer Khadija Faye’s six straight double-doubles, the Panthers have gone 3-3 over their last six games. Coming off five straight losses, Faye’s 19-point, 10-rebound double-double helped them turn the corner and defeat Boston College 79-66 on Feb. 6.

Then, Pitt followed with a one-point win over SMU to secure its first road win in ACC play. From there, the Panthers suffered three-straight double-digit losses, including a 31-point loss to then-No. 2 Notre Dame. However, they enter Thursday coming off a win over Clemson.

Pitt has been held back this season by its field goal percentage and offensive rebound rate, which each rank in the bottom third of the nation, per HerHoopStats. Its secondary scoring options, Mikayla Johnson and Amiya Jenkins, are each shooting below 43% from the field and tally four or fewer rebounds per contest.

How Syracuse beats Pittsburgh

The Orange must receive contributions from their depth pieces and frontcourt. Freshmen Olivia Schmitt, Shy Hawkins and Keira Scott have all stepped into larger roles down the stretch and must continue to produce.

Olivia Schmitt is heavily guarded by North Carolina’s Grace Townsend in Syracuse’s 68-58 loss to the Tar Heels. Schmitt has percolated as of late, hitting at least one 3 in SU’s last four games. Angelina Grevi | Staff Photographer

Meanwhile, Izabel Varejão hasn’t been the same since playing just four minutes against Wake Forest on Feb. 9 due to an illness. She was held scoreless and grabbed zero rebounds in 15 minutes against Duke. Kyra Wood, who’s registered a team-high six double-doubles, hasn’t reached that threshold since Feb. 2.

The Panthers present a chance to win the rebound battle, considering their 207th-ranked total rebound rate. Also, if Burrows gets hot from deep like she did against Virginia Tech, netting eight 3s, SU will have a strong chance to keep its ACC Tournament hopes alive.

Stat to know: 11.3%

Pitt’s 11.3% block rate ranks 31st in the nation, per HerHoopStats. Faye ranks second in the ACC with 2.4 blocks per game and has 66 total, more than her last two years combined. Meanwhile, forward MaKayla Elmore and Johnson each have over 15 rejections, respectively.

Player to watch: Khadija Faye, center, No. 15

Faye leads the Panthers with 18.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game. The forward played her first two seasons at Texas Tech before transferring to Texas for her junior and senior seasons. In each of her first four years, she never averaged more than seven points and started 58-of-103 games. But with the Panthers, she’s jumped into a full-time starting role and has been their clear-cut No. 1 option.

Published on February 26, 2025 at 8:40 pm

Contact Timmy at: tswilcox@syr.edu | @TimmyWilcox32