PITTSBURGH — For once, Frank Howard and Jim Boeheim locked eyes. Syracuse’s head coach clenched his fist, then he took a couple of steps toward his starting point guard. Howard had finally, in Boeheim’s eyes, listened, after several series of miscommunication earlier in the game. Among their disagreeable exchanges was a heated argument as Howard came off the court in the first half.

“Just a quick back and forth,” said Howard, who had six points and four assists. “I got a little frustrated for a few seconds.”

Because save for a couple of buckets and the occasional assist, Howard had been caught in the bug that swung over Petersen Events Center on Saturday afternoon. From missed shots to turnovers to sloppy handles, no side could gain traction — the teams combined to shoot about 30 percent from the field — save for a small burst late in the game, punctuated by a nifty Howard pass to set up a Tyus Battle corner 3-pointer. That’s when Boeheim’s eyes met Howard’s, an event which coincided with Syracuse’s outbreak in a 60-55 victory, SU’s third straight.

On the heels of its most efficient offensive outing of the season, Syracuse shot just 22.2 percent from the floor in the first half. The Orange barely eclipsed 30 percent for the game against Pitt’s matchup zone. But 10 days after a 59-45 win over Pittsburgh (8-14, 0-9 Atlantic Coast), the Orange (15-6, 4-4) dismantled its former Big East rival again — a small but important first step toward beefing up its NCAA Tournament resume.

The Orange finished 2-7 last season on the road in ACC play, and because SU had drifted to an 0-3 ACC road start this season, SU entered Saturday just 2-10 on the road in the ACC over the past two seasons.

“You go on the road, it’s tough,” Boeheim said, adding: “They keep trying, they keep playing, they keep scratching away. That’s all you can do.”

Earlier this month, the Orange sputtered to a four-game losing streak, which included losses at Wake Forest, Virginia and a double-overtime loss at FSU. The Orange gets five more road chances this season to prove its worth, beginning with Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Wednesday night.

Frank Howard struggled, shooting just 2-for-10 from the field, but made a big assist on a late Tyus Battle 3 to help Syracuse grind out its first ACC road win. Todd Michalek | Staff Photographer

Through the season’s first 20 games, Syracuse went with the same five starters. But freshman forward Marek Dolezaj earned a starting nod Saturday in place of Matthew Moyer, who sustained a left ankle sprain Wednesday against BC. Moyer will be “out for a while,” Boeheim said. Dolezaj played most of the game and contributed five rebounds, seven points and three assists.

Bourama Sidibe, a freshman forward battling tendinitis in his left knee, played more than he has in nearly two months. He reached a career-high in rebounds— in the first half — and added a team-high 18 points. He ended with 16 rebounds and was “tremendous … the difference in the game,” Boeheim said.

A loss, which seemed possible for about 38 minutes, would have proved detrimental to Syracuse’s NCAA Tournament hopes. Pitt entered the contest scoring the fewest points per game (64.4) in the ACC and as the only team in the conference with a negative scoring margin on the season.

Yet the Panthers, despite shooting under 30 percent from the field in the first half, scoring just six points in a span of 13:39, cobbled together enough baskets to hang with the Orange.

In the first half, Boeheim cycled through his lineup as frequently as he has all season. A Howard tossed pass out of bounds prompted a substitution. A Dolezaj missed blockout prompted a change. An Oshae Brissett fadeaway jumper off balance prompted a change, too. The SU bench became a revolving door of sorts, with no real sign of offensive life anywhere.

“We can’t have you do that,” Boeheim told junior center Paschal Chukwu after he hesitated with the ball then failed to get right back on defense.

The Orange, players said, could benefit from more consistent movement on offense. Stronger finishing underneath the basket from Brissett. A more aggressive Battle, who took just three second-half shots, and continued contribution from freshmen Sidibe and Dolezaj.

Afterward, SU players meandered toward the locker room, with 10 games remaining on the schedule. One of the only signs of optimism was a Gerry McNamara “atta boy” to Sidibe, because the message had become plenty clear: Syracuse knows it has work to do.

“Grinded it out, man,” Howard said at his locker after the game. “That’s all I can say.”

“Say that again, boy,” Brissett said from the neighboring locker.

Published on January 27, 2018 at 6:20 pm

Contact Matthew: mguti100@syr.edu | @MatthewGut21