With #22 Pitt up 52-49 in the closing minutes against #2 Syracuse, things were looking good with Jamie Dixon looking to improve to an 11-4 record at Syracuse.

Then, Syracuse’s length and devastating zone came into effect with them closing out on a 10-2 run favored by their stellar freshman Tyler Ennis, who drove into the paint practically uncontested for two layups–one of them taking the lead and the other putting Syracuse up three points with less than a minute left.

This loss showcased another choking performance by the Pitt basketball team. Needless to say, luck has not been favoring the squad in years past. This has been yet another disappointment for a decorated team like Pitt.

These bad breaks were shown in the Syracuse game on three different occasions: 1.) when Talib Zanna’s wide open jump shot rattled in and out of the rim that would have helped Pitt retake the lead, 2.) when Cameron Wright’s three-point shot hit every aspect of the rim and would not go in, which would have tied the game, and 3.) when  Lamar Patterson, who hit four three-pointers prior, and forty-two percent  three-point shooting from three-point land on the season, missed a wide open look from three-point range with time dwindling away–amiss could have also tied the game.

With Pitt’s loss to Syracuse, they fall to a 4-1 record in ACC play and 16-2 record overall this season. They blew their chance to improve their position into the top ten rankings and take down still undefeated Syracuse. With the loss, Pitt faces questions about their mentality in crunch time, a topic they have failed to shed for the past couple years. Shots not falling and an exposed defense that gave up wide open lanes to the basket to a point guard is not play you want to have with only a three point lead.

Another thing in question is the team’s free throw shooting. A measly 13-23 from the line will not cut it in the closing minutes either. This comes as a surprise as just a week earlier Pitt went 23-24 from the line against Wake Forest and have been shooting well from the line prior to that.

It seems that the biggest problem with Pitt is something they can’t control and that is size. Center for Syracuse Rakeem Christmas made Pitt’s center Tailb Zanna look small. Christmas backed down Zanna in the paint more than you wanted to see and made a hook shot over Zanna’s outstretched arm. Although this may be overlooked because Pitt won the rebounding battle and by a good margin, it is a must that a team has a solid rim protector that does not get backed down consistently. Taking nothing away from Zanna, but he is not a true center at 6’8 and 230 lbs compared to Rakeem Christmas’ 6’9 250 lb. frame.

With this loss, Pitt looks like the choke artists of years past. Although moving up two spots in the rankings, Pitt will play Clemson, another ACC opponent, who is still undefeated in ACC play this year. It is time for Pitt to lock down and play Pitt Panthers basketball again.