The quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament takes place today and we will see the Syracuse Orangemen take on the Pittsburgh Panthers. The game is scheduled for a 2:30 pm (Eastern) start time and will be televised on ESPN. Currently the Odds for the game have Pittsburgh favored by 2 points while the total sits at 120.
Analysis: Syracuse overcame a sluggish start in its first round matchup with Seton Hall to advance with a 75-63 victory. The Orange are hoping that their effort in the second half of that game can be a spark after they finished the regular season with losses in four of their last five games. Syracuse has five tournament titles to its credit as it plays in its final Big East Conference Tournament before heading to the ACC. After falling behind 13-3 in the early going, Syracuse woke up to rally and tie the game at halftime and then cruise in the second half against Seton Hall. James Southerland's hot shooting was a major reason as he nailed 6-of-9 shots from beyond the arc to finish with 20 points. Southerland (13.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg) is one of four double-figure scoring threats on the roster for Syracuse. The 6-foot-8 forward is a difficult matchup for most teams with his ability to knock down shots from distance spreading the floor for the Orange. Perhaps the best takeaway, other than the result itself, from the battle with Seton Hall was the play of Brandon Triche (14.0 ppg). The 6-foot-4 guard had failed to score in double figures in three of the last four games of the season including a two-point effort against Georgetown. The Orange are 20-9 all-time in the Big East quarterfinals.
Jamie Dixon's squad defied expectations this season. The Panthers finished the regular season in the national rankings a year removed from its first season without an NCAA Tournament appearance since 2001. Pittsburgh was 24-7 overall during the regular season and 12-6 in league action with wins in its last four contests. Pittsburgh has been off since its regular season finale rout of DePaul. In the victory the Panthers shot a school record 72 percent from the field, including a 9-of-14 effort from beyond the arc, to roll to an 81-66 victory. Balance has defined the Panthers’ season, leading to the team’s ability to distribute the wealth on offense and play relentless defense. Ten players average at least 4.3 points and double-digit minutes. Pittsburgh is coming off a Big East-record 71.7-percent shooting performance in its regular-season finale against DePaul. The Panthers rank 15th in the country in field-goal percentage (47.9) and 28th in field-goal percentage defense (39), contributing greatly to the nation’s fifth-best scoring defense (54.9 points) – which is on pace to break a school record. Pittsburgh also owns the country’s seventh-largest scoring margin (plus-14). The Panthers have held 12 opponents to 50 or fewer points this season.
Pick: I will go with Syracuse in this one. The Orange did limp down the stretch and they are just 3-15 ATS in the series, but they will have confidence coming off the big second half yesterday and Teams in the Big east are not at that strong in the double bye situation. I look for the Orange to find a way to steal this one from the Panthers, especially playing in front of what should be a mostly pro-Syracuse fan base.
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