Saturday’s game between No. 2 Syracuse and No. 22 Pittsburgh in the Carrier Dome was an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup by name only.

The Orange and Panthers were both ranked in the Top 25, both competing for the top spot in the conference and both had final scores in the 50s. It was just like any other SU-Pitt game, only the ACC logo had replaced the Big East logo on the court.

“Any time you play a Pittsburgh team, you know you’re going to get a tough, physical team,” Syracuse assistant coach Gerry McNamara said.

The Orange (18-0, 5-0 ACC) managed to shoot better than 50 percent and come away with a 59-54 win against Pitt (16-2, 4-1), but it was a defensive struggle fit for the teams’ old conference.

The two were the top-two teams in the Big East during the last decade, and their first meeting as ACC foes — with the two sharing the league’s top spot — was every bit as thrilling as an older clash.

“It was a tremendous defensive game,” SU head coach Jim Boeheim said.

The Orange struggled on the boards — getting outrebounded 35-24 and outscored 19-2 in second chance points — but outscored the Panthers 32-24 in the paint.

Big men Rakeem Christmas and Talib Zanna battled in the paint throughout. Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon committed a technical foul. The 30,046-person Carrier Dome crowd was the second largest this season and eighth crowd of 30,000-plus for a Pittsburgh game — second only to Georgetown games on the all-time list. It may be a new rivalry to the ACC, but it felt every bit like an old-time struggle.

“They are a very physical team that knows how to work with the zone,” SU forward Jerami Grant said. “It was definitely a tough game.”

Boeheim said he was as impressed with this Pittsburgh team as any he could remember. Two good teams make any rivalry better and a trip to Peterson Events Center later in the season should provide another quality contest.

“They’re a good basketball team,” Boeheim said. “I think they’re as good as anybody. I think they’ll be difficult for anybody to beat, watching them play.”

Published on January 18, 2014 at 11:34 pm

Contact David: dbwilson@syr.edu | @DBWilson2