March 7, 2026; Syracuse, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers guard Nojus Indrusaitis (25) takes a shot during the first half against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Image Nojus Indrusaitis got credit for a layup with 4.3 seconds left as Pitt beat Syracuse 71-69 on Saturday and qualified for next week’s ACC Tournament.
With the game tied at 69-69 and heading into overtime, Indusaitis’ layup attempt hit the backboard just before it was blocked by William Kyle III. Syracuse could only muster a half-court heave from Naithan George, which misfired at the buzzer.
Pitt (12-19, 5-13 ACC) will be the No. 15 seed in Charlotte next week. The Panthers needed a win to qualify for the conference tournament. Meanwhile, Syracuse (15-16, 6-12), which ended the regular season with five straight losses, becomes the 14th seed.
Cameron Corhen paced the Panthers with 21 points, Barry Dunning Jr. had 17 and Indrusaitis had 16. George led the Orange with 26 points and Donnie Freeman had 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Pitt, which jumped out to a 12-0 lead early in the second half, took a 49-37 lead with 11:01 left on a layup by Indrusaitis.
But Syracuse fought back as George hit a pair of 3-pointers and Freeman converted two buckets during the hosts’ 10-0 push. Tyler Betsey’s 3-pointer with 6:04 left put the Orange up 52-52.
The two teams would go on to tie the score several more times, with scores of 55, 57, 59, 61, and 65. Both teams missed 3-pointers in the final 20 seconds, sending the game to overtime.
Both teams scored in the first overtime. Soon after, Damarco Minor made a jumper for Pitt and Freeman countered with a bucket to make it a 69-69 deadlock, setting up an interesting finish.
Pitt took an early 11-4 lead, but Syracuse eventually caught up 24-24 with 4 minutes and 43 seconds left in the first half. The Orange didn’t take their first lead until George hit a 3-pointer to send the hosts into the locker room with a 31-28 advantage.
–Field level media
