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Syracuse’s lead was dwindling with just over four minutes remaining. After leading by 15 at halftime, a Panthers squad that won just one conference game last season had cut SU’s lead to five. 

And with Pittsburgh’s offense on a fast break, the Panthers seemed destined to continue slicing away at its deficit. But as guard Jayla Everett dribbled toward the basket for a wide-open, right-handed layup, Syracuse forward Emily Engstler sprinted from the Atlantic Coast Conference logo beneath the free-throw line to contest. The once-easy score turned into an up-and-under mid-air reverse layup, harmlessly bouncing off the rim.

After Pittsburgh clawed back from a double-digit halftime deficit, the Orange defense created offense as Syracuse (8-3, 5-3 Atlantic Coast) defeated Pittsburgh (4-5, 2-4) 80-57. Pittsburgh’s 57 points was the least Syracuse has allowed against a power-five opponent this season, and it was any opponent’s lowest scoring total since Lincoln (Pa.) finished with just 39 points on Dec. 2. SU finished with seven blocks and 12 steals, as Engstler’s three steals tied her season-high record.

“That’s a scout thing,” Engstler said of the steals. “Recognizing the plays that they’re about to run and understanding where the ball is going to go and just being fast enough to get there.”

Just over a minute after Engstler’s contest, Pittsburgh center Rita Igbokwe caught an inbound pass underneath Syracuse’s basket. After shouldering post player Kamilla Cardoso to push her off balance, Cardoso refused to budge. At 6-foot-7, Cardoso towered over Igbokwe while holding her arms up. 

Failing to move the freshman, Igbokwe shot, which Cardoso easily blocked. Pitt’s next two possessions also ended in Syracuse takeaways. First, Pitt tried to angle an entry pass into the low post. Engstler anticipated the pass, deserted her defensive positioning and cut off the pass, creating a fast-break opportunity. 

Then, Priscilla Williams and Kiara Lewis pressed Dayshanette Harris, trapping the point guard. The rattled point guard threw the basketball off Lewis’ shins in an attempt to knock the ball out of play. Instead, the ball rebounded back to Harris and she was forced left. While angling to cross midcourt, she stumbled, as Williams snatched the ball from her hands. 

Engstler and her teammates also jumped passing lanes on Thursday and swiftly trapped guards when head coach Quentin Hillsman implemented a full-court press.

Late in the fourth quarter, Williams and Lewis pressed Emy Hayford, who attempted to lob a pass over Williams’ head and downcourt, with her teammates in a four-on-three advantage. Instead of reaching the intended target, the ball deflected off Williams’ hands after the freshman leapt to bat the ball out of the air. 

Lewis caught the deflection and quickly passed to Williams, who streaked toward the hoop for an open layup.

Priscilla Williams was an important part of Syracuse’s defense against Pittsburgh. Courtesy of Rich Barnes | USA Today Sports

After that basket, Pitt scored just one more time as Syracuse ended its victory on a 20-2 run. 

“Some teams are predictable,” Engstler said. “They’re being robotic when it comes to plays.”

In the waning minutes of the game, Pitt’s offensive predictability allowed Syracuse to create turnovers and force contested shots. Those stops often turned into quick scores for SU.

While Hillsman prefers to play a fast-paced style on offense, Syracuse’s defense forced the Panthers to slow the tempo.

With Cardoso and Engstler defending the paint, Pittsburgh struggled shooting over the lengthy defenders. Instead, possessions primarily consisted of passes along the perimeter, eventually ending in a deep contested shot. Of Pittsburgh’s 17 shots from 3, just three of them went in. 

Without an ability to score from distance, Pittsburgh shot below 33%. Its offense, which averages nearly seven 3’s per game, turned into automated sets. Outside of Harris, no other Pitt player scored in the double-digits. But in the third quarter, Syracuse’s zone defense began to break down, and Pitt cut SU’s lead to four. 

Soon after, Hillsman called a timeout, and Syracuse’s zone expanded after the pause. With Cardoso defending the paint, Syracuse attempted to extend its defense and eliminate easy buckets.

“We had to spread it back and not put so much pressure on our five to contest every shot,” Hillsman said. “Guarding the ball, guarding high ball-screen action and making sure that our five can slide over and we shrink the floor a little bit.”

Midway through the third quarter, Pittsburgh’s offense broke out in transition, forcing Engstler into one-on-one defense while backpedaling. 

As Hayford barrelled toward Engstler and positioned herself for a layup with her body blocking out Engstler, SU’s forward simply used her length to swat the shot out of bounds. After Pitt inbounded the ball, Syracuse clogged passing lanes, which created an errant pass and another Panther turnover. 

On Pitt’s next possession, Harris drove toward the basket as SU’s defense collapsed. As the zone condensed, clogging up lanes, Harris had nowhere to go. As the point guard continued to dribble, Kiara Lewis swiped the ball out of her hands, immediately looking up for a quick outlet pass.

Whenever Pitt seemed to have a momentum-turning opportunity, Syracuse’s defensive length buoyed the Orange, leading to transition offense. 

Eventually, Syracuse scored 17 points off turnovers and grabbed nine more defensive rebounds. 

Cardoso’s four blocks was just one more than her average, as the 6-foot-7 center altered shots from anywhere inside the arc. Even from 15 feet out, Pitt had to shoot in high arcs as Cardoso’s widespread arms closed in.

Armed with the best shot blocker in the ACC, a lengthy zone defense and increasingly reliable awareness from a junior forward, Syracuse’s defense held Pitt to its second-lowest score of the season.

“My defensive game has improved so much,” Engstler said. “I just don’t think I was fast enough to do that kind of stuff last year. So I’m trying to keep up those steals every game.”

Published on January 28, 2021 at 10:48 pm

Contact Thomas: tgshults@syr.edu | @ThomasShults_