Leggett and Austin score 19 points apiece, Pitt rallies from 11-point deficit to beat Syracuse 80-69

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ishmael Leggett and Zack Austin scored 19 points apiece and Pittsburgh rallied from an 11-point deficit to beat Syracuse 80-69 on Tuesday night.

Syracuse opened the second half with a pair of baskets, one on a dunk from Eddie Lampkin Jr., to stretch its lead to 45-34. Pitt answered with 17-6 run to knot it at 51-all, and then took the lead for good, 58-56, on Leggett’s 3-pointer with 9:28 remaining.

Leggett and Austin were a combined 14-of-24 shooting from the floor and 6 of 9 from long range. Jaland Lowe added 17 points and Brandin Cummings had 11 for the Panthers, who shot just 37% (11 of 30) in the first half but 62.5% (15 of 24) after the break.

Pitt (16-10, 7-8 Atlantic Coast Conference), which beat visiting Miami 74-65 on Saturday, has won consecutive games since ending a four-game skid. The Panthers also beat Syracuse, 77-73, on Jan. 25.

Chris Bell made 7 of 12 3-pointers and finished with 23 points to lead Syracuse (11-16, 5-11), which has lost four of its last five games. J.J. Starling added 14 points.

Syracuse opened on a 16-6 run and led 41-34 at the break. Bell scored 14 points and Starling had 11 and the pair combined for seven of the Orange’s nine 3-pointers. Austin scored nine first-half points for Pitt.

Pitt plays at Notre Dame on Saturday.

Syracuse hosts N.C. State on Feb. 26.

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