No. 3 Syracuse Vs. No. 5 Pittsburgh: Pitt Welcomes Undefeated Orange

GAME NOTES: Syracuse is off to the second-best start in school history with 18 consecutive triumphs, and tonight it can tie the record of the 1999-00 squad that opened 19-0. On Saturday, the Orange put forth a dominant defensive performance in a 67-52 victory over Cincinnati. They are now 5-0 in Big East action and are set to play just their third true road game of the season this evening.

Pittsburgh is a prefect 12-0 at home, and the 17-1 Panthers have posted seven straight wins since suffering their lone loss of the season, a seven-point setback to Tennessee back in December. On Saturday, Pitt moved to 5-0 in Big East play with a 74-53 romp over Seton Hall.

Although Syracuse owns a 61-37 series advantage over Pittsburgh, the Panthers won last season's meeting by double digits.

Outstanding defense has been the key to the remarkable start for Syracuse, which is holding opponents to 59.3 ppg on 36.8 percent shooting from the field, which includes 28.1 percent efficiency from three-point range. At the offensive end, the Orange are netting 75.5 ppg, and there are four double- digit scorers on the roster. Kris Joseph provides 14.6 ppg to lead the way, and Scoop Jardine checks in with 13.7 ppg and 109 assists. As for Rick Jackson, who is tops on the boards with 11.7 rpg, he is scoring 13.2 ppg, and Brandon Triche provides added balance with 10.1 ppg. Jackson had 15 points and 11 rebounds in the victory over Cincinnati on Saturday, while Jardine and Triche chipped in 11 points apiece. Jardine also handed out seven assists for the Orange, who shot an ultra-efficient 56.3 percent from the field while limiting the Bearcats to 30.5 percent shooting. A 41-28 rebounding advantage also helped the cause for Syracuse, which stretched a four-point halftime lead into a 15-point win.

Pittsburgh certainly gets the job done at both ends of the floor, as it is netting 80.3 ppg while limiting opponents to 62.6 ppg on 40.5 percent field goal efficiency. Ashton Gibbs is the top offensive performer for the Panthers with his 16.3 ppg, and he is knocking down 44.6 percent of his three-point attempts as well as 87 percent of his foul shots. Brad Wanamaker checks in with 12.8 ppg and a team-high 96 assists, while Gilbert Brown posts 11.2 ppg. Strong rebounding has been an obvious key to success, as Pitt is ripping down 13.6 rpg more than its opponents on average. None of those three players reached double figures in scoring in Saturday's win over Seton Hall, but the Panthers still managed a respectable total of 74 points. Center Gary McGhee led the charge with 13 points and 10 boards, while Talib Zanna added 10 points off the bench. Clearly, a 51-27 rebounding advantage, including a 23-4 edge on the offensive glass, played a major role in the victory for the Panthers. They also finished with 20 assists against only nine turnovers.

This game will live up to its billing, as the physical Big East powers will play a close one from start to finish. Syracuse has to lose at some point, and it might as well be here tonight.

GAME NOTES: One of the best matchups of the college basketball season to date pits the Pittsburgh Panthers against the Syracuse Orange in a Big East Conference showdown.

FACTS & STATS: Site: Petersen Events Center (12,500) -- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Television: ESPN. Home Record: Syracuse 13-0, Pitt 12-0. Away Record: Syracuse 2-0, Pitt 2-0. Neutral Record: Syracuse 3-0, Pitt 3-1. Conference Record: Syracuse 5-0, Pitt 5-0. Series Record: Syracuse leads, 61-37.

Pittsburgh 70, Syracuse 67