Pittsburgh vs. Syracuse: 3 Keys for Panthers to Stun Undefeated Orange

The Pittsburgh Panthers (11-7, 0-5 Big East) are in danger of blowing the 2011-2012 season and have a tremendous opportunity to right the ship Monday night.

They’ll be traveling to the Carrier Dome to face the undefeated No. 1 Syracuse Orange (19-0, 6-0) in what is on paper the most difficult game of the season for Pitt.

Since losing to Wagner on Dec. 23, the confidence level of the team has dropped faster than the Tim Tebow bandwagon. They’ve lost six straight games.

From being ranked 15^th in the country to scoring 39 points against Rutgers, it’s been an ugly month.

Yet everything can change against a ‘Cuse team that has beaten all but two of their opponents by 10 points or more. Here are three reasons the Panthers can pick up their first Big East win while handing ‘Cuse their first loss of the year.

1. Ashton Gibbs

The Big East preseason player of the year destroyed ‘Cuse with 24 points in his last trip to the Carrier Dome and is beginning to heat up.

In a narrow defeat at the hands of No. 25 Marquette over the weekend, he scored a career-high 29 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

With Syracuse’s famous 2-3 zone, Gibbs is going to have wide-open looks on the perimeter. He has to knock them down and keep the crowd in their seats.

2. Rebounding

The major advantage for the Panthers is on the glass. They are 22^nd in the nation grabbing just under 40 per game and it’s a total team effort.

Led by Nasir Robinson’s 6.8, five different players average five or more boards. If the guards can secure the long rebounds that come with shooting a lot of threes against a zone, Pitt can turn that into a lot more possessions while wearing down a ‘Cuse team that’s currently 78^th in rebounds.

3. Recent History

The Panthers own the Orange in recent history. They have won eight of nine including a ridiculous five straight in the Carrier Dome.

Pittsburgh has handed Syracuse its first loss in each of the two previous seasons. The Orange's 18-0 start last season ended with a 74-66 road defeat while a 13-0 start to 2009-10 was followed by an 82-72 home loss to the Panthers.

With that in mind, I’m taking the Panthers in a thriller that comes down to the last minute.

Prediction: Pittsburgh 72, Syracuse 69