The rematch at the Petersen Events Center came with almost all of the same drama, clutch shooting and questionable officiating as in last season's matchup, one that ended in Tyler Ennis' game-winning shot.
But this time, Pittsburgh flipped the script.
Jamel Artis' contested 3-pointer didn't come at the buzzer, but it gave the Panthers a comfortable five point lead with 30 seconds to play, enough to prevent an encore from last year's last second theatrics against the Orange.
Artis scored 20 points and the Panthers hung on for a 83-77 home victory over the Orange, who had nothing to play for but spoiler. Pittsburgh boosted their NCAA Tournament resume with its third straight win, while the Orange (15-8, 6-4) fell for its third loss in four games after receiving a self-imposed postseason ban this week for alleged violations that date back to 2007. Even though Syracuse isn't eligible for the NCAA Tournament, it played Pitt with the same tenacity as it did last season and did almost everything but beat the Panthers on Saturday.
"There's many teams that are 6-18 right now and they play their a** off," Jim Boeheim said after the game. "There's no excuse not to play you're a** off."
Rakeem Christmas and Michael Gbinije scored 23 points apiece, helping Syracuse shoot 50 percent as a team. That combination allowed Syracuse to go up, 69-67, with five minutes to play. But the Panthers overcame that deficit and foul trouble to most of its starting lineup by going on a 17-4 run to end the game.
A pair of free throws by Christmas got Syracuse within two with 1:33 to play, the closest the Orange would ever get. Artis and Chris Jones traded passes around the perimeter on Pitt's ensuing possession as Syracuse's aggressive zone stonewalled any open opportunities for most of the time on the shot clock.
Artis was guarded closely by Kaleb Joseph, but freed himself with a quick pass to the Jones to the left side. By the time Jones gave it right back, it was too late for Joseph to come back and contest the shot. Artis hoisted up a 3-pointer over the outstretched arms of Trevor Cooney.
The Pittsburgh-crowd erupted as Artis' shot beat the buzzer, giving the home team the captivating win it was deprived of last season.
"It was a great game," Boeheim said. "I thought we played as well as we've played all year. Rakeem was tremendous inside and I thought (Gbinije) had an unbelievable game. But (Pitt) played better and they won the game."