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No. 2 Syracuse holds off No. 22 Pitt 59-54 in ACC clash featuring 2 former Big East powers

Associated Press
Published | Updated

Pittsburgh’s Cameron Wright (3) drives past Syracuse’s Tyler Ennis during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Syracuse, N.Y., Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014. (AP Photo/Nick Lisi) (The Associated Press)

Pittsburgh’s Cameron Wright looks to pass the ball in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Syracuse on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014, in Syracuse, N.Y. (AP Photo/Nick Lisi) (The Associated Press)

Freshman point guard Tyler Ennis scored 16 points, including two driving layups and two free throws in the final 2 minutes, and No. 2 Syracuse beat No. 22 Pittsburgh 59-54 on Saturday in a battle for first place in the ACC between the two former Big East rivals.

Syracuse (18-0, 5-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) entered the game 2-0 against former Big East rivals, with victories over St. John's and Villanova. The Orange made it three straight and remained one of only three unbeatens in Division I.

In four of the past five seasons, Syracuse has started with at least 13 consecutive wins, and twice in the last four years Pitt (16-2, 4-1) had stopped those streaks.

In a seesaw game that was tight all the way, Ennis, encouraged by coach Jim Boeheim to take more shots, won it by hitting a scoop with 1:47 left and a lefty layup with 30.6 seconds to go as the crowd of 30,046 shook the Carrier Dome with deafening roars.