PITTSBURGH—Seven games separate No. 1 Syracuse from an undefeated regular season. Maybe it will be a lucky seven after a buzzer-beater kept the Orange on the course to perfection.


The freshman guard decided to shoot.

It was the right decision.

Ennis made a 35-footer at the buzzer and Syracuse remained unbeaten with a 58-56 victory over No. 25 Pitt on Wednesday night.


Pitt senior forward Talib Zanna called it a "lucky" shot. Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim disagreed.

"It's a little lucky, but I didn't hear Duke saying they were lucky when they drove the length of the court and made an off-balance 3 to tie the game," Boeheim said, alluding an overtime victory for his team over the Blue Devils at the Carrier Dome on Feb. 1. "I didn't hear anybody say they were lucky. You have to do it. You have to make the play. The ball goes in. That's not luck. He took the shot and he made the shot. He didn't throw it up from half court or three-quarters court. He dribbled it up. He had a purpose. He got up in the air and took a good shot, and it went in.


It happens sometimes, but he was poised to do it."

Poise under pressure is a good way to describe Syracuse this season. The Orange (24-0, 11-0 ACC) and Wichita State are the lone undefeated teams in Division I.

The road to a perfect 31-0 regular season is not easy for Syracuse, however. After home games against North Carolina State and Boston College, the Orange have three consecutive road games, including trips to No. 8 Duke and No. 17 Virginia.






C.J. Fair led Syracuse with 14 points.


"C.J. hadn't hit a 3 all game. He hadn't hit the rim, and he makes a 3 and then he hits a pretty tough pull-up to give us a chance," Boeheim said. "Those were big plays and you have to be a special player to make those plays."


Syracuse stormed back with a 17-8 run and tied it on Cooney's 3-pointer with 6:53 to go, but Pitt regained control after Zanna converted a three-point play and freshman Jamel Artis sank two free throws for a 50-45 lead.



Pitt had injury issues of its own. Senior forward and leading scorer Lamar Patterson had his right thumb wrapped for a second consecutive game. After going 1 for 9 in his previous outing against Virginia Tech, Patterson scored 13 points.