Ennis scored 16 points, including six of the Orange’s final eight points, and No. 2 Syracuse remained unbeaten with a 59-54 victory over No. 22 Pitt.
Syracuse vs. Arizona: Who wins on neutral court? | Rush The Court’s postgame reaction
"We got a freshman who nobody knows that much about," Orange coach Jim Boeheim said of Ennis. "He's pretty good, especially down the strech of games. He made some unbelievable plays."
Check that, Coach. We knew what he can do!
With a 57-54 lead in the final seconds, the Orange fouled Lamar Patterson before he could attempt a 3-point shot. Patterson missed the first free throw, then intentionally missed the second in hopes that he or his teammates could get the rebound. That did not happen, and Rakeem Christmas corralled the rebound to clinch it. He went to the other end to sink both of his free throw chances for the final margin.
Syracuse’s win was just the fifth in the last 15 tries against Jamie Dixon’s team.
But back to Ennis. His two Ennis layups inside the final two minutes turned a 1-point Panthers lead into a 3-point Orange advantage with 32 seconds left.
"As a freshman, he's the steadiest that I've ever had," Boeheim said. "I'm not going to say the best, because Pearl (Washington) would be mad at me, and Sherman (Douglas). But he's pretty darn good."
