Midseason oddity — Syracuse Orange at .500 after 16 games

By JOHN KEKIS
AP Sports Writer

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim is in uncharted territory. Midway through his 46th year at the helm, his Orange are a .500 team after 16 games. Boeheim attributes the record mostly to an underperforming defense. Before a 77-61 victory at home over Pittsburgh on Tuesday night, the Orange had fallen below .500 after three straight conference losses by a combined nine points. Two were on the road, a one-point loss to Miami and a three-point overtime loss to Wake Forest. The Orange’s second-half performance against the Panthers — Pitt was held to 5-of-21 shooting — was the sort of moment Boeheim has been waiting for.