Forward Michael Young scored 21 points while guard Cameron Johnson sparked a first-half rally and the Pittsburgh Panthers upset the Syracuse Orange 80-75 on Saturday at Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh.

Syracuse (16-10, 8-5 ACC) had won five straight coming into Saturday's game while the Panthers (14-11, 3-9) were coming off a win against Boston College that snapped an eight-game losing streak.

Young, the leading scorer in the ACC, also compiled nine rebounds and six assists.

The win allowed the Panthers to avenge a 77-66 loss to Syracuse earlier this year. In that game, guard John Gillon scored 20 points and matched his career high with 11 assists, while Andrew White III scored 21 points for Syracuse.

White, the transfer from Nebraska, and Gillon each scored 20 on Saturday, but that just wasn't enough to lift the Orange.

Johnson finished with a game-high 22 points, and it was the sophomore's long-range shooting that was instrumental in the Panthers taking control of the game in the first half.

It took the Panthers awhile to get untracked as they fell behind 7-1 after four minutes. Pitt's first bucket was a 3-point jumper by Johnson at the 15:36 mark.

The Orange kept the lead until Johnson sank another 3-point attempt at the 10-minute mark, which tied the game at 17-all. Sheldon Jeter's jumper put the Panthers up 19-17 and Pitt never relinquished the lead.

Another 3 by Johnson extend Pitt's lead to 24-18. Syracuse got to within one on a Frank Thomas free throw at 27-26, but an old-fashioned 3-point play and another 3-point jumper by Johnson allowed the Panthers to take a 35-28 lead into halftime.

Pitt maintained a comfortable lead throughout most of the second half and had 1 71-61 lead when Johnson sank another long-range shot. A pair of Howard free throws, a 3-pointer from White and another 3 from Howard had the Orange within five at 73-68 with just over a minute to go.

Then with the score 76-72 and 16 second left, the ACC's second-leading scorer, Jamel Artis sank two free throws and the Panthers survived.