Syracuse, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - A change to a new league didn't prevent Syracuse and Pittsburgh from putting on another memorable matchup.

With freshman Tyler Ennis coming up with a pair of huge baskets in the final two minutes, the second-ranked Orange took sole possession of first place in the ACC with a 59-54 victory over the No. 22 Panthers at the Carrier Dome.

Ennis, who scored 14 of his team-high 16 points in the second half, delivered an underhanded layup that gave Syracuse a 53-52 lead with 1:48 remaining, then drove the lane and scored again with 31 seconds to play as the Orange (18-0, 5-0 ACC) held off their longtime conference rival in the schools' first-ever meeting as ACC foes.

C.J. Fair added 13 points and Jerami Grant had 12 for the still-unbeaten Orange.

Lamar Patterson finished with 18 points, 14 of which came after halftime, for Pittsburgh (16-2, 4-1), which had a six-game win streak halted. Talib Zanna recorded 12 points and 11 rebounds in the loss.

With Patterson leading the charge, the Panthers battled back from a 10-point deficit to surge ahead entering the last two minutes. His fourth 3-pointer of the second half staked Pitt to a 49-48 lead with under six minutes left, and the reigning ACC Player of the Week later buried two free throws to cap a 12-3 run that placed Syracuse in a 52-49 hole.

After Grant hit a pair from the line to get the Orange within one, Ennis followed Zanna's missed jumper with a tough basket in traffic to send Syracuse back in front.

Ennis came up clutch once again two possessions later, dribbling into the paint and converting a nifty left-handed layup that lengthened the lead to 55-52. The rookie guard added two key free throws after Pitt's Michael Young sank a pair from the stripe, keeping the Orange ahead by three with 4.8 seconds on the clock.

Syracuse fouled Patterson before he could get a potential tying 3-point shot off and he misfired on the first foul shot. Syracuse's Rakeem Christmas then grabbed the rebound on an intentional miss to seal the outcome.

Clinging to a 27-25 edge early in the second half, Syracuse began to gain some separation by putting together a 10-2 run with Ennis at the forefront.

The freshman canned a jumper and stole the ball on Pittsburgh's next trip down the court before feeding Trevor Cooney for a successful trey that lengthened the margin to seven points. After the Panthers' Cameron Wright missed two from the line, Grant scored on a hook shot to give Syracuse a 34-25 advantage with 16 minutes to go.

It was a 10-point differential after Ennis knocked down a three with 14:28 left, putting Syracuse in front by a 37-27 count.

The Panthers responded courtesy of Patterson, who drained a trio of 3-pointers within a span of just over a minute to pull Pitt within 39-36 via a 9-2 flurry.

Neither team was ahead by more than six points during a first half marked by strong defense on both sides. The Orange built a 21-15 lead with under 6 1/2 minutes left in the period by virtue of an 11-3 run, which Cooney began with a 3-pointer and Grant capped with an authoritative putback dunk, and went into the break up 25-21 after holding the Panthers to a 37.5 percent shooting rate and forcing seven turnovers.