Pitt’s mission at Syracuse: Reverse losing streak

While Pitt’s record is trending in the wrong direction, the team’s morale is holding steady — at least for now.Riding a four-game losing streak, Pitt is desperate for a win Saturday as it visits Syracuse in Atlantic Coast Conference action.The Panthers (12-6, 3-4 ACC) took a five-game winning streak into their road matchup against No. 4 Duke on Jan. 7. They lost that contest by 29 points, a humbling defeat that was followed by losses to Louisville, Florida State and Clemson.In the 78-75 overtime setback against the Tigers last Saturday, Pitt lost despite 18 points from Ishmael Leggett and 15 points from Cameron Cohen, who shot 7-of-7 from the field.”I loved our fight,” Leggett said. “I loved everything about who we were. We didn’t fold under pressure. We were down 10 at half, but we kept fighting, kept fighting, kept fighting and stayed in the fight. It didn’t go our way today, but I love the way that we handled ourselves when we played.”Coach Jeff Capel’s mindset is that the team’s current skid is, if nothing else, a test of character.