Pittsburgh tops Syracuse in possible win-and-in NCAA matchup

The second round of the ACC Tournament produced a matchup between old Big East rivals in Pittsburgh and Syracuse on Wednesday that many believed would be an NCAA Tournament eliminator.

They certainly played like their postseason fates were on the line.

Cameron Johnson scored a career-high 24 points off the bench as the Panthers built a 14-point lead, only to watch it evaporate down the stretch. But a series of critical plays by James Robinson down the stretch were enough to allow coach Jamie Dixon's team to escape with a 72-71 victory.

"We still got work to do," said Robinson, who made a steal with the game tied 68-all, then scored the final four points as the Panthers (21-10) made Selection…