Pitt
22-11,12-8ACC
North Carolina
27-6,17-3ACC
Pitt Drops Hard Fought Battle with No. 4 North Carolina in ACC Tournament Semifinals
3/15/2024 11:27:00 PM | Men's Basketball
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Freshmen guards Carlton Carrington and Jaland Lowe combined for 41 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists to lead Pitt during a tightly contested tussle with No. 4 North Carolina Saturday evening at Capital One Arena. The Panthers tied the game at 62 with 4:23 remaining on a Lowe floater before R.J. Davis hit a pair of threes and scored nine of the Tar Heels' 10 points down the stretch to grab the win.
Carrington finished with 24 points, five rebounds, and three assists, while going 9-of-17 from the field (4-of-8 3FG). Lowe added 17 points, four rebounds, and four assists as Pitt took the game which featured nine ties and seven lead changes down to the wire.
Guillermo Diaz Graham sparked a 13-0 Pitt run in the first half with back-to-back three-pointers as Pitt grabbed a 17-8 lead on a Carrington jumper with 12:29 remaining before intermission. North Carolina battled back to even the game at 33-33 with 42 seconds remaining on a Harrison Ingram three before Diaz Graham capped off the first half scoring with a spinning hook finish to send Pitt into the break with a two-point lead.
The Tar Heels used an 8-0 run to pull ahead 48-42 with 13:38 remaining and pushed forward to a seven-point edge on an Armando Bacot putback with 8:04 left. Ishmael Leggett answered with a three-point play and Pitt tied the game up at 62 with Lowe's floater through contact at the 4:23 mark.
Davis answered with a pair of threes over the next two minutes and added three free throws to hold off the Panthers. Pitt went 1-of-9 from the field down the stretch as a pair jumpers rattled out on open looks.
Davis finished with 25 points on 8-of-18 shooting (3-of-10 3FG), while Bacot added 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Tar Heels.
Pitt shot a season-low six free throws in the contest, while North Carolina got to the line 19 times in the game.
The Panthers enter Selection Sunday with a 22-11 mark overall, including a 9-9 record in Quad 1 and Quad 2 contests. Pitt's seven true road wins, including victories at Duke and at Virginia, is tied for fifth most among Power Conference teams.
Pitt also went 12-4 since Jan. 20 with the 12 victories ranking among the most by Power Conference teams in that stretch.
