Pitt
14-6,5-4ACC
North Carolina
13-9,6-4ACC
Pitt Scores Final Nine Points To Secure 73-65 Win Over North Carolina
1/28/2025 11:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PITTSBURGH – Pitt outscored North Carolina 14-2 over the final 5:33 of play, including a 9-0 run to end the game, en route to a 73-65 win over the Tar Heels Tuesday night at the Petersen Events Center. Jaland Lowe finished with a game-high 18 points to go along with six rebounds, seven assists, and three steals, while the Panthers also got double-figure scoring efforts from Ishmael Leggett (15), Zack Austin (15), and Cameron Corhen (14).
The Panthers defense came up big in the second half limiting North Carolina to just 21 points on 9-of-29 (.310) shooting from the field, including 1-of-11 (.091) from three-point range. The Tar Heels went just 1-of-11 (.091) from the field over the final six minutes of action.
Pitt improved to 14-6 on the season and 5-4 in the ACC, while moving to 6-4 under head coach Jeff Capel against the Tar Heels.
North Carolina jumped out to a 15-8 lead at the 14:18 mark before Pitt settled in on both ends of the floor. The Panthers outscored the Tar Heels 16-8 over the next five minutes to grab 24-23 lead on a Cameron Corhen dunk with 9:43 left in the half.
The Panthers fell behind 38-30 with 4:34 remaining following back-to-back threes by North Carolina before climbing back to 38-34 after Corhen went 4-of-4 from the foul line. Pitt answered a 6-0 run by North Carolina with an 8-0 run of their own as Lowe scored eight points in a 49 second span with a driving layup following by back-to-back transition threes to pull the Panthers within 44-42 at the break.
Lowe finished with 15 points in the opening half on 6-of-10 shooting, while Leggett added nine points and three assists, North Carolina shot 56.7 percent (17-of-30) from the field in the opening half to grab the narrow lead.
North Carolina scored the first five points of the second half but the Panthers again countered with an 8-0 run to pull ahead 50-49 on a Damian Dunn three from the top of the key and force a Tar Heel timeout with 15:30 remaining. The Kinston, N.C., native drew an offensive foul and dug out a steal during the sequence to help ignite the Petersen Events Center crowd.
Zack Austin tied the game at 52 with a soaring two-hand dunk in transition and Guillermo Diaz Graham buried a three on a pick and pop at the top of the key as the Panthers pulled ahead 55-52 at the under 12 media timeout.
Austin hit a pair of free throws with 7:39 remaining to snap a 7-0 North Carolina run as Pitt pulled to within 61-59. Seth Trimble scored in the lane to push the lead back to four points with six and a half minutes left before Pitt's defense took over.
Leggett opened the game closing 14-2 run with a pair of free throws and the Panthers grabbed a 64-63 lead on an Austin corner three with 4:41 left to play. Elliot Cadeau scored on a left hand drive to give the Tar Heels a one-point advantage with just over three minutes remaining.
Austin again had the answer from long range off a feed from Lowe to spot Pitt to a 67-65 lead with 2:35 to play. He added an emphatic block on an Ian Jackson layup attempt with under 90 seconds left and Corhen converted in the lane for a 69-65 lead at the 1:04 mark.
Austin delivered his fifth block of the game on a corner three attempt by Cadeau with 41 seconds remaining and Leggett went 4-of-4 from the line down the stretch to salt the game away.
RJ Davis led the Tar Heels with 16 points, while Trimble added a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Cadeau added 11 points and seven assists as the Tar Heels slipped to 13-9 overall and 6-4 in ACC play.
STUFFING THE STAT SHEET
Lowe recorded his fourth game with at least 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists. He finished with 18 points, six rebounds, seven assists, and three steals to lead the team in points, rebounds, and assists in a game for the second time this season. Lowe scored 15 of his 18 points in the opening half but delivered six assists and four rebounds after the halftime break to lead the Panthers.
ZA THREE & D
Austin finished 3-of-5 from three-point range and matched a season high with five blocked shots. He has now made two or more threes and blocked at least three shots in a game four times. The Winston-Salem, N.C. native has made at least one three in 15 consecutive games. He also extended his consecutive made free throw streak to 21 in the win.
TAKING CARE OF THE BALL & TAKING ADVANTAGE OF UNC TURNOVERS
Pitt committed just six turnovers in the game and took advantage of North Carolina's 14 turnovers by posting a 22-4 advantage in points off turnovers on the night. Lowe hit back-to-back threes following Tar Heel turnovers in the opening half and Austin's transition three with 2:35 to give the Panthers a 67-65 lead came after a North Carolina turnover.
BATTLING THROUGH THE BOARDS
Pitt won its second consecutive game when losing the rebound battle after losing its first six games when being outrebounded. Despite a 38-28 rebounding disadvantage, the Panthers posted a 10-8 edge in second chance points and only had four fewer field goal attempts in the game.
GETTING IT DONE AT THE LINE
Pitt, one of the top free throw shooting teams in the NCAA, went 16-of-20 (.800) from the charity stripe, including 11-fo-13 (.846) in the second half of play.
LATE NIGHT CROWD
Pitt drew a season-best 11,277 fans, including over 2,000 students, despite the 9 p.m. tipoff Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Pitt travels South to play Wake Forest Saturday, Feb. 1 at Lawrence Joel Coliseum. Tipoff is scheduled for noon with ESPN2 broadcasting the contest.
