Late Rally Lifts Pitt Over Tar Heels, 73-65

Tuesday, January 28

Pittsburgh, Pa.

9 PM

North Carolina

13-9,6-4ACC

Pittsburgh

14-6,5-4ACC

North Carolina

Pittsburgh

RJ Davis

Photo by: Maggie Hobson

January 28, 2025 | Men's Basketball

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By: Matt Bowers

PITTSBURGH, PA.— Pittsburgh closed the game on a 14-2 run and beat North Carolina, 73-65, on Tuesday night at the Petersen Events Center. The Tar Heels missed 10 of their final 11 shots from the floor and didn't score in the final 3:21 of the game.

Pitt's defense limited the Tar Heels to just 21 points and 31 percent shooting in the second half after UNC had shot 56.7 percent overall and 6 for 13 from three-point range in the opening 20 minutes.

Jaland Lowe led all scorers with 18 points for Pitt, while Ishmael Leggett and Zack Austin added 15 apiece.

RJ Davis scored 16 to lead Carolina, hitting 3 of 6 three-pointers and also grabbing four rebounds with five assists. He has made three three-pointers in three of the last four games and multiple three-pointers in each of the last four contests.

Seth Trimble posted his second consecutive double-double and the third of his career, tallying 10 points (despite 3 of 14 shooting) with 12 rebounds to tie his career high. Elliot Cadeau scored 11 points and added seven assists before fouling out.

Pitt won its second consecutive game after having lost four in a row from January 7-18, improving to 14-6, 5-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Carolina has lost three of its last four and falls to 13-9, 6-4 ACC.

The Panthers have won four of the last six meetings in the series with UNC, which the Tar Heels lead, 17-9 overall.

The game is the first of two between the Tar Heels and Panthers in a 12-day span before Pitt visits the Smith Center on February 8.

The game was the first in a tough upcoming stretch for Carolina. Starting with Tuesday night's matchup in Pittsburgh, four of the Tar Heels' next five games will be on the road, and their next four opponents have a combined record of 48-12 overall and 23-5 in the ACC.

How It Happened
First Half
• The Tar Heels started four guards for the second game in a row with a lineup of Cadeau, Davis, Trimble, Ian Jackson and Ven-Allen Lubin.
• Carolina hit 9 of its first 12 shots from the floor as a team and built an early, seven-point advantage.
• Pitt rallied quickly to retake the lead, holding UNC scoreless for over two minutes of game time until Davis hit his first bucket of the half, a three-pointer that gave Carolina a 26-24 lead.
• Midway through the first half, Davis passed Christian Laettner for seventh place in ACC history in career scoring.
• Carolina built its biggest lead at 44-34 with 2:11 left before halftime, but Pitt rallied with an 8-0 run in under a minute to cut it back to a two-point deficit at 44-42.
• UNC shot 56.7 percent from the floor in the first half, hitting 6 of 13 three-pointers. At the same time, Carolina's seven first-half miscues led to a 12-0 Pitt advantage in points off turnovers.

Second Half
• A quick, 5-0 Tar Heel run to start the second half forced Pitt to take a timeout at the 18:26 mark with Carolina leading, 49-42.
• Pitt replied with an 8-0 run to retake the lead at 50-49 at the first media timeout.
• Carolina was scoreless for over three minutes until Cadeau scored with under three minutes to go.
• Pitt closed the game on a 14-2 run over 5:33.
• Both teams shot poorly in the second half with Carolina at 31.0 percent and Pitt at 33.3.

Up Next
Carolina will visit Duke on Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m.