Chapel Hill, NC – North Carolina might by no means clear up Pittsburgh once more. The Panthers pulled off a 65-64 rout of the Tar Heels Wednesday night time at ACC Basketball on the Smith Heart, the place Jamarius Burton’s pair of free throws with 3.4 seconds left grew to become the distinction.
Driving in from the frontcourt with 0.6 seconds left, Caleb Love tried a lackluster three-pointer that was denied by Pitt’s Nike Sibande, and the blocked shot despatched the Panthers celebrating as their ultimate century seemed. Pete picked up his fifth win within the final six conferences between these groups, successful three straight visits right here to Chapel Hill.
The Tar Heels (15-7 total, 7-4 ACC), coming back from a seven-day break between video games, suffered their first house lack of the season, whereas lacking an opportunity to hit Pitt (16-7, 9-3) and a lone possession For third place within the crowded league standings. UNC went into the night time 10-0 at house, together with 5-0 in ACC video games.
Nevertheless it was an all-time battle for the Tar Heels, who shot simply 34.8 p.c from the sector, together with 18.5 p.c from 3-point vary, and 59.1 p.c from the free throw line, as their four-game successful streak ran out. UNC went 1-for-14 past the 3-point arc in the course of the second half, however led 46-40 when Pete Nance turned on a lower bucket within the fairway and bent his arms in response.
Love, by 22 factors, topped UNC. Armando Pacote (15 factors, 11 rebounds) and Nance (13 factors) additionally hit a double-double. Bacot and RJ Davis shot a mixed 6-for-25 from the sector and 11-for-19 from the free throw line.
Nellie Cummings related on 5 three-pointers and put up a career-high 21 factors for Pitt. Burton completed with 19 factors on 6-for-18 capturing, whereas sometimes giving the Tar Heels a correct how-to defensive deal with. UNC protection specialist Leaky Black was whistled for his third and fourth foul on consecutive calls in the course of the first 4 minutes of the second half.
Burton broke out for 31 factors 5 weeks in the past when the Panthers received the primary recreation of the season between these two groups in Pittsburgh. In the long run, the Heels chased down the Tar once more on Wednesday night time with the game-winning free throws.
UNC later fell behind by seven factors on three events in the course of the ultimate 9½ minutes of the sport, trailing 61-55 with lower than 5 minutes remaining, earlier than taking a 64-63 lead on Bacot’s double of free throws with 1:07 to go.
Armando Pacote laps early
Bacot, who entered because the second-leading scorer within the ACC, didn’t break the scoring pole till the 5:06 mark of the primary interval. His considerably sluggish begin acquired underneath method shortly thereafter, when the large man scored 5 straight factors whereas the Tar Heels did not swap ends of the sector.
Burton had a turnover with 4:38 remaining, and UNC successfully held possession till the three:43 mark. Nance saved two missed free throws from Backout alive on the offensive boards, with Backout laying free throws across the bucket from the post-follow to convey out his five-point stoppage on this aspect of the sector.
He completed the sport 3-of-10 from the ground and 9-of-15 from the free throw line.
Caleb Love’s lively debut
Love began early Wednesday night time with 13 first-half factors, a begin that wasn’t fairly as environment friendly as he did in final week’s win at Syracuse. Love had taken 10 pictures from the sector within the first half right here in opposition to Pittsburgh, greater than he tried within the recreation at Syracuse — when he went 4-for-7 from the sector, together with 3-for-5 from 3-point vary, and scored 15 factors.
Nonetheless, the Tar Heels wanted Love’s offense to remain inside 34-33 of Pitt by the tip of the primary half chilly capturing (30.6 p.c from the sector). He scored 9 of UNC’s first 17 factors and 12 of the group’s first 22 factors. When his third pointer related, Love and Nance had racked up 19 of their group’s first 22 factors.
Subsequent on the schedule
North Carolina information its third straight victory over rival Duke on Saturday night time. The Tar Heels went 94-81 on their latest go to to Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, NC, defeating Duke in retired head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s farewell house recreation. 4 weeks later in New Orleans, UNC pulled off one other epic victory over the Blue Devils, successful 81-77 within the Closing 4 to ship Krzyzewski into retirement after a loss.
Duke, now underneath head coach John Scheer, is 11-0 at house this season, together with 5-0 in ACC video games. The Blue Devils (16-6, 7-4) have received three of their final 4 video games since shedding to league leaders Clemson, and 4 of their final six since being mauled by NC State in Raleigh to open January.