Saturday, January 5
Pittsburgh, Pa.
12 PM
Pitt
(10-4, 0-1ACC)
60
vs
85
North Carolina
(11-3, 1-0ACC)
1
2
F
North Carolina
45
40
85
Pitt
23
37
60
Photo by: Pete Madia/Pitt Athletics
Pitt Falls to No. 15 North Carolina in ACC Opener
1/5/2019 3:13:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Cold Shooting Leads to Panther Defeat against UNC
PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh men's basketball team suffered an 85-60 defeat to No. 15 North Carolina in its Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opener Saturday afternoon at the Petersen Events Center.
The Panthers [10-4, 0-1 ACC] and Tar Heels [11-3, 1-0 ACC] opened the game with back-and-forth scoring early in the first half before UNC eventually pulled away for the win.
Freshman Trey McGowens led the Panthers with 17 points, 10 of which came from the charity stripe. Freshman Xavier Johnson added 14 points to extend his program record of 14 consecutive games in double digits, while redshirt junior Malik Ellison rounded out Pitt's double digit scorers with 10 points on 5-of-10 shooting.
North Carolina was led offensively by Coby White, who recorded a game-high 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field, including a 4-of-10 mark from beyond the arc. Luke Maye collected a double-double in the contest, recording 17 points and 11 rebounds, while former Panther Cameron Johnson added 15 points and nine boards.
The Tar Heels jumped out to an early six point lead following back-to-back triples, but Pitt fought back into the game early. The Panthers evened the contest at eight apiece following a steal by McGowens and a fastbreak dunk by Johnson. North Carolina used another quick scoring spurt to take the lead before Pitt once again tied it up, with Ellison driving to the hoop and laying it in to make it 12-12 with under 14 minutes left in the first half. That would be as close as the Panthers would get, with UNC closing the half on a 33-11 run to separate themselves before eventually earning the win.
BIG PICTURE
Pitt: The Panthers opened ACC play with a tough opponent in No. 15 North Carolina. Pitt will look to bounce back on Wednesday as it hosts Louisville at the Pete.
North Carolina: The Tar Heels showed why they're one of the top teams in the country, and will look to continue their momentum as they face in-state rival No. 18 NC State on Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Pitt: Hosts Louisville Wednesday, Jan. 9 at 8 p.m. at the Petersen Events Center.
North Carolina: Travels to Raleigh, N.C., to face No. 18 NC State Tuesday, Jan. 8 at 9 p.m.
The Panthers [10-4, 0-1 ACC] and Tar Heels [11-3, 1-0 ACC] opened the game with back-and-forth scoring early in the first half before UNC eventually pulled away for the win.
Freshman Trey McGowens led the Panthers with 17 points, 10 of which came from the charity stripe. Freshman Xavier Johnson added 14 points to extend his program record of 14 consecutive games in double digits, while redshirt junior Malik Ellison rounded out Pitt's double digit scorers with 10 points on 5-of-10 shooting.
North Carolina was led offensively by Coby White, who recorded a game-high 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field, including a 4-of-10 mark from beyond the arc. Luke Maye collected a double-double in the contest, recording 17 points and 11 rebounds, while former Panther Cameron Johnson added 15 points and nine boards.
The Tar Heels jumped out to an early six point lead following back-to-back triples, but Pitt fought back into the game early. The Panthers evened the contest at eight apiece following a steal by McGowens and a fastbreak dunk by Johnson. North Carolina used another quick scoring spurt to take the lead before Pitt once again tied it up, with Ellison driving to the hoop and laying it in to make it 12-12 with under 14 minutes left in the first half. That would be as close as the Panthers would get, with UNC closing the half on a 33-11 run to separate themselves before eventually earning the win.
BIG PICTURE
Pitt: The Panthers opened ACC play with a tough opponent in No. 15 North Carolina. Pitt will look to bounce back on Wednesday as it hosts Louisville at the Pete.
North Carolina: The Tar Heels showed why they're one of the top teams in the country, and will look to continue their momentum as they face in-state rival No. 18 NC State on Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Pitt: Hosts Louisville Wednesday, Jan. 9 at 8 p.m. at the Petersen Events Center.
North Carolina: Travels to Raleigh, N.C., to face No. 18 NC State Tuesday, Jan. 8 at 9 p.m.
Team Stats
NC
UP
FG%
.432
.306
3FG%
.417
.105
FT%
.647
.625
RB
51
46
TO
11
15
STL
8
7
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
17
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
10
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
10
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
5
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
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