January 28, 2025
Pittsburgh hosts North Carolina after 22 points by Jaland Lowe in Pittsburgh’s 77-73 win over Syracuse. The Panthers are 9-2 on their home court. Pittsburgh has a 1-1 record in one-possession games.
The Tar Heels are 6-3 in ACC play. North Carolina ranks second in the ACC with 26.6 defensive rebounds per game led by Seth Trimble averaging 3.7.
Pittsburgh averages 80.2 points per game, 3.8 more points than the 76.4 North Carolina gives up. North Carolina averages 7.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.6 fewer makes per game than Pittsburgh gives up.
The Panthers and Tar Heels face off Tuesday for the first time in conference play this season. North Carolina leads the all time series 17-8. They have gone 10-7 vs Pittsburgh since the Panthers joined the ACC in 2013-14. Carolina is 7-3 on the road, including 4-3 in the Petersen Center. Last season, the Tar Heels won both games – 70-57 in early January at Pitt and 72-65 in the ACC quarterfinals in Washington, D.C. This is the first time the Tar Heels have played four ACC road games in a five-game stretch since playing four consecutive in 2020-21. North Carolina’s losses to Stanford and Wake Forest were just the fourth time ever Carolina lost by a point in back-to-back games. The other instances include the 1929-30 season (Loyola Chicago and Duke), 1940-41 (Fordham and St. Joseph’s) and 1967-68 (South Carolina and Duke). UNC is 5-1 when it shoots 50% in the first half.
This is the 40th season the Tar Heels are playing in the Dean E. Smith Center. Carolina is 8-2 in the Smith Center this season and 485-89 (.845) all-time. The Tar Heels are 253-70 against ACC opponents in the Smith Center. RJ Davis and Cooper Flagg of Duke are the only players in the top eight in the ACC in both scoring and assists.
The Tar Heels have shot 50% or better in the second half in seven of the last 12 games but less than 50% in each of the last five games.
TOP PERFORMERS: Lowe is averaging 17.6 points, 5.7 assists and 1.8 steals for the Panthers. Ishmael Leggett is averaging 16.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals over the last 10 games.
RJ Davis is shooting 29.5% from beyond the arc with 2.0 made 3-pointers per game for the Tar Heels, while averaging 17.7 points and 3.9 assists. Ian Jackson is averaging 19.1 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Panthers: 6-4, averaging 78.6 points, 30.2 rebounds, 14.3 assists, 7.1 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 47.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 72.6 points per game.
Tar Heels: 7-3, averaging 78.0 points, 32.3 rebounds, 14.7 assists, 5.0 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 47.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 72.7 points.
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