By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer

On Tuesday night, No. 8 North Carolina defeated Pittsburgh with a score of 70-57. Armando Bacot scored 16 points and had 10 rebounds, while RJ Davis contributed 15 points and four assists.

Davis’ strong shooting and the Tar Heels’ superior size allowed them to overpower the Panthers and secure a victory. North Carolina dominated the rebounding game, with a 51-41 advantage, and capitalized on second-chance opportunities to defeat Pitt for only the second time in their past seven matchups.

Bub Carrington led the Panthers with 20 points and Jaland Lowe added 10 but senior forward Blake Hinson was held to 11 points — eight below his average — on 4-of-16 shooting as Pitt lost its second straight.

Davis secured the lead for the Tar Heels with a 3-pointer right before halftime, and North Carolina gradually overpowered the Panthers. There was no sudden surge, just a consistent stifling of Pitt’s offense and sufficient scoring to secure a comfortable victory. This game has typically been characterized by close endings in recent years, but this time the Tar Heels emerged as the clear victors.

Unfortunately, the Panthers did not perform well this time. Their offense was limited, with only Carrington and Lowe making significant contributions in the second half. Hinson struggled and the twin centers, Guillermo and Jorge Diaz Graham, had difficulty defending against the stronger Tar Heels.

Bacot sealed the game with a powerful dunk at the 3:41 mark. The veteran player from North Carolina also made two free throws, making him the seventh person from the team to achieve 2,000 career points.

Early in the game, the Panthers had an opportunity to establish a comfortable lead when the Tar Heels failed to make their first 10 shots. However, despite having multiple open looks from beyond the 3-point line, the Panthers were unable to convert. Eventually, North Carolina’s Davis stepped up and made a contested 3-pointer just before halftime, giving the Tar Heels the lead. They continued to dominate in the second half, with Davis hitting another 3-pointer early on to solidify their control of the game.

BIG PICTURE

Davis and Bacot provide North Carolina with a strong inside-outside duo, making them stand out among other teams. However, Bacot isn’t the only one dominating in the paint, as Harrison Ingram’s 15 rebounds contributed to the Tar Heels’ dominance on the boards. Despite only scoring seven points and shooting 2 for 14 from the field, Ingram proved he can make an impact in other areas of the game.

Pittsburgh: The Panther team started off the season with a strong desire to show that their appearance in the NCAA Tournament last year was not a lucky occurrence, as it was their first since 2016. To secure another spot in March Madness, they will require greater contributions from their frontcourt. However, they have yet to find a solution for winning games when Hinson is not performing well.

UP NEXT

On Saturday, No. 16 Clemson will host North Carolina.

Pittsburgh will be traveling to Louisville this Saturday.

Source: wralsportsfan.com