PITTSBURGH — Lexi Donarski made a significant impact by sinking five 3-pointers as the No. 14 North Carolina Tar Heels achieved their sixth consecutive victory, defeating the Pittsburgh Panthers with a score of 75-58 on Sunday.

The win improved North Carolina’s record to 17-3 overall and 5-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, marking the best start for the program through 20 games since the 2013-14 season.

Entering the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh found itself trailing by 12 points. However, their offensive plays fell flat while the Tar Heels capitalized on their shooting. Indya Nivar contributed with two 3-pointers, and alongside Lanie Grant and Donarski, who each added another three, North Carolina quickly surged ahead, increasing their advantage to 22 points with over six minutes remaining.

The Tar Heels continued to push their lead, with Jordan Zubich and Ciera Toomey also hitting 3-pointers, stretching the gap to 30 points just under five minutes to go in the game.

Despite a tough start, the Panthers found their rhythm late and began hitting shots from distance, particularly Marley Washenitz and Mikayla Johnson, who managed to score four consecutive 3-pointers in the final 2:05 of the match.

Donarski led North Carolina’s scoring with 15 points, going 5 for 12 from behind the arc, while also providing three assists and one steal. Grant stepped in off the bench to score 13 points on 3 of 7 shooting from beyond the arc, and Nivar made her presence known with 12 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and seven steals.

For Pittsburgh, Khadija Faye and MaKayla Elmore both secured double-doubles. Faye contributed with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Elmore added 11 points along with her 10 rebounds. Johnson, despite missing her first four attempts from three-point range, ended as the top scorer for her team with 18 points.

Next, North Carolina will return home for a matchup against Wake Forest on Thursday, while Pittsburgh will be hosting Virginia Tech on the same day.