CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — In a thrilling contest on Saturday, North Carolina clinched a 67-66 victory over Pittsburgh, powered by RJ Davis’ 18 points and an impressive 17 points from Ven-Allen Lubin. This matchup was essential for both teams, each seeking to recover from recent struggles. North Carolina improved to a record of 14-10, with 7 wins against 5 losses in conference play, while Pittsburgh fell to 14-9 overall and 5-7 in the ACC, having now lost seven of their last nine games.

The game saw intense back-and-forth action, highlighted by multiple lead changes. Davis made a crucial jumper that put North Carolina ahead 67-66 with just 52 seconds remaining in the game, marking the twelfth lead change of the second half. However, the Tar Heels faced challenges in maintaining their advantage as they stumbled at the free-throw line, missing two opportunities to extend their lead.

In the closing moments, Pittsburgh’s Jaland Lowe had a chance to tie or take the lead but missed a jumper. He managed to retrieve his own rebound but was unable to convert on the subsequent attempt. Lubin, with a 67% free-throw shooting average, grabbed the rebound but also missed his free-throw attempt after being fouled. North Carolina’s Seth Trimble, boasting an 84% success rate from the line, collected another offensive rebound for the Tar Heels but also fell short on his attempt.

Pittsburgh’s Ishmael Leggett then secured the rebound and the Panthers called a timeout with just 13 seconds left. Leggett had the chance to win the game, but his jumper missed the target as time expired. Throughout the second half, neither team pulled ahead by more than three points, aside from a brief six-point lead for North Carolina.

In addition to Davis’ and Lubin’s performances, Trimble contributed with 15 points and Drake Powell added 10 for North Carolina. On the Pittsburgh side, Cameron Corhen was the leading scorer with 17 points, while Lowe contributed 15. The game began with North Carolina holding a 30-19 advantage midway through the first half, but Pittsburgh responded with a 10-0 run, closing the gap to 30-29 before North Carolina took a 35-32 lead into halftime.

Looking ahead, North Carolina’s next challenge is against Clemson on Monday, while Pittsburgh will face SMU on Tuesday.