Tar Heels Flex Toughness Against Pitt

UNC didn’t back down to Pitt this time. 

North Carolina won its first game of 2024 against Pittsburgh last night. Over the last few seasons, the Panthers tended to out-physical and bully the Tar Heels. Not this time, as UNC took every shot and responded to get the win. Now, North Carolina sits at 2-0 in the ACC.

Toughness

Let’s be honest, outside of the Tar Heels 2022 tournament run, the program has been labeled soft over at least the last three seasons. Adversity often got the best of UNC during that time, and when things got tough, the teams would fold. This years team has been the complete opposite. Every game, no matter the opponent, they aren’t backing down. Even in the losses, the Tar Heels are fighting to the final buzzer.

UNC had struggled with Pitt since 2021. The Panthers played very physical while talking trash. That was no different last night, but the North Carolina team was ready. The Heels had the lead throughout the whole second half, but every time Pitt went on a run it was followed by a Carolina response. Bodies flew around the court per usual when these two play, but UNC stood tall when the final buzzer sounded.

Standouts

There were multiple Tar Heels that had a good game. How about Harrison Ingram? His shot wasn’t falling and he shot just 2-14, but that didn’t stop him from playing hard. Ingram grabbed 15(!) rebounds. Armando Bacot had another double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. RJ Davis scored 15, which many would consider an off-night for him. That being an off-night shows how great he has been all season. Seth Trimble was awesome off of the bench. He scored 10 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and threw down a nasty alley-oop.

Next up, UNC travels to Clemson for a top 25 matchup!