CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The University of Pittsburgh battled until the final seconds but came up just short against North Carolina, falling 67-66 at the Dean Smith Center on Wednesday night. The loss marks the Panthers' third straight defeat, dropping them to 14-9 overall and 5-7 in ACC play.

Pitt had a chance to steal a win late but couldn’t convert in the closing moments. Down one with 40 seconds left, Jaland Lowe attacked the lane, missed a contested floater, grabbed his own rebound, and put up another attempt that wouldn’t fall. UNC’s Ven-Allen Lubin secured the board, forcing Pitt to foul.

North Carolina missed two one-and-one free throw opportunities in the final 19 seconds, but Pitt struggled to get a clean offensive look. After a scramble on the floor, the Panthers managed to call a timeout with seven seconds left, but failed to get the winning shot after two attempts by Ishmael Leggett.

Despite the loss, head coach Jeff Capel was pleased with the effort, especially after Monday’s disappointing home loss to Virginia.

"First of all, congrats to North Carolina," Capel said postgame. "It was a hard-fought game. Both teams really battled and fought. Very important game for both teams. They made a few more plays than us down the stretch. But I'm really proud of my team for how we fought, how we battled all game. We put ourselves in a position to win on the road in a great environment."

The game opened with Lowe drilling a three-pointer on Pitt’s first possession, but UNC quickly took control, hitting nine of its first ten shots to grab an early lead.

Pitt struggled offensively midway through the first half, enduring a four-minute scoring drought from the 12:35mark to the 8-minute mark. UNC led by as many as nine points in the first half, but Pitt fought back late, trailing 36-33 at halftime.

"We had to take some punches, but we gave some back," junior forward Cameron Corhen said. "We got hit early, but we responded."

The second half featured 13 lead changes, with Pitt grabbing its first lead since the opening minute when Zack Austin buried a three-pointer two minutes into the half, making it 39-37.

Austin came up clutch multiple times, hitting three three-pointers in the second half—all of which briefly gave Pitt the lead. His final one, a deep shot with 6:14 left, put Pitt ahead 58-56 as the shot clock expired.

Pitt led 62-60 with four minutes left, but UNC responded with a Seth Trimble and-one layup at the 3:41 mark, giving the Tar Heels a one-point edge.

From there, the two teams traded baskets, with six lead changes in the final four minutes before UNC held on in the closing moments.

A critical moment came at the 8:45 mark when Damian Dunn left the game with an apparent wrist injury (Fractured Elbow according to Capel) after attacking the basket. Dunn finished with six points, six rebounds, and five assists before exiting.

Pitt made key defensive adjustments after UNC’s early offensive barrage, particularly switching out of their original defensive scheme.

"They really attacked our switching," Capel said. "They were prepared for it, and they hurt us early. So we got out of that because it wasn't effective. I thought the last eight minutes [of the first half] we really did a good job of guarding one-on-one, getting back in transition, and making them take tough shots."

Pitt outrebounded UNC 33-27 and held the Tar Heels to 48% shooting after their hot start, but struggled with second-chance points, allowing eight.

"We did a better job rebounding, but we still need to be better," Capel said. "That late free throw, we have to grab that ball. But overall, we fought, which was better than it was this past Monday."

Corhen led Pitt with 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting, while Lowe added 15 points. Austin contributed nine points, all from three-pointers, and grabbed six rebounds.

"It’s tough for sure," Austin said. "Little mistakes keep killing us. We’re losing these games ourselves, and it’s on us to fix it."

Austin, who had been struggling with his shot, found his rhythm at a crucial time.

"It felt good. I haven’t been shooting the ball the best the last couple games, so it was good to see it go in," he said.

Despite the heartbreaking loss, both Corhen and Austin believe Pitt is improving.

"We just gotta keep fighting," Corhen said. "Nobody’s gonna feel bad for us. We gotta pick ourselves up. Nobody’s coming to save us."

"We’re definitely progressing," Austin added. "We just need to start executing late so we can start winning."

Pitt has now lost three straight games and falls to 5-7 in ACC play. The Panthers were looking to extend a three-game win streak in Chapel Hill but instead suffered their first loss at UNC since 2021.

Pitt will look to snap its skid in its next matchup when it travels to play SMU on Tuesday as it continues its battle for an NCAA Tournament bid.