Tar Heel Triumph: Inside UNC Athletics

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Concluding its week on the road, No. 14 North Carolina women’s basketball prevailed against a challenging Pitt squad to secure a 75-58 triumph over the Panthers at the Petersen Events Center on Sunday. In a comprehensive team effort, the Tar Heels recorded 13 successful three-pointers to clinch their sixth consecutive win over the Panthers.

North Carolina (17-3, 5-2 ACC) surpassed Pittsburgh (9-11, 1-6 ACC) for its fourth consecutive victory and improved to 3-0 in road games within the Atlantic Coast Conference. This record represents Carolina’s strongest onset to conference play on the road since the 2013-14 season.

Remaining on a hot streak from beyond the arc, Lexi Donarski made five three-pointers for the second consecutive game, concluding her performance with a team-leading 15 points. Making her presence felt across the court for UNC, Indya Nivar set several career-best marks with seven steals and five assists, while also contributing 12 points and eight rebounds.

A dominant presence on the boards, Maria Gakdeng secured a season-high 14 rebounds while adding seven points and three blocks. In an assertive display, Carolina out-rebounded the Panthers by a margin of 28.

Continuing her impressive freshman season, Lanie Grant sank three three-pointers to finish with 13 points, marking her sixth game of the season in double-digits.

Starting strong in the paint, Carolina utilized Gakdeng to net the first basket of the day. Capitalizing on fast breaks, Donarski kept her momentum from beyond the arc with two three-pointers in the first quarter, propelling the Tar Heels to a slight 14-9 lead.

As both teams faced scoring droughts, Grant reignited the Tar Heels’ offense with consecutive three-pointers, allowing Carolina to pull further ahead of the Panthers. Limiting Pitt to a multi-minute scoring dry spell, UNC worked to stretch its lead to double digits for the first time in the game. Although Pitt countered with a three-pointer, Pennsylvania native Ciera Toomey answered with a jumper, pushing the game back to a double-digit advantage for the Tar Heels. Out-rebounding the Panthers by a margin of 11 in the first half, Carolina went into the locker room leading 35-22.

The Panthers emerged with determination against the Tar Heels, starting with a 5-0 run while Carolina struggled to find its shooting rhythm. Another three-pointer from Donarski sparked UNC to once again build its lead into double digits. Despite another shooting slump, the Tar Heels managed to score effectively in transition, maintaining a lead of 47-35 as they entered the fourth quarter.

Successfully finding their rhythm from beyond the arc, the Tar Heels made seven three-pointers in the final ten minutes and withstood a spirited comeback from the Panthers, ultimately sealing the game at 75-58.

Carolina is set to return to Chapel Hill for a week of home games hosting Wake Forest and Florida State. The Tar Heels will face the Demon Deacons on Thursday from Carmichael Arena at 7 p.m. ET, streaming via ACCNX.