Maye’s Big Night Helps No. 19 UNC Blow Out Pitt, End Three-Game Losing Skid

In desperate need of a win Saturday night, the 19^th-ranked Tar Heels used a huge bounce-back game from junior forward Luke Maye and a balanced offensive attack to defeat the Pittsburgh Panthers 96-65 at the Dean Smith Center—snapping what had been the team’s first three-game losing streak since 2014.

Coming off a season-low four points in Tuesday’s loss at Clemson, Maye responded Saturday by pouring in 26 points to go along with eight rebounds and five assists against Pitt (8-16, 0-11 ACC).

He was one of six Tar Heels to score in double figures in the game, as UNC (17-7, 6-5 ACC) shot 51 percent from the floor and made 11 three-pointers as a team.

Freshmen forwards Garrison Brooks and Sterling Manley presented a welcome sight by each contributing 10 points off the bench, while the only Tar Heel starter who didn’t score in double figures—senior wing Theo Pinson—led the team with 13 rebounds and eight assists.

Early in the first half, however, it appeared as if the ACC’s last-place team would be able to capitalize on the one area that’s plagued the Tar Heels like no other during their recent losing streak.

Pitt made five of its first seven shots from three-point range and ultimately totaled eight of its 10 makes from beyond the arc in the first half.

Although the Panthers became the 17^th team in 24 games to reach double digits in the category against UNC, head coach Kevin Stallings wasn’t able to get much else from his squad—which lost for the 11^th straight game.

The Tar Heels went on a 14-3 run in the three minutes before halftime to take a 10-point lead into the locker room, and continued to extend the lead throughout the rest of the night.

“Well, needless to say, it feels better than the last three games,” UNC head coach Roy Williams told reporters afterwards. “Even though we didn’t do what we wanted to early. We wanted to do a better job of guarding the three and they made five of their first seven baskets were threes.

“But Kevin’s got his guys playing and competing, while going through an extremely difficult stretch,” the coach added. “For us, we needed something to make us feel good about what we’re doing.”

This win may not mean much in the long term for the Tar Heels, but a loss certainly could have spelled doom for UNC with the schedule only getting tougher as the season enters its final month.

Faced with essentially the lone opponent on the conference schedule viewed as an automatic victory, the results could have been catastrophic had things not gone as planned Saturday.

Fortunately for the Tar Heels, they’re now back in the win column and looking like they’re starting to rebuild momentum as they prepare for this Thursday’s home showdown against Duke.

It’s that time of year where the coaches are consistently preaching to the team about having a sense of urgency.

“They’re only hearing it from us about every 13 seconds,” Williams said. “Hell, if they don’t get it by now, then we need to start speaking a different language.”

After telling a quick story about the tools he and his staff use to hammer the message home, he continued by saying, “If they don’t have it by now, they’re not opening their ears or their eyes, either one.”

Up Next:

The Tar Heels will host Duke this Thursday, Feb. 8 at the Dean Dome in the first game this season between the nation’s two biggest rivals. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m.

Game Notes:

• Luke Maye now has 11 games with at least 20 points this season, to go along with 12 double-doubles.
• UNC’s starters (Berry, K. Williams, Johnson, Pinson, Maye) combined to dish out 24 assists against Pittsburgh–while turning the ball over just three times.
• In his first game against his former team, UNC graduate transfer Cameron Johnson finished with 14 points and four assists. Afterwards the head coach who initially tried to block Johnson’s transfer to UNC, Pitt’s Kevin Stallings, said he does not comment on other team’s players when asked about him.

 

 

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Cover photo via Todd Melet