CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — No. 11 North Carolina was without its dominant frontcourt of Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar on Saturday afternoon, but still made quick work of Pitt, never trailing en route to a 79-65 victory.
Saturday’s win was UNC’s 20th of the season, improving the Tar Heels’ record to 20-5 overall, and 8-4 in league play.
Heels Come Out Hot
UNC came out of the gates hot Saturday afternoon, making its first eight field goal attempts on Saturday, as well as 10 of its first 12. The Tar Heels entered the halftime locker room with a 14-point lead, propelled by a 53.3 percent first half shooting performance (16-for-30). North Carolina never relinquished its double-digit lead in the second half, leading by as many as 22.
UNC Backup Bigs Hold Their Own
With Veesaar being a late scratch on Saturday afternoon due to illness and a leg injury, Tar Heel fans got a heavy dose of a much different frontcourt in Jarin Stevenson and Zayden High. Stevenson led UNC in scoring, finishing with 19 points, while High added career-highs in both points (15) and rebounds (7), in his first start as a Tar Heel. The teams were even in points in the paint with 32.
Pitt big man Cameron Corhen had a game-high 23 points, though 17 came in the first half.
All-Hands-On-Deck Scoring
Seth Trimble and Luka Bogavac also played their part in stepping up to fill the scoring void created by UNC’s two leading scorers being sidelined. Trimble poured in 19 points, while Bogavac added 15 of his own, giving the Tar Heels four double-digit scorers in Saturday afternoon’s win.
Up Next
North Carolina heads east on Interstate 40 on Tuesday night for a matchup with NC State. Tip-off from the Lenovo Center is set for 7 p.m.