And then the final minutes, too, when UNC went more than three minutes without a point, missed 10 of their final 11 attempts from the field and allowed the Panthers to score the final nine points, which were part of a larger 14-2 run over the final five-plus minutes.

North Carolina coach Hubert Davis chose to downplay the significance of his team's Saturday showdown at No. 2 Duke following the Tar Heels' dispiriting 73-65 loss at Pittsburgh on Tuesday night. The defeat was UNC's third in its last four games and raises the stakes of the upcoming rivalry game for a team that is scrambling to assemble an NCAA Tournament resume.

Pittsburgh closed on a 14-2 run to overcome a late 63-59 deficit and send UNC to yet another frustrating defeat.