Live Blog: North Carolina at Pittsburgh

North Carolina and Pittsburgh play on Tuesday night looking to establish themselves in the upper tier of the ACC.

North Carolina and Pittsburgh meet on Tuesday, January 26, each looking to establish themselves among the top teams in the ACC. The Panthers and Tar Heels are currently fifth and sixth in the conference standings and both looking to move into a top-four position, which would provide a double-bye in the ACC Tournament.

Pitt has been playing well this year and was riding a three-game winning streak before losing by one point on the road at Wake Forest over the weekend. Things have also been hit or miss lately for the Panthers in terms of actually getting to play their games - four of their last eight have been postponed. 

Carolina comes in having won five of their last six and looking to pick up their second conference road win of the season. UNC will also be revenge-minded after being swept by Pittsburgh last year over the course of 11 days. 

Pitt forward Justin Champagnie leads the ACC in both scoring (19.9 ppg) and rebounding (12.4 rpg). In the first game between the Tar Heels and Panthers last season, Champagnie torched Carolina for 22 points and eight rebounds. In the second game, however, he was limited by foul trouble and only played 14:54, while scoring five points and grabbing two rebounds. 

Pittsburgh typically goes with a starting lineup of Champagnie, Abdoul Karim Coulibaly, Ithiel Horton, Au'Diese Toney, and Xavier Johnson.

Carolina's starters each of the previous four games have been Caleb Love, Kerwin Walton, Leaky Black, Garrison Brooks, and Armando Bacot.

Bacot is Carolina's leading scorer, at 12.0 points per game. This is the lowest average to lead Carolina in scoring since 1946-47.

Which team will get a leg up in the ACC standings? Tune in tonight at 7:00pm ET on ACC Network to find out.

GAME THREAD

• Carolina goes with same starters for 5th game in a row - Caleb Love, Kerwin Walton, Leaky Black, Garrison Brooks, Armando Bacot
• Referees for the game: Ron Groover, Jeffrey Anderson and Jeb Hartness
• Pitt will use their usual starting lineup of Justin Champagnie, Abdoul Karim Coulibaly, Ithiel Horton, Au'Diese Toney, and Xavier Johnson
• Dave O'Brien and Cory Alexander on the call for ACC Network
• Pitt wears the tip and we're underway.
• Justin Champagnie off to a quick start, burying a three. Heels respond by going right into Bacot for a dunk. 
• Champagnie hits another three a few possessions later. Guarded by Brooks thus far.
• First nine points for Carolina are all courtesy of Bacot and Brooks.
• 1st half under-16:00 timeout at 15:22. UNC up 11-10 with two Pitt free throws coming after the break. 
• Pitt comes back out of break in a zone. Heels attack the middle and Brooks hits a mid-range jumper.
• Beautiful fast break from Walton to Davis, who alley-oops to Sharpe for a dunk.
• Heels hit 8 of first 12 shots.
• 1st half under-12:00 timeout at 11:36. UNC up 17-12. 3 turnovers already for Heels.
• Just 10 minutes into the game and Carolina already has 5 turnovers.
• 3 quick offensive rebounds for Andrew Platek.
• Pitt currently has a field goal drought of over 8:00.
• 1st half under-8:00 media timeout. Heels up 20-14 with 8:00 left before halftime. Pitt ball after the break. Brooks leads all scorers with 8 points. 
• Pitt makes their first field goal in over 8 minutes. Stretch went from 16:13-7:45
• Great penetration and kick-out from Caleb Love out to Kerwin Walton for Heels first three of the game. Heels up 25-19.
• Pitt returns to a zone and Davis hits a three. 
• Kessler with back-to-back solid defensive possessions. Jumps out to guard on the perimeter and gets a takeaway. Next possession blocks a shot.
• 1st half under-4:00 media timeout. Carolina leads 28-22. 3:32 before halftime. Pitt ball after the break.
• Too many first half turnovers for Carolina, but doing enough offensively to maintain the lead.
• Look out America, Caleb Love is starting to make great decisions with the basketball.
• HALFTIME: UNC 34. Pitt 27. Brooks and Bacot combine to score 21 of Carolina's 34.
• Great news from the first half: 5 assists and ZERO turnovers for Caleb Love.
• And we're back for the second half. Same 5 start the second half for the Heels.
• Live ball turnover on Heels second possession leads to a Pitt run-out dunk.
• Carolina timeout at 17:26 after Virginia has three easy buckets to start the half. Must pick up defensive intensity.
• 2nd half under-16:00 timeout at 15:43. Heels lead 42-38. Carolina ball after the break.
• Caleb Love uncharacteristically misses two free throws but comes up with rebound and puts its immediately back for two.
• Back-to-back Pitt turnovers allow Carolina to push lead to 9, 47-38. Biggest lead of the game.
• Heels will be in the bonus for the final 13:14 of the game.
• Carolina corrals 2 offensive rebounds off missed free throws and turn them into 4 points.
• Huge DEEP 3 from Kerwin Walton to push lead back to 8 just before under-12:00 timeout of second half. Brooks follows with a turnaround jumper for first double-digit lead at 54-44. Davis then grabs an outlet from Sharpe and goes the length for a lay-up and 12-point lead - 56-44.
• Heels go on an extended 15-4 run and the lead is up to 66-50 at the under-8:00 timeout of the second half. 
• Carolina has made 9 of their last 10 shots.
• Pitt has the lead down to 9 with 5:00 to go. How will Carolina respond?
• 68-61 Carolina at under-4:00 media timeout with 3:51 to go. Two Pitt free throws after the break. Panthers currently on an 11-2 run. Could be 13-2 pending the result of the free throws.
• Lead down to 5 with 3:52 to go. 
• Heels run some clock and finish with a high percentage look for Bacot. Pitt responds with an easy bucket. Caleb Love connects on a wide-open three to extend lead to 8 with less than 3:00 to go.
• Caleb Love fouls out with 1:40 to go and Carolina up 73-65.
• Timeout Carolina. 73-65. 1:00 to go. 3 seconds on the shot clock.
• Carolina turns it over. Pitt ball with just under a minute left. Panthers miss a three. Carolina ball with 38 seconds left.
• Heels will have to close it out on the free throw line. Bacot makes both ends of the 1-and-1. Heels up 10. Pitt won't foul and that's the game.
• Carolina 75. Pittsburgh 65.