Despite Dixon’s switch, Tar Heels dominate, 85-64

At this point, Pitt men’s basketball head coach Jamie Dixon will try anything.

One game after implementing a 3-2 zone in a loss to Miami, Pitt’s head coach shook up his starting lineup, choosing not to start Michael Young — for the first time in the player’s career — and Sterling Smith in favor of Rafael Maia and Chris Jones.

Dixon’s shift didn’t work, as the No. 9 North Carolina Tar Heels (21-4. 10-2 ACC) outclassed the Panthers (17-7, 6-6 ACC) in Chapel Hill by a final score of 85-64.

UNC jumped out to a 11-4 lead in the first quarter, getting points in the paint at will. After subbing in Ryan Luther and Cameron Johnson, Dixon finally put Young in the game.

Pitt struggled getting shots off early on, turning the ball over five times in the first seven minutes, including a shot clock violation.

A couple three-point plays by Jamel Artis and James Robinson narrowed the deficit as Pitt trailed 21-14 with 10:14 left in the half.

The Panthers continued to fight — thanks to a strong effort from Young off the bench — but a Justin Jackson 3-pointer with just over two minutes left in the half extended UNC’s lead to double digits at 37-27. A Brice Johnson dunk and Marcus Paige three grew the Tar Heels’ lead to 15.

A late jumper by Sheldon Jeter lessened the deficit, but the Panthers headed into the intermission trailing by 13.

Exactly one minute into the second period, Robinson nailed a jumper, marking 1,000 points in his Pitt career. He is the 44th player in program history to reach that mark and is the first player to do so since Talib Zanna reached the mark in 2013-2014.

Later on in the half, Cameron Johnson’s three got Pitt back into it, as the score sat at 48-41 with 14:52 left in the game.

After a quick answer by the Tar Heels, the Panthers had a chance to shrink the lead back to seven with Robinson at the line shooting two free throws. But the senior point guard missed both, and UNC scored five straight, marking a seven-point swing and giving North Carolina a 55-41 advantage.

Pitt had limited opportunities on the line the whole game and struggled when it had the chance, going just 5-14 on the afternoon.

It would not get any prettier for the Panthers after that five-point run, as the Tar Heels relentlessly applied pressure on both ends. They forced 19 Pitt turnovers while outscoring Pitt in the paint 42-22.

Robinson and Young led the Panthers, tallying 15 points each. Robinson struggled from the field the entire game, going just 6-19, with a pair of threes coming too late to save the game.

The Tar Heels blanked Pitt sophomore forward Jamel Artis, who lingered in foul trouble throughout the game. He totalled just five points on 2-8 shooting in only 21 minutes of action.

UNC’s put forth a group effort offensively, as five North Carolina players reached double digits in points. Forward Brice Johnson led the way with 19 points, while Marcus Paige and Justin Jackson pitched in with 15 and 14, respectively.

The defeat, which knocks Pitt down to .500 in ACC play for the first time this season, is the team’s fourth loss of the season to a ranked team. With only six games left in regular season play, the Panthers have yet to beat a ranked team..

The Panthers return to the Petersen Events Center after a two-game road stretch Tuesday when they take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.