The North Carolina Tarheels needed some home cooking against Pittsburgh after a three game road trip that only saw the Tarheels win one of those games. The Tarheels got back to the formula that saw them win 19 of their first 21 games as they played good defense, shot the ball well, and distributed the ball well as the Tarheels had five players score in double figures. The only thing the Tarheels did not do was rebound. Pittsburgh held a 41-29 advantage in rebounds including an 18-1 advantage on the offensive glass. Even with that statistic the Tarheels still beat Pittsburgh going away 85-64.
A segment on ESPN about the Tarheels that highlighted their defensive struggles seemed to inspire the Tarheels defense as they held Pittsburgh to under 38% shooting for the game and forced 19 Pittsburgh turnovers. Marcus Paige is quoted as saying that the piece aired by ESPN helped inspire their defensive effort but he also said it was also something they had been hearing from the coaches most of the season.
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