North Carolina, which led most of the game, went nearly six minutes without a field goal while Pitt, led by Jamarius Burton, hit six of its last eight to win 76-74 in Pittsburgh. (12/30)

Burton, who averaged 14 points a game, had a career-high 31 points to lead the comeback from nine points down midway through the second half. Burton, who hit 14 of 17 shots, scored half of the Panthers’ field goals.

“We didn’t have an answer for Burton,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said. “Nobody on our team could cover him. Nobody.”

Most of Pitt’s points in the paint belonged to Burton. “When you give up 42 points in the paint, it’s hard to stop anybody,” he added. Conversely, Carolina had 26 points in the paint.

The Tar Heels, who shot 52 percent from the field on their way to a 40-34 halftime lead, went cold in the second half, hitting just one of nine from three and finished shooting just 43 percent for the game.

Things were looking up for Carolina in the first half after Leaky Black threw a cross-court pass to R.J. Davis for a fastbreak layup to put the Heels up 19-10 in the first half.

The Panthers pulled within three early in the second half but after an Armando Bacot dunk, Carolina again had a nine-point advantage at 55-46 with 11:53 left in the game.

Within five minutes Pitt had tied the game at 58-all and it was a struggle for the Heels, especially offensively, the rest of the way.

The Tar Heels led for more than 34 minutes of the game. “It’s about executing on both ends of the court, not for part of the game but for the entire game,” Coach Davis said.

Pitt, now 10-4 overall and 3-0 in the ACC, also got 16 points from Blake Hinson, who hit a huge contested, fade-away three with 1:24 to go to break a 67-67 tie.

Carolina, now 9-5 overall and 1-2 in the conference, plays at home Wednesday against Wake Forest.

For a box score and more on the game, please click here.