Panthers Early Surge Enough Against Tar Heels, 66-52

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY SportsIt was apparent from the start that this game mattered, a lot, to the Pittsburgh Panthers (12-6, 3-3). “It’s big time”, was sophomore point guard Xavier Johnson’s response when asked what sweeping the North Carolina Tar Heels (8-9, 1-5) on Saturday afternoon. Head coach Jeff Capel added in his post game press conference, “Any time you get to sweep them, it’s a pretty special thing.”

A sweep certainly didn’t appear easy at the beginning of the game. But what started out as an aggressive start from both teams saw Pitt steamroll North Carolina on the back of a 13-0 run that started with a jumper from junior guard Ryan Murphy at the 12:29 mark and ended with a…