Pittsburgh 89, No. 15 North Carolina 76: Sheldon Jeter set a new career high with 22 points as the Panthers jumped out to an early lead and never looked back against the visiting Tar Heels.

Cameron Wright added 15 points and 10 assists after missing the previous game with an ankle injury for Pitt (17-9, 6-6 ACC), which shot a sizzling 64.9 percent from the field. Michael Young tallied 13 points, James Robinson had 12 points and eight assists and Jamel Artis collected 11 points and five rebounds for the Panthers, who set a season high for points scored.

Brice Johnson led the way with 19 points for North Carolina (18-7, 8-4), which has dropped three of its last four. Kennedy Meeks scored 15 points off the bench while Marcus Paige, Justin Jackson and Joel Berry II each contributed eight points and six assists for the Tar Heels, who couldn't overcome a 14-of-23 performance from the free-throw line.

Young and Wright scored four points apiece as Pitt sped out to a 10-0 lead before Paige drilled a 3-pointer during a 9-2 spurt to even the score at 18 midway through the first half. Robinson connected from beyond the arc to restore the Panthers' 10-point cushion and they buried six 3-pointers in the opening stanza en route to a 48-34 advantage at intermission.

Pitt continued its 3-point barrage as Artis drained a triple to push the margin to 19 early in the second half and Jeter scored at the rim to put the Panthers ahead 69-49. Pitt led by as much as 24 as it coasted to the finish line to earn its fourth straight win at the Petersen Events Center.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Pitt went 8-of-15 from 3-point range while North Carolina finished 4-of-15 . … The Panthers recorded 30 assists compared to five turnovers. … Both teams observed a minute of silence in honor of former Tar Heels coach Dean Smith.