For UNC, the late collapse Tuesday night at Pitt was “kind of like the same movie over and over again,” RJ Davis said. The Tar Heels are becoming familiar with an uncomfortable new reality.

North Carolina coach Hubert Davis chose to downplay the significance of his team's Saturday showdown at No. 2 Duke following the Tar Heels' dispiriting 73-65 loss at Pittsburgh on Tuesday night. The defeat was UNC's third in its last four games and raises the stakes of the upcoming rivalry game for a team that is scrambling to assemble an NCAA Tournament resume.