The Pittsburgh Panthers are experiencing the highs and lows of going through their first season in the ACC. After three straight losses to Duke, Louisville and Virginia Tech in overtime, the Panthers knocked off No. 8 ranked Notre Dame and Syracuse at home. But there isn’t time to take a breath during conference play, as the Panthers have to play at Louisville, face North Carolina at home then have to play the ACC leading Virginia Cavaliers on the road in a six day span.
Fans for either team can use Hipmunk.com to search for flights to Pittsburgh for the Saturday night matchup. For after the game, Pittsburgh hotels can be booked through Hipmunk as well for less than $100 per night. For a Saturday night in Pittsburgh, it is a reasonably priced lodging option.
For fans looking to attend the game, TiqIQ.com has just under 500 available tickets for the North Carolina Tar Heels vs the Pittsburgh Panthers on February 14th, with an average ticket price of $163.11 and a walk-in price of $71.
The Panthers (16-8, 5-5) are currently eighth in the ACC, but have plenty of chances to receive some high profile wins in their quest to reach the NCAA tournament. On Valentine’s Day, the Oakland Zoo welcomes UNC as two of the best passing teams in the nation face each other. UNC ranks eighth and Pittsburgh ranks 14th nationally in assists per game.
After six consecutive ACC victories, UNC dropped back-to-back games against Louisville and Virginia before rebounding with a win against Boston College. The Panthers will have their hands full on the glass against the Tar Heels as UNC ranks second nationally in rebounds per game. Kennedy Meeks and Brice Johnson lead the effort on the boards, averaging 15.8 rebounds per game between the two forwards.
Sophomore forward James Artis has been excellent in his last three games for the Panthers, scoring 20, 32 and 20 points while averaging 3.3 assists.
Pittsburgh fans will be out in full force per usual, as the Oakland Zoo student section never makes it easy for visiting opponents. The Panthers recently knocked off a ranked opponent at home in Notre Dame and look to add another ranked opponent to the list.
