CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (Interstat) — The North Carolina Tar Heels look to rebound from a rare conference loss when they host the struggling Pittsburgh Panthers in an Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball matchup Saturday at the Dean Smith Center. North Carolina (19-5) enters the contest after a 75-66 road loss at Miami on Tuesday, which snapped a five-game winning streak. The Tar Heels, among the conference leaders, have been strong at home with a 12-1 record in Chapel Hill this season. Pittsburgh (9-16) has lost seven of its last eight games, including a 70-54 home defeat to Duke on Tuesday. The Panthers have struggled on the road, going 1-7 in true away games. A key matchup will feature each team’s standout forward. North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson has been a consistent force, averaging 20.0 points over his last seven games. He scored 23 points in the Tar Heels’ 71-68 victory over Duke on Feb. 7. For Pittsburgh, Roman Siulepa has been a bright spot during the difficult stretch. The forward is coming off a 19-point performance against Duke and has scored in double figures in six of the last eight contests. He recorded a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds in a loss to NC State on Jan. 24. The Panthers’ last win was an 80-76 overtime victory over Wake Forest on Jan. 27. Since then, their offense has stalled, failing to reach 70 points in four consecutive losses. North Carolina’s offense, which averages over 83 points per game, will pose a significant challenge for a Pittsburgh defense that has allowed an average of 78.6 points during its current 1-7 skid. This is the only scheduled meeting between the teams this regular season. Following this game, North Carolina travels to face rival NC State on Tuesday, while Pittsburgh hosts Notre Dame on Feb. 21. Tipoff is set for Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026.