The NCAA Tournament hopes for North Carolina basketball took another hit after a 73-65 loss at Pittsburgh Tuesday night, marking a third defeat in the last four games. The Tar Heels’ late-game struggles, including a three-minute scoring drought, highlighted on ongoing concern regarding a lack of leadership on this roster. The Panthers closed the game with a 9-0 run to secure the win in a tight ACC showdown. As Pittsburgh guard Ishmael Leggett prepared to shoot free throws with less than 30 seconds remaining, ESPN analyst and former Duke star Jay Williams delivered a harsh assessment of the UNC performance down the stretch.

“I can tell you what you want to go through North Carolina’s players’ minds right now,” Williams said on the broadcast. “They are all fragmented on the court. Look at Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is huddling in the middle of the court. It already looks as if — with 24.9 seconds left to go, North Carolina being down only four points — that the game feels over. None of them have huddled. None of them have talked to each other. 

“And this is what Hubert Davis has been talking about, about the lack of leadership on this team. Look, I know they’re down five. But you’re never out of it until you’re out of it. But you need to have communication about what you’re doing next and about what you’re going to run offensively, what you need to be in defensively and there’s no quit in your voice.”

UNC took a 65-64 lead on a tough drive and left-handed finish by guard Elliot Cadeau with 3:23 remaining. However, the Tar Heels missed their last seven shots from the field as Pittsburgh buried a go-ahead 3-pointer to take a 67-65 advantage with 2:35 remaining before pulling away. The Panthers outscored UNC 14-2 in the final five-plus minutes of action.

After UNC beat Boston College in overtime Saturday afternoon, coach Hubert Davis addressed the ongoing issues with consistency, stressing the need for urgency from the start of the game.

“I don’t know. This group has always found it,” Davis said, via Inside Carolina. “I think they have found it when they have needed it. And it’s needed at the jump ball, and that’s something that’s just going to have to change.”

Although Pittsburgh separated itself for an eight-point win Tuesday night, UNC has struggled this season in close games, posting a 6-6 record in contests decided by six points or less.

UNC visits rival Duke on Saturday in Durham. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET. Davis dismissed the idea postgame Tuesday that the Tobacco Road Rivalry could serve as a chance for the Tar Heels to regroup.

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“Saturday is we’ll prepare, we’ll practice, and we’ll play with the same type of competitive enthusiasm that we played with tonight,” Davis said, via Inside Carolina. “I don’t believe in one game. I think every game is a Super Bowl. Whether it’s a preseason game, anytime you get a chance to step out (on the floor).”

Inside Carolina’s Adam Smith contributed to this article.