Preview: Pittsburgh Panthers at North Carolina Tar Heels CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (Interstat) — The North Carolina women’s basketball team, riding high in Atlantic Coast Conference play, will look to continue its successful season when it hosts the struggling Pittsburgh Panthers on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, at the Dean Smith Center. The Tar Heels (22-6, 12-3 ACC) enter the matchup following a gritty 66-63 overtime road victory at Virginia Tech on Thursday. North Carolina has won eight of its last nine games, with its only recent setback a narrow four-point loss at Duke. Senior forward Nyla Harris has been a consistent force, averaging 14.1 points over her last seven contests. She logged 42 minutes and scored 15 points in the win over the Hokies. Conversely, Pittsburgh (8-20, 1-14) is mired in a 10-game losing streak, most recently falling 84-68 to Georgia Tech at home on Thursday. The Panthers’ lone ACC win this season came on Jan. 8 against Boston College. Despite the team’s struggles, junior guard Theresa Hagans has been a bright spot, averaging 17.1 points per game during the losing skid. She exploded for 33 points in a one-point loss at SMU on Feb. 15. North Carolina won the season’s first meeting decisively, 80-54, in Pittsburgh on Jan. 4. Harris led all scorers with 19 points in that contest. The Tar Heels, currently second in the ACC standings, will rely on their defense, which ranks among the conference’s best, to contain Hagans and secure a season sweep. Pittsburgh will aim to leverage Hagans’ scoring prowess and find secondary offense to spring a major road upset before returning home to face Miami (Fla.) on Feb. 26. North Carolina continues a key stretch of conference play, traveling to Virginia on Thursday before a rematch with Duke on March 1.