PITTSBURGH (AP) Xavier Johnson could have chosen a cliche, something about how no one game is more important than any other. Instead, the Pittsburgh point guard went the other way.

Two years ago, the Panthers went winless in the Atlantic Coast Conference. On Saturday they completed their first-ever season sweep of North Carolina by using a dominant first half en route to a 66-52 victory. And while the reeling and injury ravaged Tar Heels are a bit of a mess at the moment, they're still one of college basketball's blue bloods. And Johnson knows it.

"It's big time," Johnson said after scoring 20 points to go with six rebounds and six assists against just two turnovers. "It's rare."