Category Archives: Featured stories

State outshoots UNC to cap miraculous ACC title run

After winning four games in four days, including one miraculous overtime, N.C. State seemed destined to win it’s first ACC Tournament title since 1987. And that’s just what the Wolfpack did, outshooting North Carolina 55 percent to 37 percent in an 84-76 win in D.C. (3/16) 

“I’m on top of the world,” said Raleigh native D.J. Horne, who scored 29 points to pace the Wolfpack. Horne propelled State to an early nine-point lead at 20-11.

Carolina was able to catch up over the next six minutes and even took a 40-39 halftime lead when Cormac Ryan hit a three from the left corner at the buzzer.

But D.J. Burns, the tournament’s most valuable player, backed in and scored to give State a 45-43 lead with 18:13 left in the game. The Wolfpack, which led 33 minutes of the game, never trailed again.

It stayed close with the Pack’s lead fluctuating from three to eight points until breaking it open at the end. UNC’s RJ Davis scored on a 15 footer to pull the Heels within five at 67-62 with 6:05 to go.

After a Carolina turnover, Casey Morsell answered with an open three to put State in command at 70-62. Free throws by Horne gave the Wolfpack its largest lead to that point at 72-62 with just over four minutes to go.

The Tar Heels pressure defense forced several turnovers down the stretch but they couldn’t capitalize as the Heels missed 12 of their last 13 shots, several of which were open threes. Carolina hit just three of their 18 three-point attempts in the second half and finished a dismal eight of 30 from beyond the arc.

“Our pace wasn’t up to par,” said UNC’s RJ Davis, who had a game-high 30 points but it took him 26 shots to get there.

UNC coach Hubert Davis blamed the defense for not getting stops in order to give the offense an opportunity to get fastbreak points. “We just couldn’t guard them tonight,” he said adding that the Heels will once again go back to its mantra of defense, rebounding and taking care of the ball as they head into the NCAA Tournament.

State, now 22-14, will get the ACC automatic bid to the NCAA tourney. “Winning five games in five nights is a miracle,” an emotional Wolfpack coach Kevin Keatts said. “We’ve got to get some rest because, guess what, we’re going to the NCAA tournament.”

One big reason for that is the 280-pound Burns, who hit his first three-pointer of the season and scored 20 points going nine of 12 from the floor. “I allowed him to get the ball where he wanted,” said Armando Bacot, who scored 18 himself. “When he gets it there, it’s hard to stop him.”

UNC falls to 27-7 having now lost seven of the last 10 times it has played in the ACC Tournament finals. The Tar Heels now wait to see if they can still secure a No. 1 seed and opening games in Charlotte.

For a box score and more on the game, please click here.

How NC State basketball secured a spot in the ACC Tournament final

For the first time since 2007, NC State basketball is in the championship game of the ACC Tournament. The 10th-seeded Wolfpack continued its impressive, improbable run at the 71st edition of the event with a 73-65 win against Virginia in overtime at Capital One Arena. NC State, which outscored the Cavaliers 15-7 in the extra period, has won four games in as many days. Now, they play North Carolina for the title. Please click here for more.

Vets Bacot, Davis lead Heels to finals, 72-65 over Pitt

When it came down to getting into the ACC Tournament finals, it took two veteran North Carolina players – Armando Bacot handling the inside chores and RJ Davis the outside job – to push the Tar Heels to a tough 72-65 victory over Pittsburgh. (3/15) 

Bacot got yet another double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds to tie Ralph Sampson for the second most in NCAA history. Meanwhile, RJ Davis scored 25 points to reach the 2,000-point mark for his career.

Davis scored nine of the the Tar Heels last 10 points as Carolina broke a 62-62 tie over the last four minutes to win going away.

“RJ has been our closer all year,” Bacot said of Davis. But it also took Bacot’s inside game down the stretch as Davis (11) and Bacot (7) combined for the Tar Heels’ last 18 points of the game.

“It’s just incredible to have two players like that on my team,” said Harrison Ingram, who transferred in this season from Stanford.

Bacot and Davis praised Ingram for his defense on Pitt’s Blake Hinson, who averaged 19 points a game but only got five points in this game.

It was Carlton Carrington who handled most of the scoring load for Pitt as he scored 16 of his 24 points in the first half when the Panthers held the lead. Pitt went on a 13-0 run early to control most of the first half, settling for a 35-33 lead at the break.

UNC’s Seth Trimble clamped down on Carrington in the second half. After Elliott Cadeau placed a bounce pass in traffic to Davis for a layup and a foul, Carolina took the lead at 43-42 with 15 minutes to go and never trailed again.

The lead never got higher than seven points, however, and an 8-2 Pitt run tied it at 62 with just over four minutes to go. That’s when Davis hit a three from the top of the key and followed that up, less than two minutes later, with a three from the right side.

Bacot rebounds and Davis free throws wrapped it up.

Pitt, playing for its NCAA Tournament bid life, was aggressive from the start and got into some foul trouble in the first half with the two big men – Guillermo Diaz-Graham and Frederiko Frederiko – trying to cover Bacot.

Pitt falls to 22-11 while the Tar Heels improve to 27-6 overall, and advance to tomorrow’s 8:30 p.m. championship game against N.C. State or Virginia.

For a box score and more on the game, please click here.

Sticky D, fastbreak offense lead Heels over FSU

There was no letdown for North Carolina after an emotional win at Duke as the No. 1 seeded Tar Heels used an aggressive defense to run past Florida State 92-67 in the ACC Tournament. (3/14)

“Everybody knows their role,” said UNC’s Elliott Cadeau, who had eight points, four rebounds, six assists and three steals. “We have good chemistry. We’re a good team.”

Carolina not only controlled the boards (47-20 rebounds) but the Tar Heels had a season-high 26 fastbreak points.

Armando Bacot, who scored 12 of his points 14 in the first half, pounded the offensive boards in the first half to help Carolina open up a game that was only 20-19 UNC with eight minutes to go in the opening stanza.

It was ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis, however, who spearheaded a 12-0 run late in the first half. First he came up with a steal that led to a run-out layup and then half a minute later he drilled a transition three.

After a battling Bacot layin – following the Heels getting multiple chances on the possession – Carolina led by 19 at 46-27.

A 10-2 Tar Heel run over just two minutes early in the second half gave Carolina its biggest lead to that point at 62-41 following a Davis swished transition three with 14:34 left in the game.

The lead got as high as 27 on several occasions with the first coming on a Jae’Lyn Withers three from the right wing with 3:54 to go which made it 84-57.

UNC coach Hubert Davis said the Tar Heels got going once they increased the pace. “It was one of our most complete games of the season,” he said, noting that the rebounding and speedy UNC guards led to the Heels getting opportunities off the break. 

Davis led four Tar Heels in double figures with 18 points. Bacot and Cormac Ryan each scored 14 while Seth Trimble came off the bench to score 12, including a poster-worthy dunk down the lane.

Florida State was led by Primo Spears 17 points.

The Tar Heels improve to 26-6 overall, and advance to tomorrow’s matchup with either Wake Forest or Pitt.

For a box score, a highlight video and more on the game, please click here.

‘RJ, you f*cker, I wanna kill you’ – silence is deafening

Duke coach Jon Scheyer completely ignored water bottles and debris being thrown at players but pleaded for the same group of students to accept his apology for the performance of his team. The optics of this are horrible. What could be worse? Death threats without consequences. Some are saying the heckler says, “I’m gonna kill you” rather than “I wanna kill you.” Listen for yourself. Please click here for more.

NC State pulls away in shootout win over Louisville

NC State flirted with adversity but senior guards Michael O’Connell and Casey Morsell came up big to lead the Wolfpack a 94-85 win over Louisville on Tuesday in the ACC Tournament in Washington, D.C. Morsell had his second biggest scoring game of the season with 25 points and he made all 13 free throws to lead the way. He helped offset the explosive performance by Louisville sophomore guard Skyy Clark, who erupted for seven three-pointers and 36 points. Please click here for more.

Blue Devils going after their own Crazies

Duke sports website had this to say about the Cameron Crazies following their latest antics against Carolina: After we heard some of what was said, amazingly, we had to side with those players – against you. Our reaction would have been much the same. You can’t treat people that way. You just can’t. Those guys, to their credit, kept their composure and responded only after they won the game. Please click here for more.