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Duke’s Parker unleashes on Carolina for 30 points

By
Cliff Barnes
– March 9, 2014Posted in: Duke, Featured stories, The skinny, UNC

Jabari Parker.

Jabari Parker.

With North Carolina’s James Michael McAdoo saddled with foul trouble, Duke’s freshman Jabari Parker unleashed on the Heels with a season-high 30 points to lead the Blue Devils to a 93-81 victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The loss dropped the Tar Heels to the fourth seed in the ACC Tournament while Duke moved to the third seed. Both teams, however, get first-round byes.

Duke also got 24 points from another underclassman, sophomore Rodney Hood, on the Blue Devils’ senior night.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski said it was the first time this year that both Parker and Hood have been “sensational” in the same game.

The Blue Devils, who led by 13 in the first half but by only three at the half, came out hot in the second half, hitting six threes and led 74-55, the largest lead of the game, with just 8:26 to go.

But the Tar Heels scratched back with Marcus Paige leading the way. Down 12 with 2:49 left, Paige double pumped a three from the top of the key and was fouled. He converted the four-point play to pull the Heels within eight.

Following a Duke turnover under pressure, Paige put up another three but when it bounced up, UNC’s Brice Johnson dunked it while it was still in the cylinder for an offensive interference. Had the three not gone down, Johnson was right there for a stick back so the lead could have been cut to six or five.

Instead, Duke hit free throw after free throw to come away with the 12-point victory. The Blue Devils outscored the Heels by 13 from the free throw line as they hit an amazing 27 of 31 including 12 in the last 2:18.

But both coaches agreed that rebounding was the biggest key. “Going into the game I thought rebounding was an area where we could have an advantage but they killed us,” UNC coach Roy Williams said, referring to the 32-18 rebounding edge for the Devils.

It was the lowest number of rebounds the Tar Heels have pulled down in a game this season. It didn’t help that McAdoo was limited by foul trouble and big-man Kennedy Meeks was sidelined most of the game with a stomach illness.

In addition to leading all scorers, Duke’s Parker led all rebounders with 11 boards. “Whatever ‘it’ is, Jabari had it,” Coach Williams said making reference to Coach K’s statement after the first game between the two teams that his team just didn’t have it. “He was possessed.”

Paige, who had three second-half three-pointers, led four Tar Heels in double figures with 24 points.

For more on the game, please click here.

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Va. Tech wins title despite individual championships for UNC, NCSU wrestlers

By
Cliff Barnes
– March 8, 2014Posted in: Featured stories, N.C. State, UNC

accwrestlingHost Virginia Tech, led by junior Devin Carter who was named the ACC’s Most Valuable Wrestler, won three of the first four championship bouts and went on to claim its second straight Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestling Championship Saturday night at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va.

The Tournament was the 60th Annual Wrestling Championship held by the ACC.

Before a crowd of over 2,344 fans at Tech’s Cassell Coliseum, Virginia Tech scored 87 points to outdistance Pitt (67), Virginia (61.5), North Carolina (38.0), Maryland (37.5), NC State (33.5), and Duke (18).

Tech, ranked 16th nationally, and coached by Kevin Dresser, received a boost in their lineup just before the Tournament as Carter, who is 14-0 on the year, was given medical clearance to wrestle after missing more than two months due to the hamstring injury.

The Hokies used strong efforts in the consolation rounds to claim a 10-point lead

In the Tournament heading into the championship round as Chris Moon (165), Nick Vetterlein (184) and Ty Walz (Hwt.) all earned third-place finishes.

“Today, 10 guys came together and had an awesome day,” said Dresser . “It is all about how you finish in this sport and we finished the ACC season with an almost-perfect day. We’re going to enjoy this one for a while and then head off to Oklahoma City.

“But the future around here is extremely bright for Virginia Tech wrestling. This crowd today was awesome. They got into it and got loud. I told my guys for the last two weeks that they needed to show some emotion after matches. I needed to see some fist pumps and some flexing and some celebrating because wrestling is a long season and that’s what the end of the season is all about. I knew having it in Cassell Coliseum that it would be extremely loud all day and the fans didn’t disappoint.”

Pitt, ranked 10th nationally in their first season under coach Jason Peters, placed five wrestlers in to the championship finals but failed to capitalize on that advantage as Carter and Zach Neibert at 149 claimed wins over Pitts Edgar Bright and Mikey Racciato, respectively.

The Panthers, who were undefeated in six ACC dual meets to take the ACC regular season title, received only a win from Tyler Wilps (Oakdale, Pa.) at 174 pounds.

North Carolina’s Nathan Kraisser (Ellicott City, Md.) got Pitt off to a rough start by defeating Pitt’s Anthony Zanetta with a 5-3 sudden win in overtime if the 125-pound championship match.

Virginia Tech freshman Dennis Gustafson (Woodbridge, Va.) then set the tone for the Hokies with a dominating 11-0 major decision at 133 over Maryland’s Tyler Goodwin.

The Hokies’ Carter (Christiansburg, Va.), in only his second match since suffering a major hamstring injury which required surgery, captured a hard-fought 6-1 win over Pitt’s Edgar Bright. It was the third ACC title for Carter, a junior, who previously had won league crowns in 2011 and 2012 at 133 pounds. He becomes the 41st wrestler in league history to win three individual titles, the 21st to do so in more than one weight class.

He was named the Tournament MVP in voting by the ACC head coaches.

“It’s a nice, sentimental award, but Dennis Gustafson deserves this as much as I do,” Carter said. “He’s a true freshman who put up bonus points in all three matches and won 11-0 in the finals. Three weeks ago, I thought I’d be a spectactor along with everyone else at this event and to do all this, capped by the Outstanding Wrestler award, is just amazing.”

He becomes the fifth Virginia Tech wrestler and third straight to be named the ACC’s Wrestling Tournament MVP joining Jon Bonilla-Bowman (2007), Matt Epperly (2008), Pete Yates (2012) and Jarrod Garnett (2013).

Virginia Tech’s 149-pound senior Zach Neibert (Dayton, Ohio) kept the momentum going for the Hokies with a dramatic 3-1 sudden victory in overtime against Pitt’s Mikey Racciato to put a strong hold on the championship.

In all, Tech had four individual champions as senior Chris Penny (Virginia Beach, Va.) downed Virginia’s Zach Nye, 10-6, at 197 pounds to join Gustafson, Carter and Neibert in the winners

Virginia’s Nick Sulzer (Cleveland, Ohio), the nation’s No. 2-ranked wrestler at 165 pounds was one of two Cavaliers to claim titles. Sulzer improved to 32-1 on the year with a 7-1 decision over North Carolina sophomore John Michael Staudenmayer. Blaise Butler (Belvidere, Ill.) also captured the title at 157 by downing NC State’s Thomas Gantt, 3-2.

Maryland Jimmy Sheptock (Northhampton, Pa.), the nation’s top-ranked wrestler at 184 pounds joined Carter in winning his third ACC wrestling title, when he took a 3-1 decision of Pitt’s Max Thomusseit. Thomusseit entered the Tournament ranked fifth nationally. Sheptock captured the 174-pound conference title in 2012, then won in 2013 at 184. Sheptock improved to 27-0 on the year with the win, his second of the year against Thomusseit. He is the 42nd ACC wrestler to win three individual titles and the 22nd to do it in more than one weight class.

NC State’s Nick Gwiazdowski (Delanson, N.Y.), the nation’s third-ranked heavyweight, continued his winning ways, downing two-time ACC champion Spencer Myers, 10-4, in the final match of the night. Gwiazdowksi is now 37-2 on the year.

Both the ACC individual champions and runners-up were also named to the All-ACC wrestling team and a total of 34 ACC wrestlers earned automatic bids to this year’s NCAA Championship, which will be held March 20-22 in Oklahoma City, Ok.

ACC Team Results

1. Virginia Tech , 87
2. Pitt, 67
3. Virginia, 61.5
4. North Carolina, 38.0
5. Maryland, 37.5
6. NC State, 33.5
7. Duke, 18.0

ACC Individual Championship Results

125—Nathan Kraisser (UNC) d. Anthony Zanetta (Pitt), 5-3, sudden victory OT
133—Dennis Gustafson (VT) major decision over Tyler Goodwin (Md.), 11-0
141—Devin Carter (VT) d. Edgar Bright (Pitt), 6-1
149—Zach Neibert (VT) d. Mikey Racciato (Pitt), 3-1, sudden victory OT
157—Blaise Butler (UVa) d. Tommy Gantt (NCS), 3-2
165—Nick Sulzer (UVa) d. John Staudenmayer (UNC), 7-1
174—Tyler Wilps (Pitt) d. Stephen Doty (UVa), 7-2
184—Jimmy Sheptock (Md.) d. Max Thomusseit (Pitt), 3-1.
197—Chris Penny (VT) d. Zach Nye (UVa), 10-6
Hwt.—Nick Gwiazdowski (NCS) d. Spencer Myers (Md.), 10-4.

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Duke melts down in last five minutes, loses to Wake

By
Cliff Barnes
– March 5, 2014Posted in: Duke, Featured stories

dukelogoWake Forest, losers in eight of its previous nine games, upset Duke on the Deacons’ final home game,

Duke melted down in the last six minutes or so as the Blue Devils went five of those minutes without scoring a field goal. Wake Forest went on a 17-0 run that saw the Deacs go from seven down to 10 ahead at 76-66.

During one stretch late Duke turned the ball over four times, missed four threes and missed a layup.

Wake Forest was led by sophomore Tyler Cavanaugh with 20 points while senior Travis McKie scored 19. Jabari Parker, who was saddled with foul trouble, led Duke with 19 points.

Duke concludes the regular season Saturday night by hosting UNC. The Blue Devils need a win to tie the Tar Heels for third place.

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Hurricanes deal Ruutu to New Jersey for young center, conditional pick

By
Cliff Barnes
– March 5, 2014Posted in: Canes, Featured stories

Andrei Loktionov.

Andrei Loktionov.

The Carolina Hurricanes today announced that the team has acquired center Andrei Loktionov (ahn-DRAY lawk-too-OH-nawf) and a conditional draft pick from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for forward Tuomo Ruutu.

“Andrei is a young, skilled forward who will play on our power play,” said Jim Rutherford, Canes President and General Manager. “Tuomo was a good player for the Hurricanes and we thank him for his contributions to our organization over the past seven years.”

Loktionov, 23, has totaled four goals and eight assists (12 points) in 48 games with New Jersey during his first full NHL season.

The Hurricanes save a huge amount of cap hit (up to $4 million) while acquiring a younger player who fits the team while also tacking on an above-median draft pick as well.

Loktionov, a Voskresensk, Russia native, made his NHL debut for Los Angeles during the 2009-10 season before suffering a shoulder injury. He returned to action the following year, and was a member of the Kings’ Stanley Cup Championship team in 2011-12. Los Angeles’ seventh pick, 123rd overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Loktionov (5’10”, 180 lbs.) has totaled 38 points (19g, 19a) and 20 penalty minutes in 135 career games with Los Angeles and New Jersey. His career statistics are below.

The Hurricanes return to Raleigh today and host the New York Rangers at PNC Arena on Friday (7 p.m., SportSouth, Hurricanes Radio Network).

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Two Duke women, one each from State and Carolina make first team all ACC

By
Cliff Barnes
– March 4, 2014Posted in: Duke, Featured stories, N.C. State, UNC

Tricia Liston.

Tricia Liston.

GREENSBORO – The 2013-14 All-ACC Women’s Basketball Team as selected by the Blue Ribbon Panel was announced Tuesday by Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford.

An All-ACC First Team and an All-ACC Second Team were voted on by the league’s Blue Ribbon Panel, which consists of national and local media members, as well as school representatives.

Unbeaten Notre Dame, which will enter this week’s ACC Women’s Tournament as the No. 1 seed, led the way with three total selections. The Fighting Irish guard tandem of senior Kayla McBride and sophomore Jewel Loyd were voted to the first team, while senior forward Natalie Achonwa is a second-team honoree.

Four first-team players from last season are repeat selections this year in two-time ACC Player of the Year Alyssa Thomas of Maryland, Duke junior Elizabeth Williams, Florida State senior Natasha Howard and Georgia Tech senior Tyaunna Marshall. Duke’s Trisha Liston, a second-team selection in 2013, was named to this year’s All-ACC first team.

Rounding out the 10-member first team are North Carolina freshman Diamond DeShields, NC State senior Markeisha Gatling and Wake Forest junior Dearica Hamby.

Joining Notre Dame’s Achonwa on the second team are NC State senior Kody Burke, Georgia Tech freshman Kaela Davis, Syracuse sophomore Brittney Sykes and Virginia Tech senior Uju Ugoka.

Loyd leads Notre Dame in scoring at 18.4 points per game, while McBride averages 17.7 points per game while shooting 87.4 percent from the foul line and is handing out 3.9 assists per contests.

Wake Forest’s Hamby closed the regular season leading the ACC in both scoring (21.7 ppg) and in rebounding (10.9). Maryland’s Thomas ranks fourth among ACC scorers at 18.7 points per game and is just behind Hamby among leading rebounders at 10.8.

Duke’s Williams is scoring at a 13.9 ppg clip while pulling down 7.3 rebounds per game and leading all shot blockers with 2.9 per outing. Liston leads the Blue Devils in scoring at 17.9 points per game while shooting an ACC-leading 50 percent from 3-point range (79-of-158).

Florida State’s Howard’s 20.6 points per game rank second in the conference, and she is fourth in rebounding at 9.1 per game. Georgia Tech’s Marshall is third in scoring at 19.7 ppg and ranks second in steals at 2.6 per contest

North Carolina’s DeShields emerged as an immediate contributor for the Tar Heels, scoring 17.7 points per game. NC State’s Gatling leads the ACC in field goal percentage at 67.7 percent while scoring 19.2 points per game.

Notre Dame’s Achonwa earned second team honors after averaging 14.7 points per game and grabbing 7.7 rebound per contest during the regular season. NC State’s Burke averages 15.1 points per game and ranks among the ACC’s leading free-throw shooters at 86.4 percent. Georgia Tech’s Davis is sixth in the ACC in scoring (18.4 ppg) and ranks fifth in made 3-point shots (76).

Syracuse’s Sykes averages 17.1 ppg while shooting 51.5 percent from the floor. Virginia Tech’s Ugoka ranks ninth among ACC scorers at 18.3 ppg and third among rebounders with 9.5 per contest.

UNC’s DeShields and Georgia Tech’s Davis were also voted to the Blue Ribbon Panel’s ACC All-Freshman Team announced on Tuesday. They are joined by Maryland’s Lexie Brown, North Carolina’s Allisha Gray and Miami’s Adrienne Motley.

Brown played a key role in the Terrapins’ backcourt her freshman year, ranking fifth among all ACC players in assists with 4.3 per game and ranking second in assist/turnover ratio at 2.1. UNC’s Gray averages 14.4 ppg and ranks fourth in ACC 3-point shooting at 41.9 percent. Miami’s Motley leads the Hurricanes in scoring at 10.9 ppg and in assists at 2.6 per contest.

The ACC will announce its Player, Freshman and Coach of the Year as selected by the Blue Ribbon Panel on Wednesday, March 5. The Defensive and Sixth Player of Year will also be announced that same day.

The 37th Annual ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament tips off at 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 5, and will conclude with the 7 p.m. championship contest on Sunday, March 9. The title game will be televised on ESPN, and Saturday’s 5 p.m and 7:30 p.m. semifinal games will be shown nationally via ESPNU. All 11 games on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday will be broadcast on the league’s regional sports network (RSN). The entire tournament can also be seen on ESPN3 and WatchESPN.

Blue Ribbon Panel All-ACC Team

First Team All-ACC

Diamond DeShields, Fr., G, North Carolina
Markeisha Gatling, Sr., C, NC State
Dearica Hamby, Jr., F, Wake Forest
Natasha Howard, Sr., F, Florida State
Tricia Liston, Sr., G, Duke
Jewell Loyd, So., G, Notre Dame
Tyaunna Marshall, Sr., G, Georgia Tech
Kayla McBride, Sr., G, Notre Dame
Alyssa Thomas, Sr., F, Maryland
Elizabeth Williams, Jr., C/F, Duke

Second Team All-ACC

Natalie Achonwa, Sr., F, Notre Dame
Kody Burke, Sr., F, NC State
Kaela Davis, Fr., G, Georgia Tech
Brittney Sykes, So., G, Syracuse
Uju Ugoka, Sr., F, Virginia Tech

Blue Ribbon Panel All-Freshman Team

Lexie Brown, Fr., G, Maryland
Kaela Davis, Fr., G, Georgia Tech
Diamond DeShields, Fr., G, North Carolina
Allisha Gray, Fr., G North Carolina
Adrienne Motley, Fr. G, Miami

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Warren shows heart, fire in dropping 41 in win over Pitt

By
Cliff Barnes
– March 3, 2014Posted in: Featured stories, N.C. State

TJ Warren.

TJ Warren.

TJ Warren can carry a team and NC State needed carrying as the Pack seeks an NCAA tournament bid. Warren scored a career-high 41 points to lead State over Pittsburgh 74-67 on the road.

“Phenomenal,” Wolfpack coach Mark Gottfried said of Warren’s performance. “We’re not dead yet.”

Warren scored 26 points in the second half including 12 points during a 17-3 run that saw the Pack go from nine down to five ahead.

A driving layup by Warren tied it at 44 and a floater in the lane with 13:04 left put State on top 48-46 for the first lead change of the game.

Pitt cut the margin to one several times but never could tie or take the lead the rest of the way. With State ahead just 69-67 with more than two minutes to play, Warren fittingly scored four of the last five points of the game.

“He made so many shots one after another and the other guys recognized that,” Gottfried said. “It was still a great team win because so many guys did so many things.”

State, now 18-12 overall and 8-9 in the ACC, turned the ball over just six times and outrebounded Pitt 35-23.

The last Wolfpack player to score 40 or more points was Rodney Monroe in 1991.

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Heels survive drought to edge Irish

By
Cliff Barnes
– March 3, 2014Posted in: Featured stories, UNC

uncbasketballclipartNorth Carolina, up by 14 at the half, went cold in the second half just when Notre Dame was getting hot but a 7-0 run late righted the ship as the Tar Heels won their 12th straight game on Senior Night 63-61. (3/3)

Carolina, which led by as many as 15 points in the first half, managed just two baskets in the first 10 minutes of the second half. On the other side, Notre Dame’s Pat Connaughton came out hot hitting his first four shots of the second half, including a three-point shot and an old-fashioned three-point play.

After a three by Steve Vasturia, Notre Dame took the lead for the first time in the game at 47-46 with 14:14 left in the game.

Over the next eight minutes, neither team did much combining for just seven points as the game was tied at 50 with 6:12 to go. That served Notre Dame’s deliberate style.

Vasturia, who had fouled Nate Britt hard minutes earlier, scored on a layup with 3:57 left to put the Irish on top 56-54 amid boos from the Carolina crowd.

Over the next two and a half minutes, the Tar Heels went on an 7-0 run. James Michael McAdoo hit one of two free throws to start the run. He continued it with a big shot in the lane to put the Heels up for good at 57-56.

UNC’s Brice Johnson scored on a reverse layup to give the Heels a 59-56. He was fouled and had a chance to make it a two-possession game with just 2:25 left but he missed the foul shot.

After a Vasturia miss, Carolina ate some clock and scored on a JP Tokoto short jumper late in the shot clock to put the Heels up 61-56 with 1:24 left.

The Tar Heels couldn’t quite put it away as their best free throw shooter Marcus Paige missed two of four. As a result, Notre Dame’s Eric Atkins, who led the Irish with 21 points, had a chance to tie it with a driving layup at the buzzer but Paige blocked the shot and the Tar Heels escaped with the victory.

To read more on the game, please click here.

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State’s Gottfried to speak at Raleigh Sports Club

By
Cliff Barnes
– March 3, 2014Posted in: Featured stories, N.C. State

Mark Gottfried.

Mark Gottfried.

NC State basketball coach Mark Gottfried will be the speaker at the Wednesday, March 5 meeting of the Raleigh Sports Club. Coach Gottfried will discuss the Wolfpack’s basketball season and overall program.

The RSC will honor local Wake County student athlete Lauren Panella, a softball player at Middle Creek High School, for outstanding achievement in the classroom, community and on the field.

Meetings are held in Bradley Hall in Highland UMC, 1901 Ridge Road at the intersection of Lake Boone Trail, just inside the Raleigh Beltline. Buffet lines open at 11:30 a.m. and the meeting starts at 12 noon. See http://www.raleighsportsclub.org/ for details.

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State’s Davis wins ACC softball player of the week honors

By
Cliff Barnes
– March 3, 2014Posted in: Featured stories, N.C. State

Renada Davis.

Renada Davis.

NC State shortstop Renada Davis has been named this week’s Atlantic Coast Conference Softball Player of the Week.

Davis led the Wolfpack at the plate in the last four games, as she hit .462 in those contests with six hits, three home runs and seven RBI. Davis homered twice in the 15-0 rout of St. Bonaventure to record her first multi-homer game of the season.

She hit home runs in consecutive plate appearances, as she blasted a solo shot in the second inning and a two-run homer in the fourth inning. Her final RBI of the contest came in the fifth inning on a single to left field.

In game one of the Virginia series, Davis picked right up where she left off on Tuesday, hitting a solo homer over the fence in right center on the second pitch of the game. She later singled in the game to drive in her second run of the game.

Davis doubled in the second game of the doubleheader to extend her hit streak to seven games, before having it snapped in the final game of the series on Sunday.

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Triangle area wrestlers seek to qualify for NCAA championship

By
Cliff Barnes
– March 3, 2014Posted in: Duke, Featured stories, N.C. State, UNC

Nick Gwiazdowski.

Nick Gwiazdowski.

Pitt, which was unbeaten this year in Atlantic Coast Conference dual meets to capture the regular season ACC title, heads into this Saturday’s ACC Wrestling Championship looking to fend off challenges by 12th-ranked Virginia and 16th-ranked Virginia Tech to claim its first ACC Championship of any kind.

In addition to an ACC title, the wrestlers will be competing for a total of 34 qualifier allocations for 2014 NCAA Wrestling Championship, which will be held March 20-22 in Oklahoma City, Okla.

NC State sophomore Nick Gwiazdowski (Delanson, N.Y.) is rated as the nation’s No. 3 wrestler in the heavyweight division after posting a 35-2 dual match record including an overtime win over the nation’s top-ranked heavyweight, Michael McMullan of Northwestern. Gwiazdowski will also face competition in the ACC Tournament from two other nationally-ranked wrestlers in his own division in Myers of Maryland and Pitt’s Tasser. The Wolfpack of coach Pat Popolizio also feature freshman Pete Renda (Topton, Pa.), who is ranked 19th nationally in the 174-pound weight class.

North Carolina, coached by former national champion C.D. Mock, is led by Henderson and 125-pound sophomore Nathan Kraisser (Ellicott City, Md.), who is ranked 17th nationally in his weight class and who reached the finals of the ACC Tournament last year before losing.

Duke, coached by Glen Lanham, is led by 197-pound sophomore Connor Hartmann (Port Orchard, Wash.) who is ranked 20th by the Division I Coaches Ranking Panel and has posted a 22-8 record, and 157-pound junior Immanuel Kerr-Brown (Rome, Ga.), who is 22-10 overall on the year, and 5-1 in ACC dual meet competition, and is rated 24th nationally by the same panel.

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