Cardinal Gibbons junior Genevieve Harris has been named the Gatorade North Carolina Player of the Year in volleyball. Harris, a 5-foot-11 setter, who helped Gibbons to a perfect 22-0 record this past fall, including a win in the N.C. High School Athletic Association 4A state championship. Please click here for more.
UNC’s JWash comes up big in ugly thriller over Pack
In the last 30 seconds in Raleigh, North Carolina’s Jalen Washington dunked one in and kept one out with a block to give the Tar Heels a 63-61 over N.C. State. (1/11)
It was an ugly game for both teams as the Wolfpack scored a season-low 20 points hitting only 22 percent of their shots in the first half and the Tar Heels turned the ball over 12 times and missed half their free throws.
The Wolfpack shot better in the second half, at one point hitting five straight shots to erase a nine-point Carolina lead. UNC’s Ian Jackson, who scored a game-high 21 points, drilled a three from the right sideline to give the Heels a 56-47 lead with 5:51 to go.
That’s when State went to work, outscoring Carolina 12-2 over the next three minutes to take a 59-58 lead on a jumper by Marcus Hill, who led the Pack with 20 points.
Jackson hit another three from the right side with under two minutes to go to put the Heels back up 61-59 but 30 seconds later Hill responded by driving around Heels for a layup to tie it at 61.
UNC’s RJ Davis missed an open jumper with just over a minute to play but the Carolina defense forced a turnover on the other end with 41 seconds to go. Eliot Cadeau, who had turned the ball over twice during State’s 12-2 run, dribbled low but was stiffled when he hooked an over-the-shoulder pass to Washington who promptly dunked it.
“I went to an open spot and Eliot made an incredible pass,” said Washington, who was doused with cold water by teammates in the lockerroom in celebration. On the defensive end, he anticipated the Jayden Taylor runner to the left of the lane, blocked it and came up with the loose ball as the clock expired.
Washington, who has been considered the weak link in Carolina’s starting five, more than held his own this time throughout the game. He had six points and seven rebounds in the first half as the Heels led 26-20 at the break. He finished with his first career double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, along with three blocked shots.
UNC coach Hubert Davis said that Washington is playing with more confidence and, as a result Coach Davis has more confidence in Washington as he indicated that he is counting on the 6-foot-10 junior to be the presence the team has needed in the paint. But he named nearly every Tar Heel as making a positive impact.
“Whatever it took to come up with a win on the road the guys did today,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said. “Our guys made impactful plays on both ends of the court.”
While Hill was the offensive leader for the Wolfpack, Ben Middlebrooks kept the home team in the game with a career-high 14 rebounds for State, which falls to 9-7 overall and 2-3 in the ACC.
The Tar Heels, who host Cal Wednesday at 7 p.m., improve to 11-6 overall and 4-1 in the conference.
Tar Heels never trail in impressive victory over SMU
North Carolina played perhaps its most complete game of the season in an 82-67 home victory over a good SMU team. (1/7)
With the score tied at 6-all, Carolina went on a 14-4 run highlighted by two three pointers by freshman Drake Powell and a three by fifth-year senior RJ Davis, who broke out of a shooting slump. Powell had four of UNC’s 11 threes while Davis and Ian Jackson each added three.
Meanwhile, the Carolina defense held SMU to a season-low 33 percent shooting from the floor, including just four of 18 from beyond the arc.
“I thought we were sound for the first 30 minutes on both ends of the floor,” UNC coach Hubert Davis. “From the offensive standpoint, we were getting exactly what we wanted in the halfcourt set, in transition and getting to the free throw line… Defensively, SMU’s got a really good team and they can score. We did a really good job doubling the post, creating turnovers and staying with their shooters.”
Carolina led by as many as 17 points in the first half when Jackson hit a three from the left wing with 1:29 left before settling for a 15-point margin at the half, 39-24.
The Tar Heels continued the onslaught working the margin up to 25 points on an old-fashioned three-point play by Jae’lyn Withers who scored cutting across the lane and was fouled.
Up 63-38, the Tar Heels got sloppy, turning the ball over four times in less than four minutes and going six minutes without a basket. The Mustangs’ 14-3 run cut the lead to 66-52 before Powell ended the run with a three and the SMU coach Andy Enfield , who had been warned for arguing calls, promptly picked up a technical.
As a result, Davis hit two free throws to put the Heels back up by 19 and thwart any further SMU comeback.
“We went back to fouling again,” Coach Hubert Davis said explaining the lead dwindling in the last 10 minutes. Cadeau, who got in foul trouble early, finished with four fouls as did Davis while fellow starters Powell and Jalen Washington had three fouls each.
Chuck Harris, off the bench, led the Mustangs with 18 points as SMU falls to 11-4 overall and 2-2 in the ACC.
Carolina placed three in double figures with Davis leading the way with 26 points while Jackson finished with 18 and Powell adding 17, 15 of which came in the first half.
The Tar Heels, who travel to NC State Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m., improve to 10-6 overall and 3-1 in the conference.
Former Wolfpack player Jakobi Meyers eclipses 1,000 yards for first time in NFL career
Former NC State player Jakobi Meyers had nine receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown in a 34-20 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.on Sunday, which put him over the 1,000 yard mark for the first time in his NFL career. Please click here for more.
Transfer Wide Receiver Includes UNC Football Among Finalists
First-year UNC football head coach Bill Belichick and his staff welcomed FCS All-American Javin Whatley to campus for an official visit over the weekend. And on Sunday, the outbound Chattanooga wide receiver named the Tar Heels a finalist in his recruitment, along with Arizona and Memphis. Please click here for more.
UNC transfer Travis Shaw Commits to SEC Program
With one season of college eligibility remaining, UNC football junior defensive lineman Travis Shaw has decided to suit up for Texas. The 6-foot-5, 330-pound three-star transfer announced his commitment to the Longhorns on Sunday night. Please click here for more.
How the Hurricanes dug out of an early hole to top the Penguins in OT
When the Carolina Hurricanes got off to a stumbling start Sunday, it appeared the home team might be in for another miserable night at Lenovo Center. The Canes recovered from an early two-goal deficit, took the lead with three second-period goals, then won the game in overtime for a 4-3 victory. Please click here for more.
SMU visits North Carolina after Jackson’s 27-point game
North Carolina takes on 11-3 SMU after Ian Jackson scored 27 points in North Carolina’s 74-73 win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Tar Heels are 5-1 on their home court. North Carolina averages 84.6 points while outscoring opponents by 5.4 points per game. Please click here for more.
Belichick adds a massive offensive tackle through the Transfer Portal
Prairie View A&M offensive tackle William Boone has signed with Bill Belichick and North Carolina, per his agent Austin Pfenninger of JL Sports. The 6-foot-7, 340-pound Boone also strongly considered opportunities from Colorado and San Diego State. Please click here for more.
Cadeau’s 4-point play wins it for Carolina at Notre Dame
North Carolina’s Eliot Cadeau scored six points in the last 21 seconds including the rare four-point play with less than five seconds left to give the Tar Heels a hard-fought 74-73 win at Notre Dame. (12/29)
The Tar Heels controlled much of the game until Notre Dame erased an 11-point deficit with a 12-0 second half rally, fueled by Markus Burton’s 10 points. Burton had missed seven games with a knee injury before nearly leading the Irish to a win.
But Carolina kept it close the rest of the way as there were four ties and nine lead changes before Cadeau made the 10th lead change of the second half the most important.
Down 73-70 with 14 seconds left, the Tar Heels quickly attacked with Cadeau swishing a three from the right wing and picking up the foul. Cadeau, who had converted only three of his last 22 three-point shots, sank the go-ahead free throw with 4.8 seconds left.
Notre Dame, following a Carolina timeout, put the ball in Burton’s hands but Cadeau stayed in front of him and Burton missed a short shot from the right side to end the game.
While Cadeau was the end-of-game hero, the scoring star was Ian Jackson, who scored a freshman-high 27 points. Cadeau finished with 10 points to be the only other Tar Heel in double figures.
“He’s gifted,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said praising Jackson as an athletic shot maker. “We needed every bit of it.”
The Tar Heels shot well from two-point range but was only six of 21 from three for a total 53 shooting percentage. Carolina outscored Notre Dame 16-10 off turnovers.
Carolina did not have what has become the normal slow start as the Tar Heels got out to a 26-14 lead midway through the first half. UNC led 39-32 at the half and worked the margin to 11 after RJ Davis sent an alley-oop pass to Jackson.
That’s when Notre Dame’s 12-0 run changed the game around to set up the barnburner at the end.
“We played really well for most of the game and then we were getting beat one on one and that was causing us problems,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said. “We’ve got to become a team… We needed this one for our confidence. We were a team out there today.”
Burton, who went nine of 10 from the line, led the Irish with 23 points off the bench as Notre Dame falls to 7-7 overall and 1-2 in the ACC.
The Tar Heels improve to 9-6 overall and 2-1 in the conference.