Sometimes you get a good game. Sometimes you get a bad game. And sometimes you get an important game. Duke’s 84-79 win over Georgia Tech Saturday night was an important game. Why? Because Duke faced some significant adversity. Please click here for more.
NC State put away Louisville when it mattered
It seemed fitting that NC State was able to get big plays from either senior center D.J. Burns or senior combo guard D.J. Horne to put away Louisville on Saturday. Horne finished with a game-high 27 points and went 6 of 9 from three-point land and Burns had 13 points and an impressive five assists in helping the Wolfpack win 89-83. Please click here for more.
UNC runs past Syracuse in impressive fashion
Five North Carolina players scored in double figures as the Tar Heels ran past Syracuse, beating the Orange by the widest margin in history between the two schools, 103-67. (1/13)
Playing at home for the first time in two weeks, the Heels put on a show for the fans, leading by 22 points at the half and getting up by as many as 39 points in the second half.
RJ Davis led the way with 22 points and a career-high five steals but two players managed double-doubles. In only 16 minutes, Armando Bacot came up with 16 points and 11 rebounds while Harrison Ingram followed suit with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Jalen Washington with 11 and Jae’lyn Withers with 10 rounded out the double-figure scoring.
But it was once again the defense that most impressed UNC coach Hubert Davis. “Defensively, we were really good,” Coach Davis said, pointing to the team’s 13 steals and 53-30 rebounding edge.
Offensively, Carolina scored 58 points in the paint compared to just 32 for Syracuse. “We want to dominate points in the paint,” Coach Davis said. “We didn’t settle for the jump shot – we worked inside out.”
Appropriately, the Tar Heels got their first double-digit lead when Washington rebounded a miss and put it in to put Carolina up 17-7. A nice pass inside from Elliott Cadeau to Ingram gave the Heels a 20-point lead at 36-16.
After surving a 9-0 run early in the second half, the Tar Heels worked the lead up to 30 at 73-43 on a three from Davis from the left corner. The largest lead of the game came with 8:37 to go when Washington sank a pair of free throws to make it 90-51.
Various subs played the last eight minutes as Carolina had a hard time scoring 10 points in those eight minutes to reach the century mark.
Judah Mintz finished with 21 points to lead Syracuse, now 11-5 overall and 2-3 in the ACC, but he took 17 shots to get there.
The Tar Heels improve to 13-3 overall and 5-0 in the ACC with a home game coming up Wednesday against Louisville.
For the box score and to see more on the game, please click here.
Former NC State Catcher Andrew Knizner Signs 1-Year Deal with Texas
Former NC State Catcher Andrew Knizner has signed a 1-year contract with the Texas Rangers worth $1.825 million. Knizner spent his first 5 MLB seasons as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, where he played in 255 games. Please click here for more.
Panther Creek DL Trajen Odom offered by Georgia
Panther Creek junior defensive lineman Trajen Odom’s 27th offer might be his biggest yet. On Thursday night, Odom shared on his X account that he has received an offer from the University of Georgia. Please click here for more.
With help from the Panthers, Wake Schools launches inaugural girls flag football season
Thanks in part to a $50,000 grant from the Carolina Panthers, Wake County Schools will operate a girls flag football league this winter, opening the door for female athletes in the district to participate in competitive football. Games will be played at Athens Drive High School and Green Level High School. Please click here for more.
Cardinal Gibbons, Rolesville make final state high school football rankings
HighSchoolOT’s Area Code Top 15 rankings have also been finalized for the 2023 football season. Northeastern was ranked first in the 252, Reidsville in the 336, Weddington in the 704, Hickory in the 828, Seventy-First in the 910, and Cardinal Gibbons in the 919. Please click here for more.
Three Tar Heels selected in the first round of women’s soccer league draft
Tar Heel Ally Sentnor was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft followed by Savy King at No. 2, while Maycee Bell was selected at No. 14. In the second round, Sam Meza was the 17th player chosen with Avery Patterson as the 19th overall selection. Please click here for more.
Duke first to offer Hillside LB Isaiah Deloatch
Hillside junior linebacker/safety Isaiah Deloatch has picked up his first verbal scholarship offer. It came from a school in his own city: Duke University. Deloatch is listed at 6-foot-1 and 206 pounds. Please click here for more.
Not even UNC women’s soccer is safe in the new college transfer landscape
A mass exodus of 21 players from the UNC women’s soccer program includes those who entered the transfer portal to get more playing time and the departures of star players turning professional for the money. Since a 4-3 loss to BYU in the NCAA quarterfinals, those 21 players have left the program, reducing a roster of 33 last season to only 18 right now as Coach Anson Dorrance and his staff are hitting the portal themselves to restock. Please click here for more.