State blows a 16-point lead to bow out of NCAAs

statebballNC State, in command with a 16-point lead with eight minutes to go, could not withstand Saint Louis full-court pressure or hit free throws down the stretch in an 83-80 overtime loss.

State’s TJ Warren scored 28 points but could not hit from the free throw line in regulation or overtime, going six of 14 in addition to committing a lane violation while shooting what would have been a good free throw. He fouled out with 28 seconds left in overtime.

Tyler Lewis had a chance to win it in regulation with a 12-footer than rimmed out at the buzzer.

Saint Louis got out to an early 9-6 lead but didn’t lead again until overtime.

The Pack led by double digits at 30-19 in the first half but went into the half up by only four at 30-26. Quickly the Pack regained control of the game in the second half, working the lead up to 55-39 with 8:11 left, until falling apart at the end.

NC State hit only 20 of 37 free throws for the game, missing six free throws in the last 2:11 of regulation.

State’s Ralston Turner had a chance to send the game into a second overtime with a three at the buzzer but, despite being on line, came up a little short.

Boxscore

NC State pulls away late behind Warren to advance in NCAAs

TJ Warren.
TJ Warren.
NC State shot 55 percent for the game and pulled away late to defeat Xavier 74-59 in the NCAA Tournament.

It looked bad for the Pack early as TJ Warren rolled an ankle and picked up his second foul. The Pack managed to lead throughout the first half and led by 34-28 at the half.

Xavier had the lead down to 45-42 before Warren scored in bunches, including once on a steal and dunk and once getting out front on the fast break for another dunk on a long feed from Tyler Lewis, who had eight assists on the night.

The Pack went on a 13-5 run to take a 58-47 lead with eight minutes to go. State got the lead up to 17 before settling for the 15-point win.

Warren got 16 of his game-high 25 points in the second half to help open it up. He passed David Thompson as NC State’s single-season points leader with 843 points. Thompson had 838 in 1975 while Rodney Monroe at 836 in 1991.

The Wolfpack advances to play Saint Louis in the Round of 64.

Coach Williams should stay out of health care politics

Ok, so President Obama scrimmaged with the Tar Heels a few years ago and he picked the Tar Heels to win the national championship in 2009 when the Heels defeated Michigan State. That doesn’t mean UNC coach Roy Williams should be jumping head first into a political boiling pot.

Williams has made a commercial trying to get young people to sign up for Obamacare. This is a powder keg issue and one that Williams is likely on the losing side.

First, the American people never demanded or even asked for government health care. Sure, health care costs are high but ObamaCare only increases the costs. I know, my health care is going up well over 100 percent – more than double what I was paying. Not everyone had health insurance before Obamacare and not everyone has it now.

Second, young people aren’t stupid. They know that they are less likely to need insurance to the extent they have to be covered under ObamaCare. They also know that the Obama administration needs them to pay for the insurance of older people, who are more likely to need health care. Young people would be paying for insurance they don’t need so that ObamaCare has a chance at working at all.

Third, this is politics pure and simple. If Roy Williams wants to endorse a candidate or a party, he should just go ahead and do it. But to lend his name and, in turn, that of the university to a scheme that doesn’t work, won’t work, isn’t good for the majority of citizens and isn’t favored by the American people is just silly.

Millions of Americans have had their health insurance canceled as a result of the so-called Affordable Care Act. Plus, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reports that Obamacare will cause more than 2 million Americans to lose their jobs.

While the Supreme Court allowed Obamacare to stand by a 5-4 decision, since then there have been 37 significant changes to Obamacare, of which at least 20 were made unilaterally – and unconstitutionally according to Obama supporter and Georgetown law professor Jonathan Turley – by the Obama administration. Only 15 changes have been made legally by Congress.

And Roy Williams wants to get behind this? Yes, people should have health insurance but the government should not be in the business of demanding it and Roy Williams shouldn’t be in the business of promoting it.

By the way, I am not against covering preexisting conditions or even keeping children on policies longer but those things can be done without the debacle of Obamacare.

I’m not a Democrat or Republican but it’s clear that the Affordable Health Care Act is not affordable, not good for my health care and a power grab for big government. Even if you don’t feel that way, is this really something to which Williams should lend his name?

Former UNC coach Dean Smith used to speak out on political topics and he has been on both the right side of history – regarding civil rights – and the wrong side – regarding foreign policy. As much as people love and respect former Coach Smith, he delved into politics when he tried to get President Reagan to go along with nuclear disarmament. Instead, Reagan in part used the strength and threat of American weapon systems to bring down the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion on controversial topics but why Roy Williams would want to get involved in this disaster is beyond me. More people are against Obamacare than even know about what happened with PJ Hairston or the Carolina academic scandal.

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williamsobamacare

Author of Bones McKinney book to speak at Raleigh Sports Club

Bethany Bradsher.
Bethany Bradsher.
Bethany Bradsher, author of the book “Bones McKinney: Basketball’s Unforgettable Showman,” will speak at the Wednesday, March 19 meeting of the Raleigh Sports Club.

For more than 20 years Bradsher has had a front-row seat to some of the most compelling and colorful stories in the sports world, first as a full-time sportswriter and then as a freelancer and an author of sports books.

The RSC will honor local Wake County student athlete Davis Weaver, a lacrosse player at Broughton, as the student athlete of the week 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.

UVA’s Mitchell may be confused about where he is but he handles Parker

Akil Mitchell.
Akil Mitchell.
Virginia’s Akil Mitchell held Duke’s Jabari Parker to five of 17 shooting in the Cavs’ 72-63 victory in the ACC Tournament Finals.

Parker was four of seven when covered by other Cavaliers. While Parker got his points, it took a lot of shots to do so.

Perhaps not realizing that Parker was second in ACC Player of the Year voting, Mitchell said Parker is “going to be a hell of a player.” Well, yeah, most think he already is.

The Cavaliers may get an NCAA seeding to play in Raleigh but an obviously confused Mitchell thought he already was in Raleigh.

When asked about the crowd support in the championship game, Mitchell said “It’s like we’re back in Charlottesville. To play Duke here in Raleigh you’d never imagine this. Being from North Carolina, being from Charlotte, this means everything to me.”

Ok, maybe he was just so excited that he didn’t know what he said or else he’s looking forward to the prospects of playing in Raleigh in the NCAA tournament. Fan support won’t be as great as it was in Greensboro for the ACC tournament – unless they’re playing Duke again.

Cavs stop Devils to win first ACC title since ’76

virginialogoNo. 1 seed Virginia captured its first ACC title since 1976 after outscoring Duke 21-12 in the last six and a half minutes of the tournament finals to win 72-63.

Duke wilted at the end of several games this season – the most notable being the last five minutes in a loss at Wake Forest but this one hurt more of course.

Just as the Devils were struggling, UVA’s Joe Harris, the tourney MVP, stepped up. He started the run with the score tied at 47 with fewer than eight minutes to go as he drove from midcourt for a score. He ended the run with a big three with less than two minutes to go that put the Cavaliers up 64-57.

Harris finished with 15 points but it was Malcolm Brogdon who led Virginia with 23 points.

As during the regular season, it was defense that carried the Cavs however as they held the Blue Devils to 38 percent shooting from the floor and outrebounded the Devils 36-28. UVA’s Akil Mitchell led all players with 15 boards.

The Cavs, also regular season champs, improved to 28-6 – their best record in 31 years.

“Boy did the guys lay it out on the floor,” UVA coach Tony Bennett said. “That was as hard fought a game as we can play.”

He said the game plan was to be physical and take it at them. Bennett said the offense was patient and the Cavs avoided speeding up. He said his team made some good plays down the stretch either because of his team’s depth or Duke getting a little tired.

For more on the game, please click here.

2014 All-ACC TOURNAMENT TEAM
First team
Joe Harris, Virginia (MVP)
Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia
Jabari Parker, Duke
T.J. Warren, NC State
Talib Zanna, Pitt

Second team
Anthony Gill, Virginia
Akil Mitchell, Virginia
Rodney Hood, Duke
Amile Jefferson, Duke
Lamar Patterson, Pitt

Duke, NC State news conferences: Coach K plugs Pack

Coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Following Duke’s 75-67 victory over North Carolina State in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament semifinal, Blue Devil coach Mike Mike Krzyzewski put in plug for the Wolfpack. “This team we played today is really good. I think Mark’s done a fabulous job with this team. And again, you watch Warren. Do any of those kids look jealous? None. I mean, they got it going. They’re a tough out, man. They’re a tough out. They’d be a tough out. I wouldn’t want to play them in the NCAA Tournament.”

Duke escapes against Clemson

Rodney Hood.
Rodney Hood.
Clemson came from 13 points down in the second half to take the lead with nine seconds left but Duke’s Rodney Hood drew a foul with less than four seconds left, hit both free throws and the Blue Devils survived with a 63-62 win in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament.

Duke shot only 40 percent compared to 51 percent for Clemson but the Devils outrebounded the Tigers 34-25 and turned the ball over six times.

Jabari Parker led Duke with 18 points hitting all six of his free throws but hitting only six of 17 from the field. Hood contributed 16 points while Rasheed Sulaimon added 14.

For more on the game, please click here.

Carolina tennis beats State 4-3

Brett Clark.
Brett Clark.
The 11th-ranked North Carolina men’s tennis team has made a habit lately of dropping the doubles point but rallying to win on the strength of its singles play. It followed that pattern again Friday evening when it outlasted conference foe NC State 4-3 in a match as tight as the score would indicate.

The match was played before 209 fans at the Dail Outdoor Tennis Stadium as Carolina improved to 14-2 on the season and won its league opener. The 25th-ranked Wolfpack is now 11-4 and 0-2 in the ACC. UNC’s win total for 2014 is already two more than it had last year when Carolina finished 12-13.

The match had multiple momentum swings but Carolina ended up pulling out the victory by recording four singles wins, including a pair of three-set triumphs off the rackets of Brayden Schnur and Oystein Steiro.

Carolina has now won a trio of recent matches against nationally-ranked teams after dropping the doubles point. Carolina beat TCU in that fashion last month and most recently downed seventh-ranked Texas in Chapel Hill last Monday 4-3

After freshmen Ronnie Schneider and Jack Murray clinched an 8-3 win at #3 doubles, the Wolfpack rallied to win at #1 and #2 doubles to take a 1-0 lead in the team score. Robbie Mudge and Ian Dempster prevailed 8-6 over Nelson Vick and Oystein Steiro at #1. The doubles point then came down to court 2 which needed a tiebreaker to decide the match. The 27th-ranked tandem of Nick Horton and Sean Weber defeated Brett Clark and Brayden Schnur 8-7 (7-3).

The Tar Heels put on their rally hats and got the four singles wins capped by Oystein Steiro’s come-from-behind victory at the #5 spot.

Brett Clark started the rally with a 6-4, 6-4 win over NCSU’s Thomas Wiegel at #3. Shortly thereafter, freshman Ronnie Schneider won at #2 singles over 98th-ranked Robbie Mudge 7-5, 6-3. The 32nd-ranked Schneider improved to 12-1 in dual matches this spring and 24-3 overall for the 2013-14 season.

NC State answered with a straight set win at #6 as Nick Horton downed Nelson Vick. But Carolina retook the lead at 3-2 with freshman Brayden Schnur winning over #41 Austin Powell 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Schnur, ranked 18th nationally, is 11-0 in dual matches this spring.

State tied the match at 3-3 when Sean Weber rebounded from dropping the first set to beat UNC’s Jack Murray 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 at #4 singles.

All eyes then turned to court 5 where Steiro, a UNC junior, had lost the first set to Simon Norenius 7-4. But the Norwegian native persevered to win the second set 6-4 and then handily won the third set 6-1, serving an ace on his first match point.

Coach Sam Paul’s Tar Heels will be back in action again Sunday at 1 p.m. when it plays host to 13th-ranked Wake Forest at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center.

– News release