CHAPEL HILL — Duke coach Jon Scheyer said that Blue Devils staff members were punched in the face and his family feared for its safety when North Carolina fans stormed the court at the end of Saturday’s game.
UNC won 71-68 on Seth Trimble’s 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds remaining. Fans stormed the court after he made the shot, then had to be ushered off the court for a final play. After Duke’s final play, which didn’t result in a shot, fans again stormed the court.
“I got staff members that got punched in the face,” Scheyer said. “My family [was] pushing people away, trying to not get trampled. That’s not what this game is about. You give them all the credit in the world. It’s not about the game, but obviously that was a scary ending and this rivalry is not about that.”
The ACC implemented fines for storming the field or court this year, a move that came, in part, due to a February 2024 court storm at Wake Forest. Duke star Kyle Filipowski was injured in that storm.
Schools face fines of $50,000, $100,000 and $200,000 per offense from the ACC that will accumulate through two seasons in football and basketball. Schools are expected to have a plan to get opposing teams and personnel off the court safely.
“I think court storming’s fine,” Scheyer said. “I don’t have any issue with court storming. Shouldn’t have people getting punched in the face. Shouldn’t put our players in position where they’re face to face with people who can do anything at that time. It just takes one reaction. Even today, I had to push people away just to try to protect our players ,Court storming, I’m all for it. They won. They should celebrate. If they want to court storm, court storm. But just let’s get our guys off safely.”
North Carolina athletics director Bubba Cunningham spoke to the media after the game and said he offered his apologies to Scheyer.
“I apologize to coach, his family and, obviously, if somebody got injured, that’s just really disappointing,” Cunningham said. “But we’ll do the best we can to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Cunningham said North Carolina officials would review video of the incident to see what happened. He said people were knocked over.
“Unfortunate things happen when so many people rush like that,” Cunningham said. “That was just unfortunate. Hope it doesn’t happen again.”
U.S. sports books, KenPom and ESPN all listed N.C. State as a heavy favorite over Virginia Tech, expecting the Wolfpack to win by 10 points.
N.C. State head coach Will Wade said earlier this week his team is on a much better trajectory and playing better than it was earlier in the ACC schedule. Wade also said the Hokies are a better team than their record indicates, pointing to its buzzer beater losses at Wake Forest and SMU, and its triple-overtime win at Virginia.
As expected, the Wolfpack was the better team on Saturday, finally pulling away to beat Virginia Tech, 83-72, at Lenovo Center. N.C. State has won six straight games. That is the longest win streak by N.C. State since the 1973-74 season.
The Wolfpack (18-6, 9-2 ACC) put together several stretches of great play, and though N.C. State struggled with defensive containment in the second half, it answered every Hokies surge.
“They played with desperation. They played how you would want to play in the situation that they’re in,” Wade said on Saturday. Our guys answered those runs and answered those changes in momentum very well. I thought we did a good job staying connected, staying together.”
With 12 minutes remaining, N.C. State gave up consecutive open 3-pointers to Jaden Schutt, the Hokies’ most efficient 3-point shooter (41%). That cut the Wolfpack lead to three points after it had climbed back to a 13-point advantage three minutes earlier.
Virginia Tech head coach Mike Young said, emphasizing he wasn’t criticizing Wade’s team, that the Wolfpack “is going to play the way they play.”
“They will give you the opportunity to get back,” Young said. “They’ll also punch you again if you don’t take advantage of those opportunities.”
Tre Holloman, Quadir Copeland and Paul McNeil provided the majority of scoring down the stretch to push their squad past the visitors, scoring 20 of the Wolfpack’s 22 points in the final 10 minutes.
McNeil and Copeland finished with 21 points each. Copeland, who surpassed 1,000 career points, also added 10 assists and five steals. The senior has recorded at least nine assists in five straight games. Holloman scored 16 points with three 3s
Darrion Williams was held to four points on 1-of-9 shooting, while adding five rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal.
N.C. State’s Quadir Copeland smiles as he leaves the court following the Wolfpack’s 82-73 win over Virginia Tech on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026 at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown The News & Observer
Though the Wolfpack led by as many as 13 points in the first half, the Hokies continued to respond the entire game. Wade, on his radio show Thursday, said his team would need persistence.
“This is an important game. They’re very well coached,” Wade said of Virginia Tech. “There’s not many coaches in the country I respect more than Mike Young. He was at Wofford when I was at Chattanooga. … “They’re on the bubble, so we’re gonna get their absolute best shot. And it’s on us to make sure that we’re, you know, we’re playing well and doing what we need to do to play our best.”
The Wolfpack and Hokies (16-8, 5-6) were tied at 6-6 four minutes into the game before N.C. State went on a 14-1 run over the course of 3 1/2 minutes. The run gave the Wolfpack at 13-point lead, capped off by Holloman’s 3 on the wing.
The Wolfpack, however, got seemingly too comfortable with its advantage. N.C. State’s offense went 2 of 9 in the following 7 1/2 minutes of the first half, often shooting quick 3s with limited passing or drives inside. Thankfully for the Wolfpack’s winning streak, it took an 11-0 run to regain a double-digit lead. N.C. State went to the locker room with a 36-24 advantage, shooting just over 48% from the field.
N.C. State’s Tre Holloman drives past Virginia Tech’s Neoklis Avdalas during the first half of the Wolfpack’s game on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026 at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown The News & Observer
Virginia Tech’s 24 first-half points were the second-fewest allowed by the Wolfpack this season — second only to the 19 points given up to Liberty in December — and fewest against a Power Four opponent this year.
Amani Hansberry led the Hokies with 19 points, scoring 16 in the second half. He has surpassed the 10-point mark five times in the last six games.
Tobi Lawal added 17 points and 15 rebounds for the Hokies.
Neoklis Avdalas added 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting, reaching double figures for the first time in three games. He averaged 5.3 points across the previous three outings, including two 1-of-8 performances against Louisville and Duke.
Early interior defense gives Pack lead
N.C. State’s early defense locked down the paint early, limiting Virginia Tech’s ability to take short-range shots.
The Wolfpack held the Hokies scoreless from the lane in the first nine minutes of play, while the offense had success driving inside and took a 14-0 lead in the paint. Virginia Tech did not make its first layup until 11 minutes had elapsed.
N.C. State went to the locker room with a 20-8 scoring advantage in the lane.
N.C. State’s Matt Able drives between Virginia Tech’s Jailen Bedford and Ben Hammond during the second half of the Wolfpack’s 82-73 win on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026 at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown The News & Observer
N.C. State was far less successful in the second half and ended the game with a 38-36 scoring advantage in the lane. This remains an issue for the team, which is inconsistent with its interior defense.
The Wolfpack’s first-half strength, however, allowed N.C. State to take a lead and play from ahead for more than 37 minutes.
N.C. State averages 33 points in the paint per game on the season and 30.3 in ACC play.
Defense contains Hokies’ leaders in first half
Hansberry and Ben Hammond entered the game as two of the Hokies’ leading scorers. Hammond averaged 12.8 points per game, and Hansberry contributed 15 points per game this season.
On Saturday, the duo combined for three first-half points on 1-of-16 (6.3%) shooting from the field. They were 0 for 7 from 3-point range in the first 20 minutes.
“Shout out Jig,” Copeland said, referring to Holloman by his nickname. “He set the tone on why their guards were what they were in the first half. He set the tone, switching on and off, switching from a 6-9 guard to a 5-9, 5-11 guard. He’s gonna be humble with his answer, but I’m gonna let y’all guys know.”
Holloman said he takes pride in defense but felt like he’s been slacking.
“I want to set that spark for our team, and it worked,” Holloman said.
Hansberry didn’t go down quietly, despite his slow start. He finished with 19 points, but went 0 for 5 on 3-pointers.
Hansberry was coming off a 20-point performance in the Hokies’ loss to Duke. Hammond, meanwhile, had scored double figures in the previous six games and averaged 16.6 points per game during that stretch.
Hammond went 0 for 9 from the field and played 14 minutes in the second half on Saturday.
“We were face guarding him in the full court, trying to make it difficult for him to get the ball,” Wade said. “Tre did that. Tre played great. Played 36, 37 minutes, and hounded Hammond up and down the court.
“I think by the time he got the ball, he was a little bit tired, a little bit fatigued. He took some tough mid-range shots, fadeaway shots, settled for some 3s.”
Uncharacteristic turnovers
Paul McNeil led all players in scoring, but he struggled at times with his ball handling. The sophomore committed three turnovers, half of what he’d committed the entire season.
McNeil entered the game with six turnovers on the season, ranking No. 2 in the nation with a 2.9% turnover rate. Part of that was his lack of dribbling, primarily being a catch-and-shoot player.
“I always tell him, ‘Shoot it before you turn it over, fire that thing up at the basket,’” Wade said this week. “If you shoot it, we’ve got a chance for it to go in. We’ve got a chance to get fouled, and we’ve got a chance to get an offensive rebound. If you turn it over, we’ve got none of those chances.”
Wade was proven correct on a handful of possessions when McNeil made the basket and got fouled on a 3-point attempt. McNeil made up for the miscues, but he won’t want a repeat of those turnovers.
As a team, the Wolfpack finished with 11 turnovers, slightly over its average of 8.8 turnovers in ACC play.
This story was originally published February 7, 2026 at 2:31 PM.
N.C. State’s Khamil Pierre drives past Southern California’s Kara Dunn and Londynn Jones during the second half of the Wolfpack’s 69-68 loss in the Ally Tipoff game on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025, at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.
Kaitlin McKeown
The News & Observer
RALEIGH
N.C. State women’s basketball has a long history of winning AP Top 10 matchups, no matter how the season is going or whether the Wolfpack is ranked.
But not on Sunday.
N.C. State fell to No. 9 Louisville, 88-80, in overtime at Reynolds Coliseum, despite leading by as many as 13 points in the second half.
While the Wolfpack has experienced ebbs and flows this season, this was one of its more disappointing games; it led by five with 43 seconds remaining in regulation.
“I think in the second half, they made an adjustment to amp up the pressure a little bit, and that threw off our rhythm when we had that run to start the half,” said assistant coach Ashley Williams. Head coach Wes Moore was unavailable due to previously-scheduled recruiting travel.
“Even at the end, I felt like we punched back both in the first half and in the second half when they made runs,” Williams said. “Unfortunately, it just ended with their punch.”
With time running out in regulation, Louisville closed to within three on an Imari Berry 3-pointer, and after a Destiny Lunan miss from beyond the arc, Zoe Brooks snagged the rebound with a chance to dribble out, or at the very least draw a late foul and shoot free throws. Instead, Brooks put the ball back up and Berry hauled in the board, giving the Cardinals a chance to tie. Berry drained a pair of free throws, and Zamaraya Jones missed a last-ditch layup attempt for the Pack, forcing OT.
There was a time when it wouldn’t have kept up with a team as physical and battle-tested as Louisville, and the Pack was in position until its late-game execution faltered.
“We’ve just got to take care of the ball better, especially toward the end, when it’s really crucial,” Brooks said, ‘”just continue to stick together and try and execute the plays that Coach Moore runs.”
Berry led Louisville with a career-high 33 points on 14-of-23 shooting and 12 rebounds.
Tajianna Roberts entered the game scoring a team-leading 12.7 points per game. She finished with four points on 1-9 shooting.
“Largely what we talked about being the keys, they did,” Williams said. “We knew that the key to this game would be rebounding, boxing out and getting defensive boards and finishing possessions. Unfortunately, I think they had some timely offensive rebounds that they were able to capitalize on.”
Feed the hot hand
N.C. State’s offense, led by Jones, got out to a hot start. Jones scored 11 first-quarter points, making 4 of 7 field goal attempts, to reach double figures for the 13th straight game. The sophomore also added a pair of 3-pointers.
Jones only took one shot in the second quarter. That changed early in the third. Jones attempted three shots, making two, in the first 3 1/2 minutes of the period.
Jones finished with 20 points, three rebounds and six assists. “Freshman year is always hard. I feel like sophomore year, this is her year,” Brooks said. “She’s been playing really well, scoring the ball, dishing the ball, defending. This is definitely a good year for her.”
Khamil Pierre scored six points (2-2 FG) in the first quarter. She went 1 for 5 in the second quarter but found the nylon again in the third.
Pierre hit the open layup with 5 1/2 minutes left to retake a one-point lead. While the two teams battled it out down the stretch, that basket seemed to turn the tide; the momentum favoring N.C. State.
Pierre finished with 26 points, six rebounds and two assists.
The Pack went cold in OT, though, going just 1 for 7, while Louisville shot 5-for-8 (62.5%).
Pack stops the 3 ball early
N.C. State’s defense has struggled at times this season, but its 3-point defense has been one of its more consistent strengths. The Wolfpack ranks in the top 50 nationally, allowing opponents to shoot 27.5% from distance.
Louisville came to Reynolds making 35% of its long-range shots, but the Pack defense was stronger on Sunday than the Cardinals’ shooting abilities.
The Cardinals started the game 0 for 7 from 3-point range, the first time this season Louisville has gone scoreless from the perimeter in the first half.
N.C. State couldn’t close the lane — Louisville beat the Wolfpack in the paint, 48-26 — but its ability to hold the Cardinals to five 3-pointers was a key factor in remaining competitive.
“We just tried to pressure the ball, make it hard for them to shoot 3s,” Brooks said. “We know that they can shoot very well, so pressuring them and making them bounce, put it on the floor was key.”
Cardinals collect offensive boards
Louisville was going to present a challenge on the glass, especially on the offensive end. The Cardinals entered the game as one of the top offensive rebounding teams in the ACC, and they proved that early.
Louisville players pulled down five offensive boards in the first quarter and continued that aggression throughout the second period. Louisville doubled up its first quarter success and went into the break with 10 offensive boards, which led to five second-chance points.
Louisville finished with 21 offensive rebounds, the most N.C. State has allowed this season. The Cardinals played with far more energy and urgency on the glass.
“We knew coming into today, Louisville was different in how they attacked the offensive glass, and that they sent all five players at times,” Williams said. “A lot of teams will send three, maybe four, but all five is a little bit different. I think they were battling in there. I think we did battle. I think, ultimately, not getting box outs every possession bit us. [We] just need all five to understand that next time and hopefully get it done.”
Louisville entered the game averaging 43.7 rebounds per game, including 14.3 boards on the offensive end. The Cardinals averaged 41.7 boards and 13.6 offensive rebounds in their first seven conference games. According to Bart Torvik, Louisville recorded an offensive board on 37% of its opportunities.
N.C. State, however, came into the matchup as one of the top defensive rebounding teams in the nation. The Pack averaged 32.5 defensive rebounds per game, ranking No. 3 in the nation and leading the ACC. Its strength on the defensive glass limited opponent opportunities, possessing a national-best opponent offensive rebounding rate of 21.6%.
Pack turnovers worrisome
N.C. State led by as many as 13 points midway through the third quarter, but late-game turnovers proved costly. N.C. State committed eight turnovers in the first half, which the Cardinals turned into eight points.
It more than doubled its turnover total in the second half, committing 19 turnovers. The Cardinals scored 24 points off the miscues.
The Wolfpack was one of the most disciplined teams in the country prior to the game, committing just 11.8 turnovers per game, ranking No. 10 in the nation and leading the ACC. Of the Wolfpack’s total possessions this season, only 16.8% of them ended in a turnover, according to Bart Torvik.
Louisville was bound to press and make things difficult. It forced an average of 17.5 opponent turnovers in its previous contests.
“N.C. State does an unbelievable job,” Louisville coach Jeff Walz said. “Wes, throughout the years, he’s a phenomenal coach. His kids take care of the basketball. For us to turn them over 19 times was not characteristic of what they do. Then, we did do a great job of scoring in transition, which was something that we had talked about before the game started.”
This story was originally published January 18, 2026 at 3:52 PM.
Washington — Live updates from the ACC Tournament championship game where No. 10 seed NC State is taking on No. 1 seed North Carolina:
UNC takes first lead, but Burns gets going: UNC took its first lead of the game at 30-28 on two RJ Davis free throws with 4:50 remaining in the first half.
But NC State center DJ Burns scored the next seven points for the Wolfpack, including his first 3-pointer of the season as the shot clock was winding down. NC State led 35-32 with 2:39 remaining in the first half.
Burns was 0-for-4 on 3-pointers this season.
Davis delivers: North Carolina guard RJ Davis, the ACC Player of the Year, is heating up — and the Tar Heels are back in the game.
Davis has 11 points, including eight of North Carolina’s last 10 as UNC erased a 10-point NC State lead to tie it at 28 with 6:24 remaining in the first half.
Davis has three 3-pointers in the first 13:26 of the first half.
Horne scoring: NC State guard DJ Horne had nine points in the first 10 minutes of the ACC Tournament championship game on Saturday night.
The No. 10 seed Wolfpack led top-seed North Carolina 22-16 with 9:52 remaining in the first half.
Horne was 4-of-6 from the field, including 1-of-2 from 3-point range. Horne missed the first game of the tournament with a hip injury and came off the bench in the next three games. But he was back in the starting lineup for NC State on Saturday night.
Hot start: NC State made five of its first six field goal attempts, including three of four from 3-point range, and raced out to an 14-4 lead over North Carolina in the ACC Tournament title game.
Injury update: NC State guard Jayden Taylor did not start the game with an apparent left ankle injury. Taylor entered the game in the first half.
Pre-game: Tenth-seeded NC State headed to the ACC Tournament having lost four straight games.
But the Wolfpack wondered: “Why not us?” as the ACC Tournament tipped off in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.
Four days, four games and four wins that later, that question remains for the Wolfpack, which is seeking its first ACC Tournament title since 1987.
NC State ((21-14) notched victories over No. 15 seed Louisville, No. 7 seed Syracuse, No. 2 seed Duke and No. 3 seed Virginia to reach the final.
Waiting for NC State on Saturday: Top-seeded North Carolina.
The Tar Heels (27-6) were dominant in the regular season run and are expected to claim an No. 1 seed when the NCAA makes selections Sunday. Yet it has been eight years – 2016 – since they cut down the nets at an ACC Tournament.
WASHINGTON (WTVD) — Michael O’Connell kept NC State’s NCAA tournament hopes alive by the slimmest of margins, banking in a wild 3-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime. Then, DJ Burns Jr. took over in the extra time as the Wolfpack stunned Virginia 73-65 in a raucous ACC Tournament semifinal Friday night.
The Wolfpack looked dead in the water Friday night with four seconds left before O-Connell’s prayer kissed the backboard and nestled softly into the net to send the game to extra time and the Wolfpack bench and fans into delirium.
“I had a direct view of it,” N.C. State coach Kevin Keatts said. “As it went up I was like, man, that shot is going in, it’s going in, and then luckily it did and obviously sent us to overtime.”
NC State’s Michael O’Connell shoots the miracle 3-pointer over Virginia guard Isaac McKneely to tie the game 58-58 and send it to overtime.
Nick Wass
The 10th-seeded Wolfpack (21-14) are one victory from pulling off an epic five-wins-in-five-days run for the ACC’s automatic bid, and if they do it, they’ll remember this escape for a while. With the score 58-55, Isaac Mckneely missed the front end of a 1-and-1 for Virginia. O’Connell rushed the ball up the left sideline and shot a high-archer in front of his team’s bench.that will long be remembered in Raleigh.
It was the second straight night a team made a shot at the buzzer against Virginia to force overtime, but on Thursday the Cavaliers were able to beat Boston College.
NC State’s DJ Burns Jr. shoots against Virginia forward Jordan Minor on Friday night in the ACC Tournament semifinals.
Nick Wass
“They got momentum because we missed the free throw and they were coming down, and once they got down we did not want to foul in the act of shooting,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. “We just were worried about that.”
In overtime, it was the Burns Jr. show. Time and again, N.C. State would give the ball to the 6-foot-9, 275-pound post player, who would slowly back his way down, he and his defender repeatedly bouncing off each other. Burns scored seven points in overtime and 19 in the game on 8-of-11 shooting.
The Wolfpack take on old rival and top-seeded North Carolina for the tournament championship on Saturday night. The Tar Heels swept the regular season meetings.
NC State’s DJ Horne drives past Virginia’s Reece Beekman on Friday night in the ACC Tournament semifinals.
Nick Wass
Perhaps feeling the fatigue of playing four games in four nights, N.C. State shot just 3 of 17 from 3-point range, but O’Connell made the one the Wolfpack needed, and the Cavaliers (23-10) were done in by their poor free-throw shooting.
With 1:10 remaining, Virginia had a five-point lead, and after a flagrant foul called on Burns, the Cavaliers got two shots and the ball. Reece Beekman missed both attempts though, and when he was fouled on the ensuing possession, Beekman made only one of two.
Then Ryan Dunn fouled a 3-point shooter, and Casey Morsell made all three free throws to cut the lead to three.
After a defensive stop, N.C. State had a chance to tie, but when Morsell missed a 3-pointer and Mckneely rebounded, Virginia needed one free throw to ice the game. It never came.
The teams split their regular season meetings, each winning at home but in an arena full of Cavaliers fans, the Wolfpack won the one that mattered most.
The Wolfpack and Cavaliers look to book their spot in Saturday night’s ACC championship game.
UNC 72, PITT 65
Top-seeded North Carolina survived a stern test Friday night against fourth-seeded Pitt 72-65 to advance to the ACC Tournament championship game.
The No. 4 Tar Heels (27-6), who also hope to get a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, inched closer to that goal and will look for a first ACC title since 2016 on Saturday night.
Armando Bacot and RJ Davis provided the bulk of the offense for the Tar Heels. Davis led the team with 25 points and Bacot was strong in the paint with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Armando Bacot hangs on the rim after scoring two of his 19 points against Pitt on Friday night at the ACC Tournament.
Nick Wass
“RJ, he’s been our closer all year and he hit some huge shots,” Bacot said.
Davis and Bacot scored UNC’s final 18 points of the game.
“Just super excited to get a chance to play in the championship,” said Bacot. “It was a tough game, and it got close down in the stretch and I think me and RJ just really wanted to make plays so we can win the game.”
The Panthers led by as many as nine in the first half and kept punching back until late, tying it at 62 with about four minutes left until Davis hit just his second 3-pointer to put the Tar Heels ahead.
After seven lead changes throughout, they never trailed again, with Davis grabbing a crucial rebound and hitting a long 3 in the final minutes to help put it away. The unanimous ACC Player of the Year scored 19 of his points in the second half.
“The player of the year stepped up and made plays,” Pitt coach Jeff Capel said. “You have to tip your hat to him. He made a deep 3, a 28-footer, some pullups. He just made plays.”
Carlton Carrington led Pitt with 24 points, and Jaland Lowe had 17. The Panthers, who were up early thanks to some hot 3-point shooting, were hurt by three fouls in the first 14 minutes on Federiko Federiko, keeping the center on the bench for long periods.
UNC’s tenacious defense made life hard for Pitt star Blake Hinson, who made only 2 of 12 shots and missed all five of his 3-point attempts.
Nick Wass
The Tar Heels never let Pitt’s Blake Hinson get into a rhythm, harassing him into a 2-for-12 shooting night. Hinson missed all five of his 3-point attempts.
“All year, I’ve been taking pride in trying to be the best defensive big man in the country,” Bacot said. “And today, it’s always tough playing against them because they’ve got so many skilled guards, they’ve got bigs that can shoot, so today we had to switch, and after the first half, I was a little sloppy, in the second half I wanted to take the challenge and thought I did a good job.”
UNC, winners of eight consecutive games, will face old rival NC State in the final. The Tar Heels won both regular season matchups against the Wolfpack.
“We set goals in the beginning of the year, and for us to be one more game away means a lot,” Davis said. “But the job’s not finished.”
The Panthers (22-11) now wait to see whether they get invited to the NCAA tournament.
“We’ll see if we’re in,” Capel said. “We have become a really good basketball team. We could be a team that could be dangerous in the tournament.”
Guard Ishmael Leggett added, “I 100% believe that we’re an NCAA Tournament team, regardless of what anybody says.”
WASHINGTON (WTVD) — NC State put together one of its most complete performances of the season in routing Syracuse 83-65 in the second round of the ACC Tournament on Wednesday night.
The Wolfpack led 35-32 at the half. Syracuse opened the second half on a 7-2 spurt for a 39-37 advantage but N.C. State answered with a 21-4 run for a 58-43 lead with 12:33 remaining.
DJ Horne scored 11 points during that stretch and capped it with a dunk. Jaydon Taylor made a pair of 3-pointers. The Orange pulled within 60-50 but didn’t get closer.
NC State’s Michael O’Connell and DJ Burns Jr. celebrate after O’Connell hit a 3-pointer Wednesday against Syracuse.
Alex Brandon
The Wolfpack scored 30 points from 19 Syracuse turnovers.
“We’ve just been as locked in as we can be,” Horne said. “I feel like we’ve been locked in as we have been all season and going into this tournament, we just kind of went in with a why-not-us mindset, and I think we’re showcasing that right now.”
NC State (19-14) had dropped both games to Syracuse in the regular season but this third meeting was drastically different and revenge was sweet.
After winning two consecutive games in the tournament, it doesn’t; get easier for Kevin Keatts’ squad, which advances to face No. 2-seeded Duke at 7 p.m. Thursday on ESPN.
NC State forward Mohamed Diarra battles for a rebound with Syracuse guard Justin Taylor on Wednesday at the ACC Tournament.
Nick Wass
But just like in an opening-round win against Louisville, it was a total team effort for the Wolfpack, which had four players in double figures and got 14 rebounds, eight points and six assists from Mo Diarra. Jayden Taylor scored a team-high 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Michael ‘Connell made all three of his 3-point attempts and finished with 16 points. DJ Burns Jr. added 15 points, six rebounds and three assists.
Horne, N.C. State’s leading scorer, scored all 16 of his points in the second half. The 6-foot-1 senior injured his hip in the regular-season finale at Pittsburgh and did not play in the Wolfpack’s win against Louisville.
“I’m feeling good,” Horne said. “To get hurt, with the last couple of games of my season … it was definitely tough on me mentally but my teammates, my coaches, the staff, they did a great job of me getting treatment and making sure my head stayed in it, and I’m glad we were able to come out here and get this win.”
Judah Mintz scored 21 points to lead No. 7 seed Syracuse (20-12). Maliq Brown, Chris Bell and Quadir Copeland added 11 points apiece.
FLORIDA STATE 86, VIRGINIA TECH 76
Round 2 of the ACC Tournament got underway Wednesday with ninth-seeded Florida State taking down No. 8 seed Virginia Tech 86-76.
The Seminoles (17-15) advance to play No. 1 seeded North Carolina (25-6) That game will be a noon tip-off Thursday and can be seen on ESPN.
Florida State dropped both regular-season meetings with the Tar Heels, 78-70 on the road and 75-68 at home. Florida State hasn’t beaten North Carolina since the 2020-21 season.
Virginia Tech center Lynn Kidd battles Florida State forward Baba Miller underneath the rim at the ACC Tournament on Wednesday.
Susan Walsh
Jamir Watkins scored 12 of his career-high 34 points in the final three minutes and Jalen Warley added 18 points to help Florida State pull away in the second half.
Watkins was 9 of 15 from the field and 14 of 17 at the free-throw line to set a program record for points in an ACC Tournament game. He also had 11 rebounds and four steals. Warley made 8 of his 10 shots as Florida State shot 54% from the field.
Virginia Tech was 4-of-17 shooting in the opening 17 minutes of the second half. The Hokies also finished with 13 turnovers, leading to 25 points for the Seminoles.
Tyler Nickel sank a long 3-pointer with 7:28 left to tie it at 57-all, but Virginia Tech did not make another field goal until Sean Pedulla’s basket with 2:42 left to pull within 71-62.
Florida State took advantage of back-to-back Virginia Tech turnovers with layups by Warley and Primo Spears to take a 63-58 lead with 5:01 left. Another steal under the basket led to Warley’s fast-break layup to make it 68-58 at 3:06.
Each team turned it over on an inbounds play and Watkins was fouled before making two free throws at 2:49. Watkins added two more free throws at 2:30 and had an alley-oop dunk at 2:11 for a 74-65 lead.
Spears finished with 10 points for the Seminoles.
Pedulla scored 24 points, Nickel added 18 and MJ Collins had 15 for Virginia Tech.
Both teams shot 55% or better from the field in the first half. Virginia Tech shot 64% (16 of 25), despite going 4 of 11 from 3-point range, in the first half before finishing at 49%.
The Hokies fell to 18-14 and now wait for a possible NIT bid.
WAKE FOREST 72, NOTRE DAME 59
Kevin Miller scored 17 points, Hunter Sallis added 14 and Andrew Carr had a double-double as fifth-seeded Wake Forest handled 12-seed Notre Dame.
The Demon Deacons (20-12) will take on fourth-seeded Pitt in Thursday’s quarterfinals. Wake Forest lost to Pitt 77-72 in January before rolling past the Panthers 91-58 at home the next month. The game will be televised on ESPN2.
Wake Forest and guard Hunter Sallis powered their way past Notre Dame on Wednesday at the ACC Tournament.
Nick Wass
Carr had 12 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks and Cameron Hildreth scored eight of his 10 points in the second half. Wake Forest shot 46%, outscored Notre Dame 15-7 off turnovers, 16-7 on second-chance points and 38-14 in the paint.
ACC rookie of the year Markus Burton scored 21 points, making 12 of 12 from the line but only 4 of 16 from the floor for the Fighting Irish. Tae Davis added 16 points and Carey Booth 11. Braeden Shrewsberry, who led Notre Dame with 23 points in their 84-80 first-round win over Georgia Tech, had just five points on 1-of-9 shooting. The Irish shot just 29%, 20% in the second half.
Davis made 7 of 8 free throws for all of Notre Dame’s scoring early in the first half as the Fighting Irish went over six minutes without a field goal until a Davis bucket. Wake Forest took advantage, extending its six-point halftime lead to 16 midway through the second half with a 13-4 run during which Hildreth turned a steal into a three-point play and added a 3-pointer. Notre Dame didn’t get closer than nine thereafter.
Sallis hit a 3-pointer to open the game and the Demon Deacons led throughout. They were up by as many as 14 before the Fighting Irish worked their way back to trail 40-34 at halftime.
The Fighting Irish finished 13-20.
The final game of the night features Boston College (18-14) vs. Clemson (21-10) at 9:30 p.m. That game is on ESPNU.
DURHAM, N.C. — Cormac Ryan scored a season-high 31 points, including a huge 3-pointer with 1:38 left, to help No. 7 North Carolina beat No. 9 Duke 84-79 on Saturday night, claiming the Atlantic Coast Conference’s regular-season title outright for the first time in seven years.
Ryan made 8 of 12 shots and 6 of 8 3s to help UNC turn away push after push from its fierce rival – and Ryan made sure to let Duke’s famous “Cameron Crazies” hear it with some excited reactions.
Ryan closed out the game with two clinching free throws with 4.7 seconds left for the Tar Heels (25-6, 17-3 ACC).
When the clock expired, Ryan and several UNC players waved goodbye to the fans in a taunting farewell and gathered near the center court press-row table. Multiple Duke fans responded by throwing water and at least one empty plastic water bottle at them, leaving the court a slick mess near that sideline.
Harrison Ingram added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Tar Heels, who shot 50% for the game. UNC ran out to a 15-point lead with a dominant start, then stayed in control all night.
Kyle Filipowski had 23 points to lead the Blue Devils (24-7, 15-5), who had retired Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski making a rare courtside appearance for the game. Duke got as close as a single point early in the second half but never completely recovered from a Ryan-led flurry out of the gate.
There was also a familiar bit of rivalry testiness aside from the drink-throwing fans. That came after Filipowski and Ingram had ended up on the floor after Duke’s star big man contested Ingram’s shot at the six-minute mark of the first half.
As Ingram got up to run back on defense, Filipowski kicked up his right leg and tripped Ingram back down to the hardwood near midcourt.
UNC coach Hubert Davis immediately started frantically motioning for officials to look at the replay, but there was no whistle, stoppage or review as the rivalry battle continued.
WATCH: UNC coach Hubert Davis speaks on big win against Duke
UNC coach Hubert Davis speaks on big win against Duke
The Tar Heels led 40-31 at halftime, and Duke made its best sustained push to that point to climb within 43-42 on Jeremy Roach’s 3-pointer at the 16:59 mark.
But the Blue Devils never tied it, as the Tar Heels responded with a 7-0 burst that included a 3-point play inside from Armando Bacot followed by a tip-in from Jae’Lyn Withers and a transition layup from Ryan that pushed the margin back to 52-43.
WATCH: Duke coach Jon Scheyer speaks on loss against UNC
Duke coach Jon Scheyer speaks on loss against UNC
BIG PICTURE
UNC: The Tar Heels had clinched a share of the ACC regular-season title with Tuesday’s win against Notre Dame in their home finale, marking their first since the 2018-19 season.
Duke: The Blue Devils had been steadily building momentum in recent weeks, winning eight of nine since the UNC loss and winning its last three games by 15-plus points.
UP NEXT
Both teams await their matchup for next week’s ACC Tournament in the nation’s capital.
Durham, N.C. — Seventh-ranked North Carolina led the entire first half and carried a 40-31 lead into the second half against No. 9 Duke on Saturday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham.
The ACC regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in next week’s ACC Tournament are on the line.
UNC grabbed a 10-2 lead in the first four minutes with Cormac Ryan hitting three 3-point attempts. The Tar Heels extended their lead to 15 points on several occasions, the last time on a driving layup by Elliot Cadeau with 9:46 remaining.
Duke cut the deficit to seven before Jae’lyn Withers lay-in at the end of the half.
Ryan paced the Tar Heels with 10 points in the first half. Duke’s Jared McCain scored a game-high 11 points in the first half.
Cadeau and Duke’s Kyle Filipowski picked up two fouls in the first half. Cadeau played less than nine minutes in the first half.
Duke senior Jeremy Roach was 1-for-8 in the first half. Filipowski was 2-of-7. The pair combined for six points.
UNC stars RJ Davis (five points) and Armando Bacot (two) were likewise held in check. Instead, it was Ryan, Harrison Ingram (seven points) and Seth Trimble (six) who led the way.
ESPN’s “College GameDay” held its Saturday morning pregame show at Cameron Indoor Stadium. All analysts picked Duke to win at the end of the broadcasts.
Duke (24-6, 15-4 in the ACC)) has won three straight games. North Carolina (24-6, 16-3) enters on a five-game winning streak. The Tar Heels can earn the outright ACC title with a victory. The rivals will share the regular-season crown with a Duke victory.
Watch WRAL Sports’ postgame coverage of the “Battle of the Blues” on WRAL News +, antenna Ch. 34, Spectrum channel 34 or in the WRAL News app on your smart TV or mobile device.
Playing its best first half of the season, No. 10 Duke delivered shot after shot to give Virginia no hope of winning Saturday night.
The Blue Devils needed fewer than 10 minutes to build a 10-point lead and fewer than 15 to take a 20-point lead. The second half was academic as Duke rolled to a resounding 73-48 ACC basketball win.
Kyle Filipowski, whose 15 first-half points nearly matched Virginia’s scoring output (18), paced the Blue Devils with 21 points. Tyrese Proctor added 15 points with five assists while sophomore forward Mark Mitchell scored 10.
“I’m just proud of our guys,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “They just came out ready to play with an aggressive and sharing mindset. I think our team is growing. Flip was terrific. When he plays like that it changes our whole team.”
The win keeps Duke (23-6, 14-4 ACC) one game behind ACC-leading North Carolina (23-6, 15-3 ACC) in the league standings with two regular-season games to play. The Blue Devils are already assured of a top-two league finish and a double-bye into the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament in Washington, D.C.
Virginia (21-9, 12-7) shot an unsightly 23.6% in the first half, making just 6 of 26 shots. The Cavaliers had more turnovers (seven) than made shots over the game’s first 20 minutes.
That allowed Duke to lead by as many as 25 points before halftime.
Duke’s Kyle Filipowski (30) celebrates with Tyrese Proctor (5) after hitting a three-pointer during the first half of Duke’s game against Virginia at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., Saturday, March 2, 2024. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
For Filipowski, the preseason ACC player of the year who is Duke’s leading scorer and rebounder, the performance marked his his biggest scoring game since scoring 21 in Duke’s 77-69 win over Wake on Feb. 12.
It was also a stark contrast to the only scoreless game of his college career, which came a year ago when Duke lost 69-62 in overtime to Virginia.
“We remember what happened last year,” Filipowski said. “We’ve got to keep that in our mind and we’re going to make that a statement this year for sure.”
Here are three takeaways from the game:
Blue Devils thrive in the paint
Duke started the game determined to get the ball inside for high-percentage shots, and was immediately in violating Virginia’s vaunted pack-line defense. The Blue Devils scored 28 of their first-half points in the lane to build a 40-18 halftime edge.
“When you are playing a team with the firepower of Duke,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said, “you can get separated quick.”
With Filipowski and Mitchell finding room to maneuver inside and even Duke’s guards finding driving lanes, 20 of Duke’s first 29 points were in the paint over the game’s first 12 minutes.
That’s a big reason why Duke hit 14 of its first 18 shots and hit 58.6% of its first-half shots overall.
“I thought we did such a good job of flowing into offense and driving downhill making the right reads,” Scheyer said, “and then good things happen. From that, we just kept our foot on the gas.”
Duke finished with 44 points in the paint, exceeding its season average of 35.6 per game. Impressively, the Blue Devils scored more points in the paint against Virginia than any other team this season. The Cavaliers have only allowed ACC teams to score 24.7 points in the paint per game.
Duke’s Mark Mitchell (25) drives by Virginia’s Blake Buchanan (0) during the second half of Duke’s 73-48 victory over Virginia at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., Saturday, March 2, 2024. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
Locked in defensively
Nobody will ever mistake Virginia for a competent offensive team. The Cavaliers failed to reach the 50-point mark in three of the previous four games prior to Saturday. Their shooting percentage on 2-point shots this season was 47.2%, 295th among the nation’s Division I teams.
That said, Duke took advantage defensively to challenge Virginia with a switching man-to-man defense that easily stymied the Cavaliers. Virginia made just 4 of its first 21 shots as Duke built a 38-13 lead. At that point, Virginia had scored just .542 of a point per possession.
Virginia finished the game shooting 30.9% overall, making 5 of 17 3-pointers (29.4%). The Cavaliers scored 0.8 points per possession for the game. That’s compared to Duke’s 1.2 points per possession.
Duke’s Kyle Filipowski (30) heads in to slam in two with a windmill dunk during the first half of Duke’s game against Virginia at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., Saturday, March 2, 2024. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
Going big
Scheyer indicated earlier in the week, freshman guard Caleb Foster’s absence due to a right foot injury will have the Blue Devils going with bigger quintets more than usual for the foreseeable future.
Yes, Duke started three guards in Proctor, Jeremy Roach and Jared McCain. But the first substitute off the bench was 6-9 freshman TJ Power, the first time he’s had that honor this season. Prior to playing 14 minutes in Duke’s 84-59 win over Louisville on Wednesday night, Power did not play in six of Duke’s previous 10 ACC games.
But that was before Foster was injured during Duke’s 83-79 loss at Wake Forest on Feb. 24.
The Blue Devils frequently went with two-guard lineups against Virginia, rotating Filipowski, Mitchell, Power, Ryan Young and Sean Stewart at three forward positions.
The bigger lineup allowed Duke to dominate the rebounding stats again. After winning the rebounding battle by 19 over Louisville, Duke outrebounded Virginia, 42-29.
This story was originally published March 2, 2024, 8:06 PM.
Steve Wiseman has covered Duke athletics since 2010 for the Durham Herald-Sun and Raleigh News & Observer. In the Associated Press Sports Editors national contest, he’s placed in the top 10 in beat writing in 2019, 2021 and 2022, breaking news in 2019 and explanatory writing in 2018. Previously, Steve worked for The State (Columbia, SC), Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, S.C.), The Sun Herald (Biloxi, Miss.), Charlotte Observer and Hickory (NC) Daily Record covering beats including the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints, University of South Carolina athletics and the S.C. General Assembly. He’s won numerous state-level press association awards. Steve graduated from Illinois State University in 1989.
Maybe he was just angry. Only a few moments earlier, Mark Mitchell had tried to throw down a furious tomahawk dunk, taking off from a great distance after breaking the press by himself, only to run into traffic and bounce it off the back of the rim.
When he got the ball again, under the basket this time, he didn’t mess around, even with his back to the bucket. He jumped, lifted the ball over his head and dunked it backward, the rare reverse overhead slam, a staple of practices and layup lines and dunk contests, but rarely spotted in the wild in its full plumage.
Mitchell shrugged it off.
“That’s not really something that’s hard for me,” Mitchell said. “I’m 6-9. I was kind of in that position and I went up with it and it worked out.”
His teammates did not.
“I was surprised. I didn’t think he was actually going to do that,” Duke guard Jared McCain said. “Mark, he’s such a kind-of-go-with-the-flow kind of guy, and when he brings some aggression, it’s like, ‘Oh, OK, Mark.’ It’s good to see him bring some aggression, some tenacity, to the team.”
Duke’s Mark Mitchell (25) slams in two during Duke’s 84-59 victory over Louisville at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
On a night when Duke posted a workmanlike win over woeful, underachieving Louisville, the kind of game that might have made James Naismith consider a better use for those peach baskets if he knew where it was going to lead, there were a few moments of transcendent basketball beauty buried in the 84-59 muck, reminders of how beautiful the game can be even in otherwise unremarkable circumstances.
Mitchell’s dunk was, unquestionably, one — an uncommon display of athletic ability, explosiveness and imagination. For a player who does so much for Duke, rebounding and defending and all but ensuring victory if he can get to double digits (31-3), but is often overlooked on a team with Kyle Filipowski and Jeremy Roach and Tyrese Proctor and McCain, that was a moment when the spotlight was almost blinding.
“He’s a complete player,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “He does so much. I don’t know that he gets the credit that he probably should, nationally, or even in our league. When you talk about key guys I think anybody would love to have Mark Mitchell on their team.”
Duke’s Jeremy Roach (3) and the bench celebrate after Spencer Hubbard (55) made a three-pointer during the second half of Duke’s 84-59 victory over Louisville at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
That moment was bookended by its basketball opposite: A late 3-pointer by 5-foot-8 former walk-on Spencer Hubbard for the third, fourth and fifth points of his career, plunging Cameron into frenzy and prompting the starters on the Duke bench to jump up and wave towels in acclimation.
“Greatest vibe in the universe, man,” McCain said.
That kind of moment is more common, almost a staple of these kinds of blowouts, but that made it no less appreciated, and certainly worth sticking around to the otherwise forgettable end.
In a long season, when not every game is a rivalry or a meeting of top-25 teams, there are games that you don’t so much play as endure. Coming off Saturday’s emotional, dramatic loss at Wake Forest and everything that went with it — Duke trapped on the floor as the Wake students rushed onto the court and Filipowski helped off injured, although he emerged unscathed and played 29 of the first 34 minutes Wednesday — this game against the ACC’s worst team didn’t come imbued with a lot of sizzle.
There are inevitably a lot of games like that, the nature of a 20-game schedule in a conference that isn’t anchored by mutual dislike the way it once was. (Maryland, we hardly knew ye.) Avoiding a letdown over the course of three months is a skill that has to be practiced and honed, just like free throws or breaking the press.
Duke’s Mark Mitchell (25) slams in two during the second half of Duke’s 84-59 victory over Louisville at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
Duke’s road to D.C. is brutal: Virginia, at N.C. State, North Carolina. This was the last game of anything less than great consequence Duke will play this season. The long and difficult march to … March is finally over.
It helps when there are moments along the way, buried like sea glass in the sand, that suddenly catch the light and dazzle. Mitchell’s dunk was that Wednesday. So was Hubbard’s first career 3-pointer. Maybe even more so. They lead you on to the next game like breadcrumbs. They lead you to the ACC tournament, and the NCAA tournament, and everything that makes the long season worthwhile.
Never miss a Luke DeCock column. Sign up at tinyurl.com/lukeslatest to have them delivered directly to your email inbox as soon as they post.
This story was originally published February 28, 2024, 10:26 PM.
Related stories from Raleigh News & Observer
Sports columnist Luke DeCock joined The News & Observer in 2000 and has covered seven Final Fours, the Summer Olympics, the Super Bowl and the Carolina Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup. He is a past president of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, was the 2020 winner of the National Headliner Award as the country’s top sports columnist and has twice been named North Carolina Sportswriter of the Year.
Standing roughly on Bryson City on the outline of the state on the Smith Center floor — a figurative 280 miles from Chapel Hill and a literal 28 feet from the basket — R.J. Davis put to the test the theory that he could score from just about anywhere Monday night.
And he did. From the left wing. From the right wing (mostly). From the logo. From more places and more times than anyone else had before him.
With a Smith Center-record 42 points, Davis not only accounted for more than half of North Carolina’s offense in a nail-biting 75-71 win over Miami, he put on the kind of unprecedented individual display that carved out new space in the very thick UNC record book.
North Carolina’s R.J. Davis (4) drives to the basket against Miami’s Kyshawn George (7) in the first half on Monday, February 26, 2024 at the Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C. Davis scored 21 points in the first half. Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com
“Once I get my groove like that, it feels like I can’t miss,” Davis said. “I feel like I should have had 50. I missed free throws and whatnot. I just felt good. The shots felt good. The ball felt good. Everything felt great tonight.”
He was often open. But when Miami was in his face, he stepped back for more space. All the way to the logo, if that’s what it took.
“When he hit 30, with that little snatch-back on Matthew (Cleveland), I was like ‘Oh my God,’” Harrison Ingram said. “I was just smiling like, ‘You nice.’”
Whatever uncertainty there may have been about Davis’ candidacy for ACC player of the year, even as the front-runner, Monday removed all doubt.
Kyle Filipowski, Hunter Sallis, P.J. Hall? Fine players all. But there’s no more explosive or dangerous player in the ACC than Davis, and this was his finest performance yet, one that will unquestionably win over any voters left on the fence.
And did the Tar Heels ever need all of it.
Miami, playing without Nijel Pack and Wooga Poplar, proved surprisingly difficult to dismiss, even with Davis on this heater, in part because Bensely Joseph and Norchad Omier both hit the 20-point mark — Hurricanes big man Omier with a career-high four 3-pointers — and in part because Davis got almost no help.
Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com
Every other Tar Heel finished in single digits: Armando Bacot with five points on only four shot attempts; Cormac Ryan with seven and Harrison Ingram with eight, both on 3-for-13 shooting; a paltry five bench points.
The Tar Heels couldn’t even put away the win at the free-throw line in the final minute. Davis went 1-for-2, Bacot missed a pair and Seth Trimble went 1-for-2 before Ja’Lyn Withers finally gave North Carolina a two-possession lead at the finish.
“It was a valiant effort,” Miami coach Jim Larranaga said. “But R.J. Davis had the answer every time we made a run. He’s a fantastic player.”
North Carolina’s R.J. Davis (4) launches a wide open three-point shot in the second half against Miami on Monday, February 26, 2024 at the Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C. Davis led North Carolina with 42 points in their 75-71 victory. Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com
Along with his 42 points, Davis picked up the 500th rebound of his career Monday, making him the first player in UNC history with 1,800 points, 200 3-pointers, 500 rebounds and 300 assists and tied him with Brad Daughtery for 10th all-time in scoring. Along with breaking Tyler Hansbrough’s building record, he put up a scoring gap over his teammates not seen since the days of Lennie Rosenbluth or George Glamack.
And after a 1-for-14 effort in Saturday’s win at Virginia, Davis still had something to prove Monday. He certainly put on a show. By halftime, when he was announced but not honored with North Carolina’s other scholar-athlete award winners, he already had 21.
He ended the first half with a basket and started the second with another. Midway through the second, when North Carolina needed a bucket, the Tar Heels ran a play to get Davis a look on the right wing. He missed. Next possession, different play, same look. This time, Davis was fouled. In one 192-second stretch of the second half, he hit four 3-pointers on five possessions.
“I know he hadn’t scored 42 points, but the type of performance he had tonight he’s been having all season,” North Carolina coach Hubert Davis said. “He put the team on his back. It wasn’t just his points. I thought he was great defensively. He took care of the basketball. Distributed. Rebounded. Boxed out. We needed every bit of his 42 tonight. He was fantastic.”
North Carolina’s R.J. Davis (4) leaves the court following a career night, scoring 42 points in the Tar Heels’ 75-61 victory over Miami, on Monday, February 26, 2024 at the Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C. Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com
At some point, Davis figured out — or realized it had been decided for him — that on this night, the Tar Heels’ only path to victory was R.J. Davis shooting them to a win. On a night when it came down to the final play, every one of his shots mattered.
Sometimes, the best player wins.
Never miss a Luke DeCock column. Sign up at tinyurl.com/lukeslatest to have them delivered directly to your email inbox as soon as they post.
This story was originally published February 26, 2024, 10:36 PM.
Sports columnist Luke DeCock joined The News & Observer in 2000 and has covered seven Final Fours, the Summer Olympics, the Super Bowl and the Carolina Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup. He is a past president of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, was the 2020 winner of the National Headliner Award as the country’s top sports columnist and has twice been named North Carolina Sportswriter of the Year.
Duke’s Jared McCain (0) motions to the crowd after hitting a three-pointer at the end of the first half of Duke’s game against Florida State University at the Tucker Center in Tallahassee, Fla. Sat. February 17, 2024.
Ethan Hyman
ehyman@newsobserver.com
Tallahassee, Fla.
Jared McCain made sure No. 9 Duke had no worries about fellow guard Tyrese Proctor’s absence due to injury on Saturday.
McCain scored 35 points, setting a program freshman record with eight 3-pointers, as the Blue Devils toppled Florida State, 76-67, in ACC basketball at the Tucker Center.
The 6-3 McCain, a freshman guard from Sacramento, California, hit his first eight shots overall and finished the game 12 of 20 from the field. He made 8 of 11 3-pointers. His point total matched Zion Williamson’s Duke freshman single-game scoring record.
No. 9 Duke (20-5, 11-3 ACC) led by 10 points at halftime and never saw its lead fall below six points in the second half. The Blue Devils won despite not having Proctor, a 6-5 sophomore guard who has started 16 games this season. He did not make the trip due to concussion symptoms.
Florida State (13-12, 7-7 ACC) hit six of its first seven shots to lead by six points early. But McCain helped Duke quickly erase that deficit. When McCain hit his third 3-pointer of the game with 13:09 left until halftime, Duke took a 19-16 lead and never trailed again.
Jeremy Roach added 17 points as the only other Duke player in double figures. The Blue Devils shot 46.4% and won despite Florida State shooting 49.1%.
Duke’s Jared McCain (0) drives around Florida State’s Cam Corhen (3) during the first half of Duke’s game against Florida State University at the Tucker Center in Tallahassee, Fla. Sat. February 17, 2024. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
Here are three takeaways from the game
McCain’s stellar day
Before the first half was over, McCain had already matched the Duke record for most 3-pointers in a game by a freshman. Back in 2018, Cam Reddish hit seven against Army.
McCain hit four 3-pointers in the game’s first eight minutes to zoom into double-figures in scoring. By the time he missed his first shot, a 3-pointer with 4:46 to play until halftime, he he’d already scored 22 points by making his first eight shots (six 3-pointers).
To close his incredible first half, McCain took a bounce pass from Jeremy Roach in transition. With the first-half clock ticking down, McCain dribbled and took two steps back behind the 3-point line and drilled another 3 with two seconds left. That left him at 25 points in the first half and gave Duke a 44-34 halftime lead.
He made his eighth 3-pointer, setting the new Duke freshman record, with 9:38 to play, giving Duke a 60-49 lead.
Duke’s Jeremy Roach (3) drives around Florida State’s Jaylan Gainey (33) during the first half of Duke’s game against Florida State University at the Tucker Center in Tallahassee, Fla. Sat. February 17, 2024. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
Duke trades turnovers for rebounds
Though Duke is one of the ACC’s top teams when it comes to protecting the ball this season, the Blue Devils ran up against their match on Saturday.
Averaging 9.5 turnovers per game this season, the Blue Devils committed seven in the first half and finished with a season-worst 17. Kyle Filipowski had six of Duke’s miscues.
Florida State is No. 2 in the ACC, per KenPom.com, in forcing turnovers. Seminoles opponents have done so on 19.7% of their possessions in ACC play. The Seminoles had eight steals against Duke on Saturday.
But the Blue Devils were able to win the rebounding battle against the taller Seminoles, 36-27. That included 15 offensive rebounds. Of the eight players Duke used, seven grabbed at least two rebounds. Even freshman Sean Stewart, who only played four minutes, grabbed four rebounds.
Filipowski led Duke with seven rebounds.
Back to an unbeaten lineup
With Proctor not available, Scheyer used a familiar starting five that’s brought Duke nothing but success this season. The lineup consisted of McCain, Roach, Caleb Foster, Filipowski and Mitchell. Entering Saturday’s play, the Blue Devils were 7-0 with that starting five.
Steve Wiseman has covered Duke athletics since 2010 for the Durham Herald-Sun and Raleigh News & Observer. In the Associated Press Sports Editors national contest, he’s placed in the top 10 in beat writing in 2019, 2021 and 2022, breaking news in 2019 and explanatory writing in 2018. Previously, Steve worked for The State (Columbia, SC), Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, S.C.), The Sun Herald (Biloxi, Miss.), Charlotte Observer and Hickory (NC) Daily Record covering beats including the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints, University of South Carolina athletics and the S.C. General Assembly. He’s won numerous state-level press association awards. Steve graduated from Illinois State University in 1989.
.JPG "N.C. State’s Khamil Pierre drives past Southern California’s Kara Dunn and Londynn Jones during the second half of the Wolfpack’s 69-68 loss in the Ally Tipoff game on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025, at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.")
