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UNC basketball vs. Florida State: Score prediction, scouting report for ACC road game

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2 years ago

January 26, 2024

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UNC basketball vs. Florida State: Score prediction, scouting report for ACC road game

UNC basketball faces another tough road test this weekend.

The third-ranked Tar Heels (16-3, 8-0 ACC) are rolling through ACC play with an 8-0 mark for the first time since the 2015-16 season. UNC will take that perfect mark to Florida State (12-7, 6-2) on Saturday (2 p.m., ESPN) to face the Seminoles at the Donald L. Tucker Center.

The Tar Heels have won three of the last four against FSU, including a 78-70 win in December at the Smith Center. But the Seminoles have won three of the last four at the Tucker Center.

Here’s a look at some other things to know and a score prediction for the Tar Heels’ trip to Tallahassee.

Will UNC or Florida State do a better job of creating havoc?

After taking a 14-point lead early in the second half at UNC, FSU imploded from that point with seven turnovers and a six-minute scoring drought. The Tar Heels, who have turned into one of the best defensive teams in the nation, turned the Seminoles’ 12 turnovers into 18 points. In ACC play, FSU is No. 1 in defensive turnover percentage (20.2%) according to KenPom.com. The Noles have logged double-digit steals in two of the last three games and are No. 1 in average height. FSU has the length and athleticism to bother any squad in the country.

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Cormac Ryan’s stretch for UNC basketball

Despite continuing to roll his right ankle, Cormac Ryan has appeared to find his offensive groove for the Tar Heels. As Hubert Davis has pointed out throughout the season, Ryan has contributed in other ways when his shot hasn’t been falling. But for the first time this season, Ryan has reached double-digit points in three straight games, and he’s done it in a variety of ways. Ryan made 3s against Louisville and got to the free-throw line against Boston College and Wake Forest.

Florida State’s Jahmir Watkins shining for Seminoles

VCU transfer Jahmir Watkins is coming off a career-best performance in Florida State’s win at Syracuse. Watkins dropped 27 points and pulled down 11 rebounds against the Orange in an 85-69 victory. He had 17 points and eight rebounds in the first game against UNC in Chapel Hill. Watkins is on track to become the first player in program history to lead the team in points, rebounds, assists and steals.

UNC vs. Florida State score prediction

Florida State 73, UNC 72: These aren’t the same Seminoles that fell apart in the second half at the Smith Center. The Tar Heels are the best team in the ACC, but they won’t go undefeated in the league. In a tough road environment, I’ll take FSU in an upset.

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.

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Florida

Federal judge blocks DeSantis executive order declaring CAIR a 'terrorist organization'

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3 hours ago

March 5, 2026

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Federal judge blocks DeSantis executive order declaring CAIR a 'terrorist organization'

A federal court in Tallahassee has issued a temporary injunction blocking Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order designating the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) a “terrorist organization.” U.S. District Judge Mark Walker’s order comes nearly three months after DeSantis signed his executive order on Dec. 8. The order directed Florida’s executive and Cabinet agencies, as […]

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Florida

Gas prices rise in South Florida amid U.S. and Israel’s conflict with Iran, as the stock market also reports a dip

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

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Gas prices rise in South Florida amid U.S. and Israel’s conflict with Iran, as the stock market also reports a dip

March 3, 2026 / 8:18 PM EST
/ CBS Miami

Four days into the Iranian conflict, gas prices are rising at many stations in South Florida.

“I’ve traveled all over the United States,” says Stacey Williams. CBS Miami spoke to him as he was gassing up on the turnpike. He paid $66 for 20 gallons of diesel to fill his pickup truck. Williams has noted the fluctuations in fuel as he drives to locations for his work on turbines. He just spent three weeks at the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant south of Miami.

“The salary we get paid per hour does not add up to what we pay for gas, housing, and food,” he says.

Mitchell Gershon is also dealing with the higher gas prices. He has to fill three vehicles constantly for his business—Thrifty Gypsy, a pop-up store at musical venues. He’s back and forth from Orlando to Miami and says fuel is costing him 20% more. When asked how he handles these fluctuations, he said, “Have a little backup cash so you are ready for it.”

The rise in oil prices contributed to a drop in the stock market on Tuesday, which means some retirement accounts dipped, too. CBS Miami talked to Chad NeSmith, director of investments at Tobias Financial Advisors in Plantation, for perspective on the drop.

“We are seeing most of the pullback today. Yesterday was a shock,” he says. He’s not expecting runaway oil prices but says investors should stay in the loop: “Pay attention to your portfolio. Stick to your goals. Have a plan because these things are completely unpredictable.”

That unpredictability has Williams adjusting his budget. “You just cut back, cut corners, all you can do,” he says.

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Florida

Man convicted of 1991 fatal shooting of a police officer is set to be executed in Florida

Published

2 days ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Man convicted of 1991 fatal shooting of a police officer is set to be executed in Florida

STARKE, Fla. (AP) — A man convicted of fatally shooting a police officer with his own service weapon during a traffic stop is set to be executed Tuesday evening in Florida.

Billy Leon Kearse, 53, is scheduled to receive a three-drug injection starting at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke. Kearse was initially sentenced to death in 1991 after being convicted of first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm.

The Florida Supreme Court found that the trial court failed to give jurors certain information about aggravating circumstances and ordered a new sentencing. Kearse was resentenced to death in 1997.

Kearse awoke at 6:30 a.m. He declined a last meal and has remained compliant throughout the day, corrections spokesman Jordan Kirkland said during a news conference. Kearse met with a spiritual adviser during the day but had no other visitors.

This is Florida’s third execution scheduled for 2026, following a record 19 executions last year. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis oversaw more executions in a single year in 2025 than any other Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. The highest number before then was eight executions in both 1984 and 2014, under former governors Bob Graham and Rick Scott, respectively.

According to court records, Fort Pierce Police Officer Danny Parrish pulled over Kearse for driving the wrong way on a one-way street in January 1991. When Kearse couldn’t produce a valid driver’s license, Parrish ordered Kearse out of his vehicle and attempted to handcuff him.

A struggle ensued, and Kearse grabbed Parrish’s firearm, prosecutors said. Kearse fired 14 times, striking the officer nine times in the body and four times in his body armor. A nearby taxi driver heard the shots and used Parrish’s radio to call for help.

Parrish was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died from the gunshot wounds, officials said. Meanwhile, police used license plate information that Parrish had called in before approaching Kearse to identify the attacker’s vehicle and home address, where Kearse was arrested.

Last week, the Florida Supreme Court denied appeals filed by Kearse. His attorneys had argued that he was unconstitutionally deprived of a fair penalty phase and that his intellectual disability makes his execution unconstitutional.

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Kearse’s final appeals Tuesday afternoon without comment.

A total of 47 people were executed in the U.S. in 2025. Florida led the way with a flurry of death warrants signed by DeSantis, far outpacing Alabama, South Carolina and Texas which each held five executions.

Besides the two Florida executions this year, Texas and Oklahoma have each executed one person so far.

Two more Florida executions have already been scheduled for this month. Michael Lee King, 54, is scheduled to die on March 17, and the execution of James Aren Duckett, 68, is set for March 31.

All Florida executions are carried out via lethal injection using a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.

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