North Carolina
Defensive problems persist in Elon’s loss to North Carolina A&T
From the opening possessions, it was clear that Elon University men’s basketball’s matchup against North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University would be set in the paint.
The Aggies attacked early, scoring on their first four possessions. Elon never had the chance to settle defensively, handing the Phoenix a lopsided defeat, which head coach Billy Taylor called “unacceptable” on the defensive end.
“We’ve had a lot of good moments with this team, and tonight was just not one of them,” Taylor said. “Our effort defensively was just unacceptable, attention to detail, discipline just really disappointing, and our lack of confidence in terms of the Interior, the rebounding was just unacceptable.”
Despite the defensive lapses, Elon managed to stay within striking distance early thanks to graduate student Chandler Cuthrell’s aggressive play. The forward drew multiple fouls, keeping the Phoenix alive with shots from the free-throw line.
Taylor said the Aggies’ constant pressure at the rim wreaked havoc for the Phoenix.
“It started with their ability to attack the paint,” Taylor said. “We just didn’t take enough pride individually to play the kind of physicality that we need to have. We tried different guys, different combinations, and we just couldn’t find the answer.”
A&T’s runs came in bursts. After Elon briefly grabbed the lead with a step-back 3-pointer from sophomore Bryson Cokley, the Aggies responded with a 7-0 run.
Junior Mujahiid Burton hit a 3-pointer of his own for A&T. He launched his shot a few steps from half-court, turning his back to the rim and celebrating before the ball even swished. The shot topped the Aggies’ run, foreshadowing the offensive dominance to come.
A&T entered halftime with a 53-41 lead.
Elon showed flashes of coming to life. Junior Randall Pettus III opened the second half with a flurry of 3-pointers to chip at the lead. Freshman Demarco Johnson also chipped in, sinking his 5th 3-pointer of the season.
Elon also opened the second half with graduate forward Kacper Klaczek, who missed the last seven games with an injury. Taylor said the veteran’s impact extends beyond scoring, even in a rusty return.
“It was good to have Kacper out there for some quality minutes,” Taylor said. “His mentality was a little amped up early, missed a couple shots he normally converts. But we need his physicality, his toughness, his rebounding. He does so much for our team, more than just making shots.”
Frustrations showed as Elon continued to struggle defensively. Klaczek fouled Burton as he sank an acrobatic lay-up. He then chirped at the referees afterward, giving the Aggies two more free throws in a swing that put the game out of reach for the Phoenix.
“For a fifth-year guy, it’s just an undisciplined moment,” Taylor said. “In tight games, you can’t make selfish decisions like that. You’ve got to have the discipline to walk away and move on to the next play.”
Elon trailed by double-digits for the majority of the second half. The Aggies didn’t miss a shot for the last 12 minutes of the game. The Phoenix offense turned sloppy, according to Taylor, forcing up bad shots and relying on 1-on-1 isolated possessions.
The Phoenix fell 102-82. It’s the first time Elon has let up 100 points this season, against an Aggies team that ranked 7th offensively in the CAA.
“We took this opportunity for granted tonight,” Taylor said. “We didn’t compete at a high level, and it bit us.”
With just three games remaining in the regular season, the loss comes at a critical stretch for Elon. The team now falls to a 14-14 record on the season, 6-9 in conference play. Taylor said that the focus now shifts to responding with urgency on the road.
“We’ve got to get back to our identity,” Taylor said. “We’ve got a lot in front of us. We’re still playing for seeding. We’ve got to bring a tough mentality, and go play in some tough places to win.”
Elon next plays at Towson University on Feb. 25 in Towson, Maryland.
A man once given the nickname Cardiac Kemba due to his heart-stopping heroics at the University of Connecticut, Kemba Walker is back to breathe life into the 704’s youth basketball community.
The Charlotte Hornets’ legend officially opened the Kemba Walker Sports Academy in Concord, North Carolina this afternoon, a multi-sport facility just north of Charlotte that’s mission is “to provide a safe, fun, and inclusive environment for athletes to learn, grow, excel and compete.”
At a ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of the 54,000 square foot facility, Walker took some time to answer questions from assembled media about his latest venture that was created with community in mind.
“It’s really bigger than, you know, basketball,” said the Hornets’ all-time leading scorer this afternoon when talking about the academy. “We want the kids to have some discipline and really teach them how to work hard you know? That’s what we’re chasing. We’re chasing something that’s much bigger than the actual sport.”
It’s a bold vision, and one that Walker has dreamed of fulfilling since he was a kid suiting up for his childhood AAU program, the New York Gauchos.
“(The Gauchos’ facility) is probably not quite like this. It’s not as big as this. But that was my safe space, you know? That was the place I was able to go to, to enjoy the game of basketball and meet some of my closest friends that I still have to this day who actually run this place.”
Walker has been a pillar of the grassroots basketball community in Charlotte since he was a baby-faced, 20-something-year-old suiting up for the Bobcats. And even though he spent some time playing elsewhere in his professional basketball career, the four-time All-Star has considered the Queen City his domain since draft night.
“I never left, first of all” said Walker when asked about returning to the Hornets as an assistant coach and being able to now give back to the community that embraced him with open arms when he was drafted in 2011. “Obviously, I went to a couple of different teams and, you know, my path took me to a couple of different places, but I always kept my house here, and my family was always here, and whenever I had time in the summer, something like that, I was always here.”
“But it is amazing to be back. I love Charlotte.”
And Charlotte loves him back.
Walker stamped his name in the franchise record books with a successful career on the court, but he forever endeared himself into the community by embracing the basketball-crazed city he didn’t have a single tie to until he was drafted there.
The Kemba Walker Sports Academy will host its first grassroots basketball event this weekend, the Kemba Walker Invitational, where AAU teams from across the country (including Walker’s own New York Gauchos) will convene in Concord to christen the facility.
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ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Home sales in western North Carolina have increased since last year, according to the latest report from a realtor group.
Canopy MLS, a subsidiary of the Canopy Realtor Association, reports that May home sales across the four-county Asheville area (Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, and Madison counties) reflected a spring market that remains “active and competitive.”
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A total of 592 homes closed in May, representing a 6.3 percent increase compared to May 2025 and a 2.1 percent gain over April, the report said. Buyer demand continued to strengthen, with pending sales, a leading indicator of future closings, surging 22.4 percent year over year as 728 properties went under contract during the month.
“The strength of buyer demand in May is encouraging and reflects continued confidence in the Asheville region as a place to live, work and invest,” said Dave Noyes, a Realtor/Designated Managing Broker with eXp Realty and Canopy MLS Board of Director, in a news release. “
ASHEVILLE HOUSING MARKET SHOWS STEADY STRENGTH AS INVENTORY RISES ACROSS REGION
Contract activity also increased 7.1 percent compared to April, signaling that buyers remained engaged despite mortgage rates averaging approximately 6.5 percent throughout May, the report said.
“Buyers are adapting to today’s mortgage rates and taking advantage of the increased inventory we’ve seen over the past year. Although fewer new listings came onto the market in May, homes continue to attract strong interest, which is helping maintain a healthy balance between supply and demand as we head into the summer months,” Noyes said.
While buyer activity increased , new listing activity moderated. Sellers introduced 1,165 homes to the market in May, a 6.7 percent decline compared to the same month last year and a 7.7 percent decrease from April. Even so, the region’s inventory of homes for sale continued to expand, rising 3.2 percent year over year to 3,092 properties at report time. Months of supply, however, declined from six months in May 2025 to 5.4 months this past May, suggesting that the pace of buyer demand is absorbing available inventory faster than new listings are being added.
The report said that although buyers have more choices than a year ago, the market remains relatively balanced, with strong contract activity continuing to support overall sales momentum.
AVERY COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — Former Madison County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Bronis Coy Phillips was processed on Thursday, June 25, in a North Carolina county, according to court documents.
The warrants were served in Avery County on behalf of Madison County. He is now being held without bond, according to the court paperwork.
SBI ARRESTS FORMER MADISON CO. CHIEF DEPUTY FOR CRIMINAL ACTIVITY INVOLVING INMATES, STAFF
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation announced that Phillips was arrested on June 14 in Maricopa County, Arizona. He’s expected to face charges in N.C., as News 13 previously reported.
According to court records, Phillips faces multiple felony charges, including:
- Furnishing controlled substances to inmates
- Furnishing deadly weapons to inmates
- Involuntary servitude
- Two counts of assault with a firearm on a detention facility employee
COURT RECORDS REVEAL NEW DETAILS IN FORMER MADISON CO. CHIEF DEPUTY ARREST
He was also charged with two misdemeanors:
- Furnishing alcoholic beverages to inmates
- Furnishing tobacco products to inmates
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The NCSBI said the charges stem from an investigation into alleged criminal activity involving inmates and detention facility staff.
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