North Carolina
Duke beats North Carolina in low-scoring affair to advance to first Elite Eight in over a decade
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The rivalry between Duke and North Carolina is well documented, but Friday afternoon brought a new moment — the first-ever meeting in the NCAA Tournament. And the stakes were plenty high, with the winner advancing to its first Elite Eight in over a decade.
There were few surprises in the third meeting of the season, resulting in the lowest combined point total of the three games (85). In the end, Duke continued its winning streak and prevailed 47-38 to advance to its first Elite Eight since 2008.
Friday’s matchup was a defensive struggle, with both teams shooting under 35 percent from the field and under 60 percent from the free-throw line. The Tar Heels seized control early, jumping out to an 11-0 lead in the first quarter. But Duke settled in and outscored North Carolina by a 47-27 margin in the final 34 minutes for the win.
For North Carolina, the shooting struggles of its top players was the storyline. The Tar Heels’ top four scorers on the season, Maria Gakdeng, Alyssa Ustby, Lexi Donarski and Reniya Kelly, combined for just 22 points.
Duke’s Ashlon Jackson’s eight second-half points led all scorers. Jackson’s 10 total points finished second only to sophomore Oluchi Okananwa, who led all players in scoring and rebounding with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
The Blue Devils (29-7) will play the winner of South Carolina-Maryland on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.
Duke’s win is a milestone moment in Kara Lawson’s tenure
In 2020, Lawson took over a Blue Devils program that had missed the NCAA Tournament three times in the previous five years. What immediately followed was a COVID-19-shortened season of just four games. Five years later, Duke will play for its first Elite Eight since 2003.
“Playing for her, it’s everything for me,” Jackson said Thursday. “I pretty much can speak for everyone that wears a jersey that says Duke.”
Lawson reached another important milestone a few weeks ago, capturing the ACC Tournament title, the first ACC championship for Duke since 2013. Success inside of the ACC has translated to success in the NCAA Tournament, reaching the Sweet Sixteen a year ago and advancing at least one stage farther in 2025.
Momentum is on the Blue Devils’ side, with nine straight wins after Friday’s triumph. With one more win, Duke can reach its first Final Four since 2003.
Pair of bench players paced Duke to Elite Eight
The decisive advantage for Duke came from bench points, where a stark 26-6 advantage helped pave the way for a win. The catalysts were senior Vanessa de Jesus and sophomore Okananwa, whose 18 combined first-half points, out of 28 total for Duke, brought the Devils out of an early shooting slump. Duke had failed to score a basket in the first six minutes of the game until both players entered.
De Jesus’ impact was felt most in the first half with eight points on 4-5 shooting. Elsewhere, Okananwa’s impact is understood as the 2024 ACC Sixth Player of the Year. And she showed again why she’s an X-factor for Duke with an impressive 12-point, 12-rebound statline, her third double-double of the season.
Eventually, starters like Jackson found their scoring rhythm, but Duke’s depth was the leading storyline. The Blue Devils will need it in the Elite Eight, regardless of their opponent, as the competition level continues to rise.
(Photo: Gary Cosby Jr. / USA Today via Imagn)
Sunday’s matchup will be a step down in competition, as the North Carolina Tar Heels’ recent schedule has featured Michigan State, Kentucky, and Georgetown in the last four weeks. With all due respect to the USC Upstate Spartans, they are not in the same class as any of the three teams mentioned above.
North Carolina’s coaching staff and personnel should not view this game as a pointless outing, as the Tar Heels can utilize this matchup to continue developing key features that will serve them well down the road.
With that being said, here are a couple of expectations for North Carolina in a home matchup against USC Upstate.
Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar Should Continue Dominance
The Tar Heels’ frontcourt, consisting of Veesaar and Wilson, has been the team’s driving force on both ends of the floor. That trend should continue on Saturday against USC Upstate, as the Spartans are an undersized team, with their tallest player at 6-foot-9.
This season, Wilson is averaging 19.3 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game, while shooting 53.2 percent from the field. Meanwhile, Veesaar is averaging 16.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game, while shooting 63.6 percent from the field.
Both players could total career highs in points and rebounds in this game, which could easily translate to 20+ in each category.
Another Steppingstone for the Backcourt
North Carolina’s backcourt produced a complete group effort against Georgetown on Sunday, with Kyan Evans and Derek Dixon having standout performances. Evans totaled seven points and four assists, which all occurred in the opening minutes, but it set the tone for the Tar Heels. Dixon scored 14 points, while shooting 5-of-7 from the field, including 3-of-5 from three-point range.
Head coach Hubert Davis highlighted both players’ performances against the Hoyas during his postgame press conference.
- “I thought the start that [Kyan Evans] had was huge for us,” Davis said. “I mean, it’s not just the shots that he made. He was confident, he was aggressive, he was on point. It’s been five out of eight games where he’s gotten into foul trouble, so we’ve [got to] find a way to keep him out there on the floor.”
- “I really like [Kyan] and Derek [Dixon] on the floor at the same time,” Davis continued. “I’ve always said that I love multiple ball handlers. You can’t take us out of our offense. And with those two, with the way that Georgetown was switching defenses, we always had somebody that can handle the basketball and get us into a set and get us organized.”
That was the first time in weeks where Evans was playing with complete confidence and was not hesitant shooting the ball from the perimeter. As for Dixon, it was the second straight game the freshman guard played a monumental role in the team’s win. Both players have an opportunity to replicate that level of production on Saturday.
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(WLOS) — North Carolina has approved film and entertainment grants for two television series and an independent feature-length film.
According to a release from Gov. Josh Stein, this is expected to create nearly 5,000 jobs and spend more than $113 million during production.
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The productions include season two of “The Hunting Wives,” approved for an award of up to $15 million, filming around Lake Norman and Charlotte, and the new series “RJ Decker” in New Hanover County, which was approved for an award of up to $11.6 million.
The independent thriller “Widow,” which was approved for an award of up to $1.8 million, also recently completed filming in Davidson, Forsyth, Stokes, and Yadkin counties.
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“We are excited to have these new productions in North Carolina creating 4,900 jobs for our state’s crew and film-friendly businesses,” Stein said in the release. “North Carolina remains a top state for film, and these grants enable us to continue our strong tradition of TV and film production excellence.”
Additionally, the romantic comedy film “Merv,” which was filmed in New Hanover County and received a North Carolina Film grant, released on Amazon’s Prime Video on Dec. 10.
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Other productions that were recently filmed in North Carolina include the films “Christy” and “Roofman,” as well as the popular series “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”
“These productions bring direct economic benefits and also raise the state’s visibility among audiences, leading to increased tourist activity and visitor spending over time,” said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley.
North Carolina coach Bill Belichick has fired offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens and special-teams coordinator Mike Priefer.
“We want to thank Coach Kitchens and Coach Priefer for their commitment and many contributions to our program and student-athletes,” Belichick said in a statement, per ESPN. “We wish them both nothing but the best in their future endeavors.”
Kitchens, the former Alabama quarterback and head coach of the Browns in 2019, was the Tar Heels’ interim coach in 2024.
Belichick brought Priefer to UNC after two decades in the NFL, and two years out of football.
Under Kitchens, North Carolina’s offense ranked 119th in scoring (19.3 PPG) and 129th in total offense (288.8 YPG).
The Tar Heels finished 4-8 overall and 2-6 in the ACC.
Kitchens won Alabama’s Mr. Football honor in 1992 as the quarterback at Etowah High School.
Kitchens shared the quarterback duties at Alabama with Brian Burgdorf in 1995 before taking over full-time under center for the Crimson Tide in the 1996 and 1997 seasons.
After three more college stops, Kitchens entered the NFL as the Dallas Cowboys’ tight-ends coach in 2006 and stayed in the league for the next 17 seasons, including as Cleveland’s head coach in 2019, when the Browns went 6-10.
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