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)

The No. 2 Duke Blue Devils play against the No. 3 North Carolina Tar Heels in a women’s NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game today. The matchup will begin at 1:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV Stream and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.

The Blue Devils enter this matchup with a 28-7 record, and they defeated No. 10 Oregon 59-53 in their second-round game.

During the victory, Ashlon Jackson led the Duke offense. She scored 20 points and shot 5-9 from three-point range, so she will look to continue her offensive success today.

The Tar Heels enter this matchup with a 29-7 record, and they defeated No. 6 West Virginia 58-47 in their second-round game.

During the victory, Alyssa Ustby led the North Carolina offense. She scored 21 points and shot 7-11 from the field, so she will try to perform similarly this afternoon.

Notably, Ustby leads the team in rebounds and assists this season.

Fans can watch this Sweet 16 game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV Stream and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – No deaths had been reported yet in connection with ongoing wildfires burning in parts of North Carolina over the last several days, the governor said Thursday.

Multiple buildings and structures had been damaged or destroyed by eight active wildfires burning in multiple counties — most notably in Polk County, located in Western North Carolina. No deaths had been listed in connection with the fires, however, the governor said during a press conference on Thursday, March 27.

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein on Thursday made a new emergency declaration for the state due to the fires. The declaration opens up federal funding and resources to aid with fire response and recovery efforts.

North Carolina was already under a state of emergency because of the deadly Hurricane Helene, which hit the state exactly six months earlier. At least 106 North Carolinians died because of the storm, with more deaths reported in nearby states.

Helene hit western North Carolina particularly hard, devastating communities across and along the mountain region in September 2024. Severe flooding and strong winds destroyed homes, businesses, entire roadways and more during Helene.

In stark contrast, the region has been dealing with wildfires exactly six months post-Helene. Emergencies were issued in recent days for counties in parts of Western North Carolina and South Carolina, where evacuation orders were also underway for some.

—> More: 6 months after Hurricane Helene, Western North Carolina hit by wildfires

Gov. Stein said Thursday that the new state of emergency declaration would enable the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, to reimburse costs related to response and efforts. Some reimbursements from FEMA had already been promised, Stein said.

Statewide “mutual aid” had also been activated by the North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal, the office announced Thursday. Fire departments throughout North Carolina, in addition to several departments from around the U.S., were deploying personnel and equipment to help suppress the fires.

Active wildfires as of Thursday

There were eight wildfires active in North Carolina as of 4:45 p.m. on Thursday, March 27, officials shared in a press release.

Below are the fires, their locations, how many acres have burned, and how contained they are as of Thursday — according to the office of state fire marshal:

• Black Cove Fire, Polk County: 3,052 acres burned, 17% contained
• Alarka #5 Fire, Swain County: 750 acres burned, 0% contained
• Rattlesnake Branch Fire, Haywood County: 175 acres burned, 0% contained
• Montieth Branch Fire, Jackson County: 50 acres burned, 0% contained
• Deep Woods Fire, Polk County: 3,231 acres burned, 11% contained
• Crusoe Island Road Fire, Columbus County: 343 acres burned, 75% contained
• Fish Hook Fire, Polk County: 199 acres burned, 86% contained
• Holly Shelter Road Fire, New Hanover County: 340 acres burned, 95% contained

You can find a map of active wildfires on the state’s website here.

Evacuations active due to Black Cove fire

A fire called the Black Cove Complex fire, burning in Polk and Henderson counties in North Carolina, was listed this week as the highest priority fire in the Southern United States by the National Interagency Fire Center.

Three fires make up the complex: Black Cove, Deep Woods, and Fish Hook.

New evacuations were ordered on March 26 to include the following areas in Polk County:

• Coyote Ridge
• 3155-6159 Holbert Cove Road
• Sam’s Gap Lane

The areas already under evacuation for the fires include the following areas in Polk and Henderson counties:

• Big Hungry Road
• Charity Branch Drive
• Deep Woods Lane
• Deer Trail
• English Heifer Cove
• Fox Paw Lane
• Gamelands Trail
• 1091 to 1528 Green River Cove Road
• 5079 – 7265 Holbert Cove Road
• Lady Slipper Trail
• Macedonia Road east of Interstate 26
• Moonshine Trace
• Oakview Lane
• Piney Gate Road
• Piney Overlook Lane
• Scarlets Mountain Road
• Skyland Acres Road
• South Fine Way
• Spurgeon Cove Lane
• Summer Haven Lane
• Volley Way
• Wesley Lane
• Windsong Lane

A Polk County emergency shelter hosted by the American Red Cross is located at the Polk County Senior Center/Meeting Place at 75 Carmel Lane in Columbus.

Pets are not accepted at the shelter, but anyone who needs to board their animals due to evacuations can call Polk County Animal Control at 828-817-7984.

Animal control officers recommended that pet owners grab copies of their pets’ health and vaccination records in the event they have to evacuate.

A Henderson County emergency shelter is active at the Henderson County Parks & Recreation Athletics and Activities Center at 208 South Grove Street in Hendersonville.

—> Severe air quality alerts issued for western North Carolina amid fires

Swain County evacuations

Evacuations were also underway in Swain County, where a wildfire was burning in the Alarka Community, according to the North Carolina Emergency Management department. Those required to evacuate were being notified directly, officials said on March 26.

The fire — which was “moving toward Frye Mountain, Shepard’s Creek, and Conley’s Creek,” officials said Wednesday — was believed to span more than 1,000 acres, and was 0% contained, as of 3:40 p.m.

It was the fourth wildfire reported in North Carolina at the time it was reported. It was not immediately clear if the fire in Rutherford County was considered a wildfire.

How to receive fire updates

The Polk County government and the North Carolina Forest Service are providing regular updates on the fire on their Facebook pages. Full press releases and other local resources for Polk County residents are available through the county fire marshal and emergency management website, found here.

Polk County residents can click here to sign up for the Everbridge emergency notification system used by county officials.

Henderson County residents can find updates through the Henderson County website here. They can sign up for the county’s emergency alert program by clicking here and filling out the required information.

Fire and emergency officials held a meeting on Tuesday, March 25, for Henderson County residents to get updates on the fires. Anyone who didn’t make it to the meeting can watch it here.

—> South Carolina fire allegedly started by teens triples in size, burns through mountains

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