North Carolina
Madison Hayes scores 24 to lead No. 7 North Carolina State over Clemson, 71-49
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Madison Hayes is playing like North Carolina State coach Wes Moore always thought she would.
Hayes had a career-high 24 points to help the seventh-ranked Wolfpack win their 15th straight over Clemson, 71-49, on Thursday night. Her performance surpassed her previous best of 21, set nearly three weeks ago in a loss to Virginia Tech.
It’s a scoring role she is happy to take on this season.
“I kind of shied away from that last year,” Hayes said. “Last year, I was more like, ‘OK, I’ll hit the open shots and defend the best player on the floor.’ But I know this year, I have to step up as a leader. Not only defend and get rebounds, I’ve got to contribute, contribute.”
Hayes did that for the Wolfpack (17-2, 5-2 Atlantic Coast Conference).
She had two 3-pointers and an uncontested layup off her steal as North Carolina State opened with a 13-2 run. Hayes finished with three 3-pointers, a team-high nine rebounds and a pair of steals.
“Madison’s playing at a high level. She’s playing now like I anticipated her playing when we tried to recruit her,” Moore said.
The Wolfpack had gone 2-2 after opening the season 14-0 including road losses at Virginia Tech and Miami.
But Hayes and North Carolina State took control of this one in a hurry. When Clemson closed to 18-15, the Wolfpack went on a 14-0 burst to restore the big lead.
The Tigers (8-12, 1-7) could not respond and lost their seventh straight. North Carolina State beat Clemson by double digits for the 13th time in the past 15 meetings.
Mimi Collins scored 14 points and Saniya Rivers 13 for the Wolfpack.
Aziaha James, North Carolina State’s top scorer this season at 15.4 points a game, was limited to seven points on 3-of-16 shooting.
Ruby Whitehorn led Clemson with 11 points. The Tigers’ leading scorer, Amari Robinson, was held to 10 points after coming in averaging nearly 18 points a game.
THE BIG PICTURE
North Carolina State: The Wolfpack are versatile and constantly moving the ball for an open shot, traits that should keep them in the ACC chase. But the two league losses already have them a game behind one-loss league leaders Syracuse, North Carolina and Louisville.
Clemson: The Tigers opened 8-5 including a victory against Duke in their ACC opener. But it has been a difficult return to league play in January with Clemson falling to ranked ACC opponents North Carolina, Florida State, Syracuse, Louisville and Virginia Tech before getting slammed by the Wolfpack.
ACC STRUGGLES
Moore said it was good to see his team’s first-half fight in building a 43-23 lead at the break. The Wolfpack, picked eighth in the ACC this preseason, will need that same effort to stay in title contention. “This league is so good and the margin for error is so small,” he said. “There’s still a long way to go and it don’t take more than a couple of bad games and you’re right back there in the middle of the pack.”
UP NEXT
North Carolina State plays at Boston College on Sunday.
Clemson is at home to face Wake Forest on Sunday night.
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The North Carolina Tar Heels will be a young program across the board next season, with well over two dozen freshmen and numerous additions from the transfer portal this offseason. Expectations for the 2026 season are lowered dramatically after a disastrous first season for head coach Bill Belichick, though those expectations could help the Tar Heels fly under the radar.
As the Tar Heels approach the end of spring ball, it is time to look at the veterans of the team—the ones who have the experience to lead, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Let’s look at three underrated seniors for the 2026 football season.
Ade Willie, Cornerback
Willie joins the Tar Heels program after four years with Michigan State, as the former 4-star player in the 2022 recruiting class gets an opportunity to not only provide depth to the secondary, but potentially start Week 0 against TCU.
Willie played in over 30 games with the Spartans and brings experience in the secondary at cornerback and safety, along with quality length and closing speed to the football. For a defense that needs players to step up, the redshirt senior from IMG Academy will be asked to do so.
Isaiah Johnson, Defensive Lineman
The defensive line is beginning to look like one of the Tar Heels’ strengths for the 2026 season. Johnson, a former transfer from Arizona, enters his redshirt senior year looking to add another year of production after 40 tackles and two sacks this past season.
North Carolina has an impressive group of starters with Malkart Abou-Jaoude, Leroy Jackson, and incoming transfer Jaylen Harvey. Johnson adds value to the group as a run defender with the ability to penetrate the pocket. While not discussed as a key player, Johnson’s name will be used plenty during the regular season as a potential standout for the program’s defensive front.
Coleman Bryson, Safety
Bryson was a reserve player for the Tar Heels’ secondary last season as a big nickel defender in the rotation. Heading into his redshirt senior year, the former Minnesota Gopher is looking to become a full-time starter in the secondary.
It wasn’t long ago when Bryson was making plays as the 2022 Pinstripe Bowl Defensive MVP. His special teams abilities were valuable for North Carolina last season, and he flashed at times in coverage against tight ends, including a pass breakup in the season-opener against TCU. The Waynesville, North Carolina, native could be a key defender on the back-seven in 2026.
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Friends and family members gathered in Washington state on Saturday, remembering former Miss North Carolina Carrie Everett, who died on Easter Sunday. Another memorial service is planned in North Carolina next month.
Web Editor : Sydney Ross
Posted
Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | First Quarter
Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | Q1 8:19
After a faceoff win by Henry Metz, Brendan Millon finds Truitt Sunderland to give the Hoos a 3-0 lead. Timeout North Carolina.
Virginia 2, North Carolina 0 | Q1 9:00
Brendan Millon gets the scoring started for the Cavaliers with a question mark style goal. On the defensive end, Jake Marek opens the game with three early saves with his third save setting up a transition goal by Tommy Snyder.
Virginia vs North Carolina pregame notes
UVA owns a 59-33 advantage since the series began in 1938.
The 59 wins are UVA’s most against any opponent in program history (followed by 51 against Duke).
In Chapel Hill last year, the Tar Heels defeated the Cavaliers 18-9, snapping UVA’s six-game series win streak.
UVA has won nine of the last 11 meetings, dating back to 2018.
The Hoos have won the last two meetings with Carolina at Klöckner Stadium, 11-4 in 2022 and 14-6 in 2024.
The Tar Heels’ four goals in 2022 marked the fewest goals in a game under Joe Breschi, who was named UNC’s head coach in 2006.
The last time the Tar Heels knocked off the Cavaliers at Klöckner was a 16-13 decision during the first of three games between the two teams in 2021.
Later that year, UVA claimed back-to-back meetings against the Heels, including in the NCAA semifinals on the way to capturing the 2021 national title over Maryland.
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