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No. 1 Duke, without Cooper Flagg, holds off UNC comeback thanks to costly lane violation

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No. 1 Duke, without Cooper Flagg, holds off UNC comeback thanks to costly lane violation


In another exciting showdown of the classic college rivalry, No. 1 Duke held off a defiant North Carolina comeback to take a 74-71 win in the ACC tournament semifinals. The Tar Heels trailed by as many as 24 points, but a free throw lane violation cost the team the win.

The shorthanded Blue Devils were without Cooper Flagg, who was ruled out with an ankle injury ahead of Friday’s semifinal matchup. Forward Maliq Brown was also out with a shoulder injury. But even without those starters, Duke was able to get the win and advance to the finals.

The Tar Heels had a huge chance to take the lead with four seconds left. Duke center Khaman Maluach fouled out and gave Tar Heels forward Ven-Allen Lubin a potentially game-winning free throw. But Lubin missed the first free throw, and the second was nullified after a lane violation from UNC forward Jae’Lyn Withers.

Two free throws from Kon Knueppel on the other end sealed the deal for the Blue Devils, who will now face the winner of Clemson-Louisville in the ACC tournament finals on Saturday.

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Friday brought another physical, rowdy matchup between the two teams. Duke and UNC traded points early on, but the Blue Devils pulled ahead, holding a double-digit lead throughout much of the first half.

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Duke went on a 15-0 run to end the first half, heading into the locker room with a comfortable 45-24 lead and a lot of momentum. The Blue Devils’ defense was on full display, with players getting big blocks and diving on the floor to keep the Tar Heels from scoring.

Partway through the second half, the Tar Heels started to find a rhythm, chipping away at the deficit. North Carolina cut Duke’s lead down to single digits with less than five minutes remaining in the game, pushing toward a potential comeback. A big and-one from Seth Trimble, plus two more free throws, got the Tar Heels within four points.

With less than a minute left, UNC cut that lead down to one point. That was as close as they’d get.

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Flagg sustained his ankle sprain in Duke’s quarterfinal game against Georgia Tech on Thursday. He landed on another player’s foot after jumping for a rebound and immediately hit the floor in pain. He was later seen being transported in a wheelchair for imaging.

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer told reporters after the game Flagg had sustained an ankle sprain and was unlikely to play again in the ACC tournament. The team still hopes he will be able to play in the NCAA tournament, which starts next week.

“It’s not about being ready to go tomorrow,” Scheyer said. “That’s not the most important thing for us. We’ve got to see if we can get him right for this run that we can make in the [NCAA] tournament.

“But I would have to be really convinced that we should even consider seeing if he can go [Friday]. He may not be able to go anyway. He probably won’t be able to go anyway. But I think it’s a real long shot, a real long shot.”

Flagg, the favorite for National Player of the Year honors, posted 15 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four blocks in Duke’s win over the Tar Heels last week. In his first game against them, he had 21 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks.

His absence left Duke in need of someone to step up and take his place. As Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor laid out, the most likely players to do so were fellow freshmen Knueppel, Maluach and Isaiah Evans, all of whom could help their draft stock with a big game without help from Flagg. Knueppel led the team in scoring on Friday, finishing with 17 points, while Maluach ended with 13 points and nine rebounds. Evans had a slower night, ending with two points, two rebounds and two assists.



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North Carolina

Rain and wind Sunday in North Carolina| Secure objects outdoors and Halloween decorations tonight

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Rain and wind Sunday in North Carolina| Secure objects outdoors and Halloween decorations tonight


Ready for a windy Sunday? Gusts will increase early morning through late afternoon and evening. Saturday night is a good time to secure patio items and Halloween decorations from the Piedmont Triad to the Mountains. Rain and severe storms are possible too.



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Bill Belichick, North Carolina receive scathing report from insider

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Bill Belichick, North Carolina receive scathing report from insider


Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels have suffered through a rough start to the 2025 college football season. After making the leap from the NFL to the college ranks, Belichick was expected to quickly build North Carolina into a contender.

Heading into Friday night’s game against California, the Tar Heels were just 2-3 under Belichick.

All year long, negative reports have come out about Belichick. There have even been loud rumblings that North Carolina could consider moving on from the legendary head coach after just one season.

Read more: Todd McShay Tears Into James Franklin After Penn State Firing

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While it seems much more likely that Belichick will receive at least one more season, things need to improve. He will need to fix a lot of problems that have become very noticeable so far.

With that being said, a new report has been shared about Belichick and the Tar Heels’ football program that are very concerning.

Bruce Feldman of The Athletic made an appearance and shared a scathing report about Belichick and the North Carolina staff.

“It has really been a disastrous start just in terms of, they thought they knew everything, they thought they knew better,” Feldman said. “It’s just been kind of, an interesting window into guys who came from the NFL world, thought they were smarter than everybody else, and the reality is, they didn’t know what they were getting themselves into.”

He also shared that Michael Lombardi, the team’s general manager, is considering changing how the program has been running things.

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“Here we are, Bill Belichick’s 73 years old…It’s just been kind of, this crazy faceplant that you see from the Tar Heels from the standpoint, of, just thinking this is the way we’re going to do it, we’re the 33rd NFL team,” Feldman said. “It’s not like they’re going up against Ohio State and Georgia and Oregon and getting drummed, they’re losing to mediocre programs.”

Ahead of the 2025 season, there is no doubt that the Tar Heels were overhyped. Belichick may be one of the best head coaches in NFL history, but he has looked like one of the worst head coaches in college football.

Read more: James Franklin Connected to Top SEC Job After Being Fired by Penn State

Of course, things can change quickly. Belichick and his staff need to regroup and figure out how to fix things. There is still time to right the ship and get the program back on track.

However, if Belichick and company are unable to do so throughout the remainder of this season and heading into next year, North Carolina may have to consider making a tough decision.

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For more North Carolina Tar Heels and Bill Belichick news and more on college football, head to Newsweek Sports.



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2 San Antonio-based Army Commands expected to move to North Carolina, report says

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2 San Antonio-based Army Commands expected to move to North Carolina, report says


SAN ANTONIO – Two San Antonio-based Army Commands are expected to move to Fort Bragg in North Carolina, according to a media report.

General Randy George, the Army’s chief of staff, announced on Tuesday that Fort Sam Houston will no longer house Army North and Army South, Breaking Defense reported. They will merge with Forces Command (FORSCOM) to create the Western Hemisphere Command.

The San Antonio mayor’s office confirmed to KSAT on Thursday that the consolidated headquarters will relocate to North Carolina.

The change is expected to happen in the next six to eight weeks, Breaking Defense reported.

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KSAT reached out to San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones to ask about the potential impact on Military City USA.

“As Army leaders shared with us earlier this summer, they are taking steps to achieve efficiencies to accomplish their mission,” Jones said in a statement to KSAT. “While I am disappointed to hear the consolidated headquarters will relocate to North Carolina, Army leaders this summer indicated even this outcome could yield a minimal impact to the overall Army footprint at JBSA.”

Jones said they are waiting for details on the number of personnel who will be relocated from San Antonio.

“San Antonio is unmatched in our ability to host military missions and families, and we look forward to working with the Department of War and Department of the Army to identify additional missions San Antonio may be able to host,” she said.

The merger is part of the U.S. Army’s initiative to slim down headquarters and four-star general officer billets.

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George called the move efficient, citing that the new command would be “focused on homeland defense and partnerships with Western Hemisphere allies,” Breaking Defense reported.

Some elements of command operations may remain in San Antonio, the report stated.

KSAT reached out to Fort Sam Houston and Army Public Affairs for comment. Due to the government shutdown, officials were unavailable for comment.


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