North Carolina
No. 7 North Carolina brings 'elite defense' into clash vs. Syracuse
It’s stacking up as a potential special season for No. 7 North Carolina in Atlantic Coast Conference play.
And the Tar Heels finally get another home game when Syracuse visits Chapel Hill, N.C., on Saturday afternoon.
First-place North Carolina (12-3, 4-0 ACC) is back home following three straight road games. The Tar Heels are 4-0 in ACC play for the first time since the 2015-16 season.
“Our guys are just gaining strength from being in those situations, and I just really feel like the experience in the early season has given us confidence to be able to step,” North Carolina coach Hubert Davis said.
Syracuse (11-4, 2-2) has played just once since losing to Duke on Jan. 2. The Orange scored a 69-59 victory against visiting Boston College.
The Tar Heels have won 12 of 15 meetings with Syracuse since joining in the ACC.
North Carolina has taken significant steps forward defensively this season, something that Davis has pointed out to his team.
“They are playing elite defense,” he said. “They are taking the challenge of winning their individual one-on-one matchups, staying on script in terms of what we have talked about in preparation for each game, boxing out in the rebounds.”
In the Tar Heels’ 67-54 victory at North Carolina State on Wednesday night, the Wolfpack were held to 26.9-percent shooting from the field. That’s the fourth-lowest percentage all-time by a North Carolina opponent in ACC regular-season or tournament play.
“I felt like our guards did a really good job climbing into (NC State’s DJ Horne) and making each one of his shots difficult as well,” Davis said.
Even better for the Tar Heels is that their last two opponents — NC State and Clemson — have shot a combined 3-for-39 on 3-pointers. Syracuse is shooting 32.1 percent on 3s, making 6.8 per game.
On offense, guard RJ Davis averages 20.3 points per game.
Syracuse received 20 points from Chris Bell and Maliq Brown posted 10 of the team’s final 15 points in the Boston College game.
“We didn’t play our best offensive game, but I thought our defense was really good,” coach Adrian Autry said.
Syracuse leads the ACC in steals with 146 after recording 17 on Wednesday night.
Rebounding could become an issue against North Carolina because the Orange played this week’s first game without starting center Naheem McLeod, who was out with an injured right foot. Syracuse’s starting lineup also featured wJ.J. Starling on the court in place of Judah Mintz, who scored 10 points off the bench.
Mintz didn’t start because of what was described as a minor violation of team rules.
“Nothing serious, we have moved on,” Autry said. “I expect him to be ready to go Saturday. I expect him to be (starting vs. North Carolina).”
Without McLeod, Brown needed to be careful as the primary post player for the Orange.
“I was worried about the foul situation,” Autry said. “We got to keep everybody fresh.”
—Field Level Media
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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HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Fire crews are responding to a brush fire near Howard Gap Road in Hendersonville on Friday evening.
The fire is across the street from the Ebenezer Baptist Church and near the Highlands Square Shopping Center.
Henderson County Fire Marshal Glen Gillette said crews are fighting “blowdown from Helene.”
NEW WILDFIRES IGNITE IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA FOREST AMID WORSENING DROUGHT
Around 11 p.m., the fire appears larger than it did an hour ago because crews are backburning, which refers to using fire to help control the wildfire.
Dana Fire Department Chief Jimmy Womack said that what was a 3-acre fire an hour ago will be an 8-acre fire due to back burning. He said the fire is 80% contained.
Womack said the cause of the fire is unknown, but one of the conditions contributing to the blaze is the Helene blowdown.
“There’s a lot of blowdown in these woods behind us. That’s what creates most of the problem,” said Womack.
Womack said there has been no property damage and no injuries have been reported for this fire in the woods that 24 personnel are fighting. They got the call to arrive at 6:05 p.m.
LOCAL NEWS
Dana Fire and Rescue and Henderson County Fire Department are supporting the U.S. Forest Service with this fire.
Glen said no structures are threatened at this time and Howard Gap Road is closed.
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This story will be updated as new information is discovered.
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