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North Carolina blows out San Diego State in NCAA tournament: 3 takeaways

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North Carolina blows out San Diego State in NCAA tournament: 3 takeaways


San Diego State’s basketball season came to an end on Tuesday night, falling to North Carolina 95-68 in the First Four of the NCAA tournament.

The Aztecs (21-10) fell behind by 24 points and halftime and saw that deficit grow over the final 20 minutes, ending their fifth consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament after just one game. Guards Nick Boyd and Wayne McKinney (12 points each) were San Diego State’s only players to reach double figures. The Aztecs shot 26 percent from the field in the first half and 40 percent from the game but found their defense get sliced apart from a Tarheel team poised to go on a run.

Here are three takeaways from Tuesday’s game.

NORTH CAROLINA FIGHTS TO KEEP THEIR SEASON ALIVE

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San Diego State and North Carolina were the final two teams given at-large bids into this year’s tournament. On Tuesday, it was the Tarheels who played like their season was on the line. The Aztecs led 6-5 in the early going before a 30-5 North Carolina run over an 11-minute period gave the Tarheels a seemingly insurmountable lead.

North Carolina shot 61 percent from the field in the first half including seven of nine from three-point range and 12-12 from the free throw stripe. Star senior guard RJ Davis knocked down a three-pointer from the right wing in the closing seconds, his third of the half, to finish off a dominant 47-23 half.

The Tarheels did not let off in the second half, scoring 48 more points to finish with 95 against a San Diego State team that had not surrendered more than 80 points in a game this season. North Carolina grew the lead to as many as 40 (82-42) with just under eight minutes to play in the game. The Aztecs connected on each of their final seven shots of the game, reaching 45 points over the final 20 minutes to bring the final deficit below 30 points.

REBOUNDING A PROBLEM FOR SAN DIEGO STATE

Rebounding had been a strength for San Diego State in more than one way this season. The Aztecs entered Tuesday’s game having not lost back-to-back games all season. After an early exit from last week’s Mountain West Conference tournament, San Diego State spent the weekend back home awaiting their fate come Selection Sunday. Taking on a North Carolina team that many did not expect to make the tournament, San Diego State looked overmatched from the early minutes, unable to rebound from their previous loss to Boise State.

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On the floor, San Diego State had struggled rebounding in the five-plus games towards the end of the year in which standout forward Magoon Gwath was unable to play in. Gwath returned to the starting lineup on Tuesday but did not look like the player that had earned Mountain West’s Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year during much of this season. North Carolina won the rebounding battle 39 to 28, limiting San Diego State’s opportunities for easy offense.

DEFENSIVE LETDOWN

San Diego State’s defense, ranked No. 15 nationally per KenPom, was no match for North Carolina in Dayton on Tuesday. The Aztecs forced North Carolina into four turnovers in the first four minutes of the game before the Tarheel offense settled in and took over.

North Carolina point guard Elliott Cadeau led the offensive attack with nine points and 12 assists, setting up the other guards to score. RJ Davis, the ACC’s third all-time leading scorer and a veteran of the NCAA tournament had 26 points on 8-12 shooting, knocking down all six of his three-point attempts. Guard Seth Trimble had 16 points while Jae’Lyn Wither finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

The Tarheels shot 14-24 from three-point range for the game, never allowing San Diego State hope to get themselves back in the game after the onslaught in the middle of the opening half.

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North Carolina

2026 primary turnout report released for eastern NC counties; see your county’s numbers

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2026 primary turnout report released for eastern NC counties; see your county’s numbers


Here are the voter turnout numbers for the 2026 primary election, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections.

Hyde County had the highest voter turnout, while Onslow County had the lowest turnout. Check out what the voter turnout in your county was below:

BERTIE COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

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31.85% (3,911 out of 12,280)

CARTERET COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

29.06% (16,543 out of 56,931)

CRAVEN COUNTY

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Ballots Cast:

18.63% (14,119 out of 75,778)

DUPLIN COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

21.93% (6,981 out of 31,832)

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EDGECOMBE COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

18.16% (6,428 out of 35,396)

GREENE COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

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19.70% (2,147 out of 10,900)

HYDE COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

37.27% (1,123 out of 3,013)

JONES COUNTY

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Ballots Cast:

25.91% (1,805 out of 6,966)

LENOIR COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

16.73% (6,251 out of 37,371)

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MARTIN COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

17.61% (2,858 out of 16,228)

ONSLOW COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

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11.44% (14,816 out of 129,537)

PAMLICO COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

24.03% (2,446 out of 10,180)

PITT COUNTY

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Ballots Cast:

15.71% (19,429 out of 123,705)

TYRRELL COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

30.49% (723 out of 2,371)

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WASHINGTON COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

28.66% (2,312 out of 8,067)

WAYNE COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

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21.49% (16,408 out of 76,358)



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Statewide tornado drill has NC schools and workplaces practicing safety

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Statewide tornado drill has NC schools and workplaces practicing safety


Wednesday, March 4, 2026 6:41PM

NC schools and businesses encouraged to practice tornado safety

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — North Carolina schools and businesses took part in a statewide tornado drill Wednesday morning as part of Severe Weather Awareness Week.

The National Weather Service led the drill at 9:30 a.m., broadcasting it on NOAA Weather Radio and the Emergency Alert System. Schools, workplaces and households across the state were encouraged to join in.

The National Weather Service didn’t issue a follow up alert to mark the end of the drill. Instead, each school or business wrapped up once they felt they had practiced the procedures thoroughly.

Wednesday’s drill also replaced the regular weekly NOAA Weather Radio test.

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SEE | New warning for parents amid new ‘fire-breathing’ social media trend

Make sure to download the ABC 11 Mobile App ABC11 North Carolina Apps for Connected TV, Mobile News, Echo

Copyright © 2026 WTVD-TV. All Rights Reserved.



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North Carolina Rep. Valerie Foushee holds narrow lead over challenger Nida Allam

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North Carolina Rep. Valerie Foushee holds narrow lead over challenger Nida Allam


Nida Allam in 2022; Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) in 2025.

Jonathan Drake/Reuters; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images


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Jonathan Drake/Reuters; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Incumbent Rep. Valerie Foushee holds a narrow lead over challenger Nida Allam in the Democratic primary for North Carolina’s 4th Congressional district as ballots continue to be counted.

In a race seen as an early test of whether Democratic voters desire generational change within the party, Foushee holds a lead of just over 1,000 votes with 99% of results in so far, according to the Associated Press.

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Under state law, provisional votes will be counted in the coming days in a district that includes Durham and Chapel Hill. If the election results end up within a 1% margin, Allam could request a recount.

Successfully ousting an incumbent lawmaker is often extremely difficult and rare. However, there have been recent upsets in races as some voters are calling for new leaders and several sitting members of Congress face primary challengers this cycle.

Allam, a 32-year-old Durham County Commissioner, is running to the left of Foushee, 69, framing her candidacy as part of a broader rejection of longtime Democratic norms.

On the campaign trail, Allam ran on an anti-establishment message, pledging to be a stronger fighter than Foushee in Congress, both in standing up against President Trump’s agenda and when pushing for more ambitious policy.

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“North Carolina is a purple state that often gets labeled red, but we’re not a red state,” she told NPR in an interview last month, emphasizing the need to address affordability concerns. “We are a state of working-class folks who just want their elected officials to champion the issues that are impacting them.”

She drew a contrast with the congresswoman on immigration, voicing support for abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Foushee has declined to go that far, advocating instead for ICE to be defunded and for broader reforms to the federal immigration system.

Allam also clashed with Foushee over U.S. policy towards Israel. As a vocal opponent of Israel’s war in Gaza, Allam swore off campaign donations from pro-Israel lobbying groups, such as AIPAC, and repeatedly criticized Foushee for previously accepting such funds.

Though Foushee announced last year that she would not accept AIPAC donations this cycle, she and Allam continued to spar over the broader role of outside spending in the race.

Their matchup comes four years after the candidates first squared off in 2022, when Allam lost to Foushee in what became the most expensive primary in the state’s history, with outside groups spending more than $3.8 million.

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However, this year is poised to break that record. Outside groups have reported spending more than $4.4 million on the primary matchup, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

WUNC’s Colin Campbell contributed to this report.



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