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North Carolina crowns basketball state champions

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North Carolina crowns basketball state champions


The high school basketball season is complete in the Tar Heel State, with champions in four classifications crowned by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.

Here is a look at what happened.

4-A

North Mecklenburg 59, New Hanover 56

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Carson Evans scored 24 points and Chadlyn Traylor had 22 as North Mecklenburg rallied to beat New Hanover for the second year in a row in the state championship game.

Ashton Pierce had 8 points and 7 rebounds for the Vikings, who finished the season with a 30-3 record.

New Hanover stormed to a 14-0 lead. The Vikings rallied, cutting the lead to seven in the second quarter. They went ahead in the third quarter.

Rodmik Allen led the Wildcats with 14 points while Kellum Brown had 13 points and C.J. Kornegay had 10 points.

It was the second straight season of heartbreak for the Wildcats, who are 62-2 with both losses coming to North Mecklenburg in the state championship game.

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3-A

Ben L. Smith 64, Southern Durham 62 (OT)

Jyi Dawkins scored 29 points, including two free throws in the final seconds of overtime, as the Golden Eagles prevailed.

Dawkins, who had 7 rebounds and made 8-of-9 free throws, was named MVP.

The Golden Eagles’ Tayshawn Mann had forced overtime on a driving layup with 30 seconds remaining in regulation. 

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Kenny Miller Jr. had 13 points and 5 rebounds for the Golden Eagles. Mann had 6 points, 4 assists and 4 steals.

A.J. Morman Jr. and Jackson Keith each scored 23 points to lead Southern Durham.

2-A

Reidsville 71, Northwood 54

The nationally ranked Rams capped off the season with a 60-game winning streak and two consecutive state championships. Reidsville is 90-1 over the last three seasons, with the loss coming in the 2023 state championship game.

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Dionte Neal led the Rams with 24 points. Kendre Harrison, the Rams’ 6-foot-7, 243-pound junior forward who has committed to Oregon for football, had 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks.

Cam Fowler led Northwood with 27 points and 8 rebounds.

1-A

Corvian Community 58, Southern Wake Academy 55 (OT)

R.J. Moore scored a game-high 26 points, including the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer, as the Cardinals won the state championship. Moore, a 6-foot-5 sophomore guard, was named MVP.

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Corvian (25-7) battled from behind to win its first state championship.

Malachi McCutcheon added 15 points for the Cardinals.

Sophomore guard Kobe Plata led the Lions (29-5) with 19 points.

4-A

Lake Norman 43, Wakefield 41

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Lake Norman won its first state championship in dramatic fashion, defeating Wakefield 43-41 when Rayana Minard made a bucket at the buzzer. A pass from Alexis Shehan set up the game-winner.

Shehan led the Wildcats with 13 points. Minard scored 10 points and was named MVP.

Lake Norman (30-1) lost only to Hebron Christian Academy, a nationally ranked Georgia school.

3-A

Western Alamance 76, Stuart Cramer 58

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Western Alamance used balance to overcome a sensational individual effort by Stuart Cramer star Oshauna Holland.

Senior guard Tina Bowers scored 26 points and grabbed 9 rebounds to lead the way for Western Alamance. Another senior guard, Allie Sykes, had 22 points and 5 assists.

That was enough to offset the 5-foot-8 Holland, who scored nearly every point for the Storm. Holland finished with 49 points, making 15-of-29 field goal attempts. She was 17-of-17 from the free throw line.

It was close early but Western Alamance built a 20-point lead by the third quarter and coasted to victory.

Western Alamance (28-4) dominated in the playoffs, winning by no less than 14 points in the Warriors’ six games.

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2-A

Southeast Alamance 43, North Wilkes 33

Southeast Alamance won’t even have a senior class until the 2025-26 school year but that didn’t stop the Stallions from winning a state championship in the new school’s second year.

Clara LaChappelle led the way with 14 points and 10 rebounds, earning MVP honors. Shaniya Paylor had 12 points and Natalie Lopez had 9.

Ralee Bare led North Wilkes with 16 points but 

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1-A

Cherokee 84, East Bladen 48

Defending champion Cherokee turned a close game into a rout in the second half with a 41-8 run.

Whitney Rogers led the Braves with 33 points. Dvdaya Swimmer posted a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds. She also had 6 assists and 5 steals.

Laila Smith led East Bladen with 24 points while Nene Ward had 12 points and 8 rebounds.

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Cherokee (28-2) lost only to nationally ranked Georgia school Hebron Christian and Winston-Salem Prep’s national team.

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Experienced former North Carolina tight end signs with Auburn

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Experienced former North Carolina tight end signs with Auburn


Auburn’s latest incoming transfer brings experience and production to what was a position of weakness last season.

Former North Carolina tight end Jake Johnson signed with Auburn on Saturday, a source confirmed to AL.com. Johnson is the third transfer tight end Auburn has signed since the portal opened, joining Jonathan Echols and Xavier Newsom.

Johnson, however, is the most proven of Auburn’s signees at tight end. He brings four years of experience at North Carolina and Texas A&M, catching 16 passes for 144 yards and one touchdown in 2025.

His best season came with the Aggies in 2023, during which he caught 24 passes for 235 yards and four touchdowns. Listed at 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, he brings versatility to Auburn’s tight end room and may be the best pass catching option.

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With Johnson now signed, Auburn’s tight end room is now up to five players, putting the Tigers in a good spot going into the 2026 season.

The transfer portal officially opened on Jan. 2 and will remain open until Jan. 16. Keep up with all of Auburn’s incoming and outgoing transfers here.



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2 Important Keys to North Carolina Entering Wake

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2 Important Keys to North Carolina Entering Wake


Saturday is a monumental game for the North Carolina Tar Heels, who are coming off an embarrassing defensive performance against the SMU Mustangs last weekend. Boopie Miller and the Mustangs dominated the tempo of the game, leading to a 97-83 win over the Tar Heels.

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North Carolina will be hosting the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at the Dean E. Smith Center on Saturday night. The Tar Heels enter this contest with a 13-2 overall record and a 1-1 conference record. Meanwhile, Wake Forest owns a 10-6 overall record and a 1-1 conference record.

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With that brief preview, let’s take a look at a couple of keys to the game that will be deciphering factors in the outcome of this matchup.

Can North Carolina Bounce Back Defensively?

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Jan 3, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; SMU Mustangs guard Boopie Miller (2) drives to the basket past North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) during the second half at Moody Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

While speaking with the media on Friday during his press conference, head coach Hubert Davis explained what he saw on film against SMU, and how that will be the main message heading into Saturday.

  • “Obviously, disappointed defensively,” Davis said. “It was just a number of things. I mean, it was on transition, one-on-one, not boxing out at times, not talking and communicating the right way, discipline, shot fake, stay down, putting guys at the free throw line. And so, I was really excited about this week not having a midweek game, to actually have practice. To practice on us, as opposed to preparing for Wake Forest until the latter part of the week. So, I felt like it was a perfect time not to have a midweek game, to be able to get to practice and start doing fundamentally the things that have allowed us all year to be a pretty good defensive team.”

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Jan 3, 2026; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons guard Juke Harris (2) with a lay up defended by Virginia Tech Hokies guard Jailen Bedford (0) during the first half at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Wake Forest’s top offensive weapon is Juke Harris, who is averaging 19.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 45.4 percent from the field and 33 percent from beyond the arc.

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Last week, the Tar Heels struggled against their opponent’s best player, but Harris and Miller are drastically different players, so North Carolina may be able to contain the 6-foot-7, 200-pound guard more sufficiently. Nonetheless, the Tar Heels’ perimeter defense has to be stellar to win comfortably.

Backcourt Production Has to be Noticeable

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Jan 3, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Kyan Evans (0) looks to move the ball past SMU Mustangs guard B.J. Edwards (0) during the game between the Mustangs and the Tar Heels at Moody Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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We already know that Seth Trimble will do his part, but someone between Kyan Evans, Luka Bogavac, and Derek Dixon have to step up with an efficient performance. The trio has been extremely underwhelming for the majority of the season, especially Evans and Bogavac.

For Evans and Bogavac to find sustain success and confidence, a strong outing will go a long way in that regard. Saturday is an important game for the Tar Heels’ guard who need to show a sign of life with conference play heating up.

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North Carolina confirms 5th measles case as South Carolina’s outbreak surges

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North Carolina confirms 5th measles case as South Carolina’s outbreak surges


As of Friday, Jan. 9, there are a total of 310 measles cases in South Carolina, mostly in Spartanburg County, including 99 new cases since Tuesday, according to S.C. health officials.

North Carolina is also dealing with measles, with a case recently confirmed on Friday in Rutherford County. This raises the state’s total to five cases since late December, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS).

While the number of measles cases in western North Carolina is in single digits, health officials are warning the public about just how quickly and easily it can spread, along with several other illnesses.

Health officials continue to remain focused on stopping it from spreading.

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NEW MEASLES CASE CONFIRMED IN RUTHERFORD COUNTY; 5TH CASE IN NORTH CAROLINA SINCE DECEMBER

“Currently, we do not have a community spread of measles in Buncombe County. The cases that we’ve had have been connected to the South Carolina outbreak that is right across the state line,” said Buncombe County Public Health Director Dr. Ellis Matheson.

The measles case in Polk County, confirmed on Dec. 31, 2025, was the first in N.C. believed to be linked to the S.C. outbreak, after an unvaccinated child traveled to Spartanburg County, as News 13 previously reported. The next three WNC measles occurrences, which NCDHHS announced on Jan. 6, were siblings in Buncombe County who also traveled to Spartanburg County.

Measles continues to be an issue in North Carolina.

JAN. 6, 2026 – A flyer in Buncombe County warning of illness symptoms amid three confirmed measles cases in the county. (Photo credit: WLOS Staff)

In Friday’s case update, Matheson said if you feel like you’ve been exposed and are already experiencing symptoms, let the clinic or hospital know before coming in.

“Please call ahead so that we can really reduce any potential exposures to possible measles,” Matheson said.

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If you haven’t been vaccinated but have been exposed, Dr. Matheson added that even if you aren’t experiencing symptoms, you’re being asked to quarantine for 21 days from the date of exposure.

NC HEALTH OFFICIALS URGE VACCINES AMID MEASLES AND RESPIRATORY ILLNESS SURGE

She’s also encouraging those who were exposed to measles on January 4 between 2 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. at Mission Hospital’s Emergency Department waiting room to contact them right away.

“We are in general seeing community spread of both varicella and whooping cough,” Matheson said.

As for chickenpox, outbreaks have not spread to additional schools, but community spread has continued, including an outbreak at Fairview Elementary School, which is why she’s encouraging everyone to take steps in prevention.

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“So once again, I would just strongly encourage that people are making sure that they are up to date on recommended vaccines for everything that we have vaccines for,” Matheson said.

Buncombe County health officials are holding free vaccine clinics every week. For more information or if you want to book ahead, call (828) 250-6100.



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