North Carolina
Notre Dame men’s basketball suffocated in trip to North Carolina
SOUTH BEND — That looked like the first-place team in the Atlantic Coast Conference, looked like the No. 7 team in the country, looked like a team that has designs of playing deep into March.
That team wasn’t Notre Dame (12-18; 7-12 ACC), which was simply overwhelmed by everything North Carolina did Tuesday in an 84-51 loss at the Dean Smith Center.
Tae Davis led the Irish with 11 points.
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Already up by 16 points at halftime, the Tar Heels scored the first 16 points of the second half. When Jalen Washington connected on a 3 with 14:35 left, it made it 57-25. The 32-point deficit was the largest this season for Notre Dame, which didn’t make its first basket of the second half until 13:55 remained.
The Irish trailed by as many as 38.
Notre Dame arrived in Chapel Hill having won two straight against two NCAA Tournament hopefuls (Wake Forest, Clemson) and winners of five of its last six. None of those six games were played against teams with the depth and the determination and the downright dominance of that North Carolina team, which clinched a share of the ACC regular season with the win.
Notre Dame slipped to 0-5 overall and 0-4 in league play this season against ranked teams.
The last time Notre Dame was on the road in ACC play, it tumbled into a 29-point halftime hole at Syracuse, so getting off to a good start in this one was paramount.
It didn’t happen. Even after North Carolina started three walk-ons on Senior Night, all of whom played the first two defensive possessions, Notre Dame couldn’t capitalize. A quick start, a good start, was there for the Irish, but they came up empty on both possessions to begin.
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Notre Dame never led, trailed by as many as 17 in the first half and was down 16 at halftime in a half where North Carolina led for 18:44. It was too much RJ Davis, even though he hurt his left elbow and missed the back end of the first half, too much Armando Bacot, took much Cormac Ryan (remember him?) and too much Tar Heel basketball of getting stops, getting out in the open floor and getting easy baskets.
One key anytime you play North Carolina is to keep the Tar Heels contained on the backboard. The rebounding advantage was only two (20-18) in Carolina’s favor at half. Notre Dame couldn’t find any flow on the offensive end. It shot 35.5 percent from the field, 12.5 percent (1-for-8) and 50 percent from the foul line with seven turnovers in the first half.
It was clear early that Notre Dame faced a massive uphill climb. Could the Irish make it a game in the second half the way they did last month in Central New York? One characteristic of a Micah Shrewsberry team is that they’re going to fight no matter the score, but this was one of the toughest tests this team has faced all year in league play.
North Carolina’s simply good. Final Four good.
Notre Dame was scheduled to return home early Wednesday morning and have a couple of days back on campus before returning to the road to close out the regular season with a game at Virginia Tech. The Irish jump-started their late-season surge in early February with a victory over the Hokies at Purcell Pavilion.
Follow South Bend Tribune and NDInsider columnist Tom Noie on X (formerly Twitter): @tnoieNDI. Contact: (574) 235-6153.
North Carolina
Damaged Flock camera in North Carolina town sparks online debate over surveillance tech
RUTHERFORDTON, N.C. (WLOS) — A damaged Flock Safety camera in Rutherfordton has reignited debate over the use of license plate reader technology, with thousands weighing in online after police shared a photo of the vandalized device.
The Rutherfordton Police Department posted an image of the damaged camera on social media, where the post quickly gained more than 20,000 comments. While some users condemned the vandalism, others praised the person responsible, with comments including “Not all heroes wear capes” and “Give them a medal.”
Local law enforcement officials said there is too much misinformation online about the cameras.
FLOCK CAMERA DAMAGED IN NORTH CAROLINA TOWN, PROMPTING POLICE STATEMENT
“We’re seeing a lot of misconceptions that these cameras collect more data than they actually do,” said Capt. Ryan Bailey with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office. “The camera itself is only capturing the vehicle traveling down the road.”
Bailey said Flock cameras do not record video. Instead, they take still images of passing vehicles and capture license plate information. According to the sheriff’s office, those images are automatically deleted after 30 days.
The department also says safeguards are in place to prevent misuse of the system. Deputies are required to enter a case number before searching the database, allowing administrators to audit searches and ensure the technology is being used appropriately.
JULY 8, 2026 – A Flock camera in Rutherford County, North Carolina. (Photo: WLOS Staff)
Despite those protections, opinions among residents remain divided.
“I don’t like that idea at all because of the over-abundance of electronics and interference in our privacy,” Rutherfordton resident Rachel Alexander said.
Others believe the cameras are a valuable investigative tool.
“I have no really negative opinion with them. I think they’re really helpful, especially with criminals and children abductions,” said local homeowner Phyllis Irvine.
POLL: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT FLOCK CAMERAS?
The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office says the cameras have also proven useful in locating vulnerable people, including those with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or other cognitive disabilities who may have gone missing while driving.
Officials say the technology has become an important resource for investigations and emergency response across the county.
Flock cameras cost about $3,500 each. Law enforcement officials say anyone caught intentionally damaging one could face charges.
North Carolina
North Carolina Republican operative shaping the state’s early voting plans is reassigned
North Carolina state Auditor Dave Boliek has reassigned a staffer working on state election preparations following reporting illustrating how the longtime Republican operative was using his position to shape county’s early voting plans.
North Carolina
North Carolina man accused of shooting and killing another tourist inside of a Broward Airbnb, police say
A Fourth of July trip to South Florida ended in tragedy after a 21-year-old North Carolina man was shot and killed inside a Hollywood Airbnb, according to police.
Investigators say Jaydon Williams, 21, was shot multiple times early Saturday morning at a vacation rental in the 1900 block of Funston Street. Hollywood police have arrested 21-year-old Devian Blount, also of North Carolina, and charged him with first-degree murder.
Officers responded to the home around 1 a.m. Saturday, following reports of a shooting. They arrived to find Williams suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to Memorial Regional Hospital, where he died.
According to the arrest report, Williams was on a FaceTime call with his girlfriend at the time of the shooting. She told investigators she heard someone accuse Williams of stealing, followed by a verbal argument and several gunshots.
The incident has left neighbors shaken in the typically quiet Hollywood community. While some residents noted they were aware that the home operated as a short-term rental, others expressed concerns about the property’s transient nature.
“That’s a bad idea to me to have an Airbnb in this neighborhood where so many people and kids live,” said neighbor Dorell Green. “Different types of people come and go. You don’t know who is coming or leaving.”
Ivette Santana, another resident, said her primary concern is the violence. “I don’t care about the Airbnb,” Santana said. “My problem is the shooting over there.”
Blount is being held without bond at the Broward County Jail.
CBS News Miami has contacted Airbnb to determine if the property remains in operation. We are also working to contact the property’s owners.
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