North Carolina

Princeton women top NC State 64-63 in March Madness opener

Published

2 years ago

March 18, 2023

Princeton women top NC State 64-63 in March Madness opener

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Grace Stone is making a behavior of game-winning jumpers for the streaking Princeton Tigers.

“She’s received ice in her veins. She has that look in her eyes and you understand she’s gonna make a play. She’s gonna hit a shot,” Princeton coach Carla Berube mentioned.

Stone scored 22 factors, together with her fifth 3-pointer of the sport with 4.7 seconds remaining, to raise Tenth-seeded Princeton to an exhilarating 64-63 win over North Carolina State within the first spherical of the ladies’s NCAA Match on Friday evening.

“That’s a shot I’ve taken in a recreation earlier than and my teammates have all the arrogance on the planet in me,” mentioned Stone, who hit game-winners in opposition to Columbia and Rhode Island earlier this season.

Kaitlyn Chen, who additionally scored 22 factors, made a 3-pointer with 55 seconds remaining to chop the Tigers’ deficit to 63-61 after which Madison St. Rose and Stone each got here up with steals within the last minute to provide the Tigers an opportunity.

On North Carolina State’s last possession, the Tigers created chaos — as that they had achieved all recreation lengthy — and knocked the ball free to stop the seventh-seeded Wolfpack from getting a shot off.

St. Rose “received her hand on the ball after which I feel all people dove on the ball,” Berube mentioned, who was then drenched by a “water social gathering “ within the locker room and carried out her press convention all moist.

The Tigers (24-5), who held the Wolfpack scoreless for the ultimate 5:43 of the sport, ran to the middle of the courtroom screaming for jubilation at their unlikely victory.

It’s the second straight season that Princeton has received a first-round recreation. The Tigers beat Kentucky final season earlier than falling to Indiana within the second spherical by some extent.

The Tigers’ males’s and ladies’s groups are the primary Ivy League duo to each advance within the NCAA Match after the boys’s staff upset second-seeded Arizona on Thursday.

“We watched that recreation and checked out one another and mentioned, ‘All proper, we’re subsequent. It’s our flip,’” mentioned Julia Cunningham, who had 14 factors and eight assists for the Tigers.

Mimi Collins scored 14 factors and Madison Hayes and Jaki Brown-Turner every had 10 factors however the Wolfpack missed their last 5 photographs and had 5 turnovers down the stretch.

“We received the photographs that we needed. A few of them rimmed out and in. They’re protection was good, however I really feel like … our photographs simply weren’t falling,” Collins mentioned.

Aziaha James was the catalyst in pushing the Wolfpack’s (20-12) result in 63-55 with a steal and back-to-back layups with 5:44 to play however they didn’t rating once more.

“It’s a troublesome loss. Heartbreaking,” North Carolina State coach Wes Moore mentioned.

The Tigers scored the primary 10 factors of the third quarter however then went chilly in opposition to the Wolfpack’s defensive strain. North Carolina State regained the lead 55-51 by forcing 12 straight misses from Princeton over the ultimate 6:52 of the interval.

“We’ve gone by means of stretches the place we’ve struggled to attain and we all know that our protection goes to maintain us in video games,” Stone mentioned and cited their motto — ‘Protection Travels!’

The Wolfpack began the sport lacking level guard and main scorer Diamond Johnson, who has an ankle damage that has been hobbling her for weeks. They appeared out of kinds and missed their first seven photographs.

To make issues worse, her backup James, who received the beginning, suffered a decrease leg damage with 9:21 left within the second quarter and needed to be helped off the courtroom. She later returned to spark North Carolina State.

However the Wolfpack used their bodily benefit inside to stake a 41-35 halftime lead on the power of submit gamers Collins and Hayes each scoring 10 factors off the bench within the first half.

The Tigers have now received 16 in a row heading right into a matchup with host Utah (the second seed) on Sunday afternoon.

“Wow! Simply so thrilled with that win. I imply, that’s what it’s all about,” Berube mentioned because the Tigers superior. “Now we simply have to take that subsequent step.”

BIG PICTURE

Princeton: The Tigers used protection when their offense sputtered and got here up large when it mattered most. The Tigers solely allowed 52.5 factors a recreation this yr and their tenacity received the day even after they received down by eight factors.

NC State: The Wolfpack arrived with their lowest seed since 2016-17 however appeared to have the expertise and power to regulate the sport. However the Wolfpack couldn’t get clear seems when the Tigers received determined and disruptive. ___

AP March Insanity protection: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

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North Carolina

Key Ole Miss Transfer Target Thaddeus Dixon Chooses North Carolina Over Rebels

Published

6 hours ago

January 19, 2025

Press Room

Key Ole Miss Transfer Target Thaddeus Dixon Chooses North Carolina Over Rebels

The Ole Miss Rebels have made strong moves in the transfer portal this offseason, but the program missed out on a key contributor on Saturday when cornerback Thaddeus Dixon pledged to the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Ole Miss was in the race late for Dixon, but a deciding factor in his decision to join the Tar Heels may have boiled down to Carolina’s hiring of former Washington assistant Armond Hawkins as defensive backs coach. Dixon is a transfer from the Washington Huskies, so familiarity in his new home likely played a role.

BREAKING: Washinton transfer CB Thaddeus Dixon has committed to North Carolina, @Hayesfawcett3 reports🐏https://t.co/pcXs7hjbOS pic.twitter.com/6g5D02NC7V
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal_) January 18, 2025

READ MORE: Will Ole Miss QB Austin Simmons Continue Playing Baseball in 2025?

So, where do the Rebels go from here? Ole Miss has already gained some key pieces in its secondary out of the transfer portal (including CB Jaylon Braxton of Arkansas), but Lane Kiffin’s team will probably still be seeking some help in the defensive backfield as the transfer portal continues to move.

According to On3’s current transfer portal class rankings, Ole Miss has the third-best haul in the country, behind Texas Tech and Missouri. The Rebels have seen 23 players transfer into the program so far this offseason, and that number could continue to grow between now and kickoff of the 2025 season.

Ole Miss opens its 2025 campaign on Aug. 30 at home against Georgia State.

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North Carolina

Thaddeus Dixon Joins in Husky Exodus to North Carolina

Published

14 hours ago

January 18, 2025

Press Room

Thaddeus Dixon Joins in Husky Exodus to North Carolina

In a postseason recruitment that was raw and revealing at times, where decorated cornerback Thaddeus Dixon suggested in social media postings that University of Washington football fans wanted him to come back more than the coaches, apparently received all the assurances he needed at North Carolina.

On Saturday, the senior defensive back from Long Beach, California, told On3 he would join the Tar Heels for his final season of college football, adding to a growing list of one-time UW players and coaches headed to Chapel Hill.

So far, the departing group includes linebacker Khmori House, safety Peyton Waters, wide receiver Jason Robinson Jr., defensive coordinator Steve Belichick and defensive analyst Armond Hawkins, all moving from Montlake to the ACC.

The 6-foot-1, 187-pound Dixon would have given the Huskies three highly accredited corners, joining fellow UW starter Ephesians Prysock and Arizona transfer Tacario Davis, to fill out a secondary that could have had few equals this coming season, and still might.

BREAKING: Washington star transfer CB Thaddeus Dixon has Committed to North Carolina, he tells @on3sports
The 6’1 195 CB totaled 69 Tackles, 16 PD, 1 FF, & 2 INT in 2 seasons with the Huskies
Ranked as a Top 10 Player in the Portal (No. 2 CB) per On3https://t.co/RlUbB6EMhS pic.twitter.com/bePHJU7wP7
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 18, 2025

Dixon reportedly took recruiting visits to Mississippi and North Carolina, and fielded overtures from Michigan, before settling on the Tar Heels.

The disconnect for Dixon appeared to show up when the Huskies landed a portal commitment from the 6-foot-4, 190-pound Davis, a second-team All-Big 12 pick this past season, presumably to take his vacated spot.

The 6-foot-4, 193-pound Prysock and Davis teamed together at Arizona in 2023, with both earning All-Pac-12 honorable-mention accolades.

Dixon originally was supposed to run out of college eligibility when the season ended, hence the Huskies went looking for cornerback help, but the NCAA gave the veteran an extra year when it changed the rules governing players with junior-college backgrounds. He came to the UW from Long Beach Community College.

One of the Huskies’ top individual success stories this past season, Dixon went from a back-up player in 2023 to unseat returning starter Elijah Jackson, who opened all 15 games for the national runner-up team.

Thaddeus Dixon soaks up the moment after an Apple Cup interception. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Moving into the lineup, Dixon started 12 of 13 games and received All-Big Ten honorable-mention honors for Jedd Fisch’s coaching staff. He had a team-best 10 pass break-ups, an Apple Cup interception and several textbook tackles in the open field. He’s easily made himself into an NFL prospect.

With three accomplished cornerbacks, the Huskies could have picked two starters and put the odd man out at nickelback.

Dixon clearly wasn’t going to go that route at the UW, likely figuring his past performance should have provided him with more cornerback guarantees.

For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington

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Bill Belichick's girlfriend seemingly shuts down rumors coach will leave North Carolina for NFL

Published

22 hours ago

January 18, 2025

Press Room

Bill Belichick's girlfriend seemingly shuts down rumors coach will leave North Carolina for NFL

Bill Belichick’s girlfriend on Thursday seemingly shut down any talk of her boyfriend leaving the North Carolina Tar Heels football program for a job in the NFL.

Jordon Hudson responded to rumors that suggested Belichick had one foot out the door when it came to his Tar Heels gig. Belichick had been rumored to be interest in coaching the Dallas Cowboys, but the head coaching job wasn’t open until he had already committed to North Carolina. CBS Sports reported that Belichick didn’t sign his contract with the school.

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Oct. 26, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey: Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and girlfriend Jordon Hudson enter the field before the game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Navy Midshipmen at MetLife Stadium. (Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images)

She posted a photo on her Instagram showing the two posing with a football and Belichick dressed in Carolina blue.

“Pictured: two people who are overtly committed to @uncfootball,” she wrote as the caption.

Michael Lombardi, who is the general manager of the North Carolina football program, also threw cold water on the rumors of Belichick jumping back to the pros.

EX-NFL COACH JON GRUDEN RIPS STATE OF COLLEGE SPORTS

Dec. 12, 2024; Chapel Hill, NC: Jordon Hudson, the girlfriend of Bill Belichick, in attendance at Loudermilk Center for Excellence. (Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images)

“Bill is recruiting in DC today, and Baltimore tomorrow. His focus is on North Carolina football, hiring staff members and developing the team. The NFL isnt a option so please stop making it one. Thank you,” he wrote on X in response to the CBS Sports report.

“The reception towards UNC and Coach Belichick has been amazing from every school we visit. We are going to fight to keep North Carolina players here and bring the best to Chapel Hill,” he added.

Belichick was hired as the Tar Heels’ coach in December. He called the job a “dream come true.”

Bill Belichick fields questions from media

The North Carolina Tar Heels’ new head coach Bill Belichick speaks to the media at Loudermilk Center for Excellence. (Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images)

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“I’ve always wanted to coach in college football,” Belichick said in his introductory press conference. “It just never really worked out. Had some good years in the NFL, so that was OK. But this is really a dream come true.”

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