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Syracuse’s late rally turns North Carolina blowout into a run-of-the-mill loss

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Syracuse’s late rally turns North Carolina blowout into a run-of-the-mill loss


Syracuse, N.Y. ― North Carolina was blowing out Syracuse.

For the first 30 minutes of Monday night’s game at the Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C., the North Carolina Tar Heels tore through the Syracuse Orange, making 3-pointers, ramming home dunks and simply dominating in all phases of the game.

The Tar Heels built a 72-40 lead. North Carolina coach Hubert Davis had taken future NBA lottery pick Caleb Wilson out of the game for the night.

Then came an unexpected and confounding comeback. Syracuse went on a 35-to-10 run, cutting North Carolina’s lead down to six points.

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Syracuse’s rally came up short as the Tar Heels held on for an 87-77 win over the Orange.

While Syracuse showed some grit with its late-game effort, North Carolina had too much firepower for the Orange.

UNC’s frontcourt duo of freshman Caleb Wilson (22 points and nine rebounds) and 7-foot center Henri Veesaar (17 points and 11 boards) were nearly unstoppable. Together they combined to shoot 13-for-25 from the field. Wilson drew numerous fouls and went 10-for-13 at the free throw line.

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The loss dropped Syracuse’s record to 13-10 on the season and 4-6 in the ACC.

Syracuse remained winless against the Tar Heels at the Smith Center, losing all eight of its trips to Chapel Hill since joining the ACC.

North Carolina, which came into the game ranked 14th in the country, improved to 18-4 overall and 6-3 in the conference. North Carolina is undefeated at home this season with a Saturday date with arch-rival Duke looming.

Donnie Freeman returned to Syracuse’s starting lineup after coming off the bench in Saturday’s win over Notre Dame. Freeman led the Orange with 23 points and eight rebounds.

But no other Syracuse player was able to do much offensively until the furious comeback effort in the final 10 minutes. The Orange made 11 out of 12 shots during the rally.

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In that time, Naithan George finished with 15 points, JJ Starling added 13 and Nate Kingz hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final two minutes.

Prior to the run, Syracuse players other than Freeman were a combined 10-for-36 from the field.

Syracuse, which had a season-high 21 assists in the win over Notre Dame on Saturday, assisted on just seven of its 29 made field goals against the Tar Heels.

A valiant effort from a Syracuse team or a case of North Carolina taking its Heel off the gas? Either way, the Orange has now lost five of its last six games.

And next up is a trip to No. 18 Virginia on Saturday.

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North Carolina’s lead went up and down in the first half, before the more dramatic crests and plummets in the second half.

North Carolina opened up a 46-32 halftime lead thanks to a late 12-0 run.

Syracuse had trailed by 13 points midway through the half but pulled to within five points at 34-29 with 3 minutes left.

Freeman provided most of the offense with 18 first-half points. The Tar Heels would hold him in check for most of the second half.

But after all that work from the Orange to narrow the gap, North Carolina erupted for 12 straight points for a 46-29 lead.

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Freeman saved things, in a small way, as he banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to get the Orange to within 46-32.

North Carolina clogged up Syracuse’s offense. Syracuse was reduced to a lot of one-on-one moves and contested shots. After doling out 21 assists in Saturday’s win over Notre Dame, the Orange had two assists in the first half.

Freeman went 6-for-9 from the field in the half, but the rest of the Orange made only five out of 14 field goal attempts.



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North Carolina

Former North Carolina officer charged in beating caught on doorbell camera video

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Former North Carolina officer charged in beating caught on doorbell camera video


SHELBY, N.C. — A former North Carolina police officer caught on a doorbell camera repeatedly punching a woman in the face was charged Monday with assault.

The video of Shelby Officer Karson Hyder pummeling Cherrie Moore on Friday has circulated widely on social media.

Hyder, 22, turned himself in to the Cleveland County Detention Center Monday morning and was released on a $10,000 secured bond. Court records do not list an attorney for him, and a phone number associated with his name was out of service.

Hyder, who was suspended Friday and fired on Saturday, was responding to a breaking-and-entering call when the scuffle ensued.

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According to a warrant, Moore, 34, fled the residence on foot and resisted arrest, assaulting Hyder by “grabbing and ripping (his) uniform.”

A separate warrant filed Monday alleged Hyder “unlawfully and willfully did assault and strike Cherrie Moore” by grabbing Moore “by the arm, pushing her to the ground and striking her in the face with a closed fist, thereby inflicting serious injury possible broken nose and busted lip.”

The State Bureau of Investigation had announced Saturday it had opened an investigation into Hyder.

Moore was initially charged with breaking and entering, resisting arrest and assault on a public officer, but the latter two charges have since been dismissed. She was freed on an unsecured bond. A phone number associated with Moore was disconnected.

Her attorney, Ronald Haynes, told The Associated Press in an email that Moore “is recovering and receiving treatment for her mental health.”

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“The heinous actions of former Officer Karson Hyder will forever negatively impact Ms. Cherrie Moore and her family,” Haynes continued. “It’s a small relief that city officials responded so promptly to terminate and charge Mr. Hyder.”

Copyright © 2026 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.



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North Carolina investigators use drone to arrest man in fatal shooting of Virginia deputy

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North Carolina investigators use drone to arrest man in fatal shooting of Virginia deputy


DOBSON, N.C. — Investigators in North Carolina used a drone to find and arrest a man wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of a Virginia sheriff’s deputy who was conducting a welfare check, authorities said.

The suspect, identified as Michael Puckett, was found with a gun on Sunday night, two days after the shooting, as he was ringing the doorbell of a home several miles away from the Virginia state line. He was arrested in North Carolina’s Surry County and was booked without bond, the state’s bureau of investigation said in a news release. Multiple law enforcement agencies took part in the search.

Puckett, 55, faced an extradition hearing Monday in North Carolina. He did not have an attorney listed, a court clerk said. It was not immediately known where Puckett was from.

The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office said the fatal shooting occurred after law enforcement received a request from a family member to do a welfare check on Friday.

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A man at the home began shooting, and the two sheriff’s deputies who had responded returned fire, the sheriff’s office said. Both deputies were hit.

Carroll County Sheriff Kevin Kemp said Deputy Logan Utt was killed. The second deputy, who was struck in his ballistic vest, was recovering at home and was in good condition, Kemp said at a news conference Sunday night.

Other people were in the home at the time. They were not hurt, Kemp said.

Utt, 31, was a military veteran who joined the department in 2023. A funeral procession was scheduled Monday afternoon from Roanoke, Virginia, to a funeral home in Mount Airy, North Carolina.

“He had a servant’s heart. He cared for others, he cared for his country, he cared for his family,” Kemp said.

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Suspect seen on North Carolina camera after shooting Virginia deputies

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Suspect seen on North Carolina camera after shooting Virginia deputies


The suspect who shot at two Virginia deputies who were conducting a welfare check in Virginia was apprehended in Surry County, North Carolina Sunday, said the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office.

The suspect, identified by the U.S. Marshals Office as 55-year-old Michael Timothy Puckett, was spotted on camera in North Carolina on earlier in the say, according to the Wytheville Police Department.

Police say the suspect he was seen on a wildlife game camera in Surry County, North Carolina, at 6:56 a.m.

A sheriff’s deputy in Carroll County died Friday after the suspect shot at the two deputies, according to law enforcement officials.

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The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office said the fatal shooting occurred after law enforcement received a request from a family member to do a welfare check.

A man at the home began shooting, and the deputies returned fire, the sheriff’s office said. Both deputies were hit.

“One deputy sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased. The second deputy was struck in his ballistic vest and is currently receiving medical evaluation and is reported to be in stable condition,” the office said in a statement.

Sheriff Kevin A. Kemp identified the officer who died as Deputy Logan Utt, a military veteran who joined the department in 2023.

“Today, Carroll County has lost a hero, and a family has suffered an unimaginable loss,” Kemp said. “Please keep his wife, children, family, friends, and fellow deputies in your thoughts and prayers.”

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