Virginia

Virginia vs. NC State Live Updates | NCAA Men’s Basketball

Published

3 days ago

December 31, 2024

Virginia vs. NC State Live Updates | NCAA Men’s Basketball

Virginia (8-5, 1-1 ACC) earned its first ACC win of the season with a 70-67 victory over NC State (8-5, 1-1 ACC) in an ACC matchup on New Year’s Eve at John Paul Jones Arena. See a full play-by-play and live analysis for the game in the thread below.

Read five takeaways from Virginia’s win over NC State here: Five Takeaways From Virginia’s 70-67 Win Over NC State

Virginia nearly turns the ball over, but UVA manages to retain possession as an NC State player was out of bounds when he was fighting for the ball. That allows five seconds to drain off the clock and then UVA gets the ball inbounds to Elijah Saunders, who is fouled with 3.9 seconds left. Saunders misses the front end of the one-and-one, but O’Connell’s half-court prayer falls well short and Virginia hangs on to win 70-67. UVA erases a 14-point deficit and earns a huge ACC win.

NC State 67. Virginia 70 | FINAL

Marcus Hill scores a layup off the glass to get NC State back within three. UVA calls a timeout with 10.9 on the clock.

NC State 67, Virginia 70 | 10.9 2H

McKneely misses a deep three and O’Connell drives in transition, drawing a foul on Sharma and making 1/2 free throws to make it a five-point game. Both teams come up empty on their next couple of possessions and then Murray is called for a foul while trying to box out. Marcus Hill goes to the line for a one-and-one and makes both free throws to make it 68-65 with a little over a minute remaining. Rohde’s long drive ends in a missed shot and NC State gets a chance to tie it. Jayden Taylor gets a good look but misses his shot off the glass and Saunders secures the rebound and is fouled with 15 seconds remaining. Saunders goes to the line for a one-and-one and makes both to make it 70-65.

NC State 65, Virginia 70 | 15.4 2H

Brandon Huntley-Hatfield hits a short jumper to end UVA’s 8-0 run. Elijah Saunders gets a good look from the corner and knocks down the three, Virginia’s sixth triple of the second half. Buchanan is called for his fourth foul and then Huntley-Hatfield scores off the glass. UVA has had trouble defending him all game. Andrew Rohde does a good job moving off ball and Saunders finds him for an open three. Hoos lead by 10. Styles is fouled by Saunders, but he misses both free throws, which causes another loud cheer from the crowd at JPJ. McKneely finds Buchanan cruising down the lane and Buchanan gets the short push shot to fall. Michael O’Connell gets multiple wide-open looks from the corner and he makes the second one. Rohde drives inside and draws a foul on Huntley-Hatfield, making 1/2 free throws. Marcus Hill grabs an offensive rebound and lays it in. Parker misses a layup, but Huntley-Hatfield is there for the putback to get NC State back within six points.

NC State 62, Virginia 68 | 2:20 2H

Styles is fouled by Saunders and makes 1/2 free throws. Rohde finds an open Ishan Sharma on the left wing and the freshman drills the three-pointer. Virginia gets a couple of stops and then Rohde passes to Cofie, who spins past his man for a reverse layup. Isaac McKneely is left wide-open and he has time to dribble to the three-point line and splash his fourth three of the game. Virginia has its largest lead of the game at 59-51 and Kevin Keatts calls another timeout.

NC State 51, Virginia 59 | 8:01 2H

Saunders makes both free throws. Cofie blocks Huntley-Hatfield and then Isaac McKneely gets a very friendly JPJ roll on a three-pointer to get the Hoos back within five. NC State turns it over and then Taine Murray slashes from the corner and scores in the paint. Virginia gets another stop on defense and this place is about as loud as it’s been all season. Murray drives baseline and finds Rohde, who quickly pulls the trigger and buries the corner three. It’s a 10-0 run for Virginia and a 17-3 run over the last five and a half minutes to tie the game at 46-46. Breon Pass hits an incredibly tough jumper from the baseline to end the UVA run. Rohde posts up O’Connell and gets into the paint before getting a flip shot to fall with a smooth touch. UVA turns the ball over in transition and NC State scores on the other end as Marcus Hill scores over Buchanan. McKneely hits a deep three-pointer to give the Cavaliers the lead. Kevin Keatts calls timeout.

NC State 50, Virginia 51 | 11:06 2H

NC State gets multiple offensive rebounds and eventually Jayden Taylor knocks down the three-pointer. That’s a back breaker for the Cavaliers. UVA goes back to the hot hand with Saunders, who draws a foul in the post on Styles. He’ll shoot two free throws after the media timeout.

NC State 46, Virginia 36 | 15:59 2H

The second half starts just as the first half did, with Dontrez Styles driving to the basket for a layup. Marcus Hill hits a jumper to stretch the Wolfpack lead to 14 points. Elijah Saunders scores inside plus a foul on Styles to get the Hoos on the board in the second half. Rohde throws a great pass to a cutting Saunders, who draws a foul on Taylor and makes both free throws. Saunders gets deep post positioning on O’Connell and Rohde gets him the ball for an easy layup. It’s a personal 7-0 run for Elijah Saunders to get the Cavaliers back within seven points. Timeout Kevin Keatts.

NC State 43, Virginia 36 | 17:02 2H

Taine Murray drives baseline and whips a beautiful pass out to McKneely, who swishes the open three. That got a big response from the crowd at JPJ. Buchanan is called for a foul on Huntley-Hatfield, who again makes both free throws. On top of their six threes, the Wolfpack are also 6/6 from the charity stripe. Cofie picks up his second foul, so Anthony Robinson checks into the game for the first time. Jayden Taylor drives to the basket in transition and scores plus a foul on Robinson. Murray’s three rattles out at the buzzer and UVA goes into the halftime break trailing by 10 points.

NC State 39, Virginia 29 | Halftime

Jacob Cofie makes nice defensive plays on consecutive possessions, blocking a shot from Marcus Hill and then coming up with a steal. Saunders drives past his man and gets to the rim for a lefty layup. Virginia turns it over and Taylor finds Styles for an easy layup. Taylor gets a wide-open look from three and buries it for NC State’s six triple of the game; the Wolfpack average 5.8 made threes per game… Ishan Sharma answers with a three on the other end off the extra pass from Rohde. That was Virginia’s first made three of the game.

NC State 34, Virginia 26 | 3:33 1H

Virginia breaks the press and Taine Murray’s layup rolls off the rim, but TJ Power is there for the tip-in putback. Pass takes a three from the right wing and knocks it down; that’s the fourth three-pointer of the game for the Wolfpack and that’s not supposed to be one of their strengths. Rohde throws a cross-court pass to Murray, who pump fakes out of a three and splashes a mid-range jumper. Dennis Parker Jr. slashes to the paint and hits a lefty floater. Rohde uses a spin move to get by O’Connell for a layup. Trey Parker knocks down a three-pointer, NC State’s fifth triple of the first half. Murray fouls Taylor in transition and he makes both free throws. Saunders outhustles NC State to keep an offensive rebound alive and scores the second-chance layup. Virginia is executing well on the offensive end; NC State has just been too good shooting from the perimeter.

NC State 29, Virginia 21 | 7:06 1H

Blake Buchanan checks into the game and is immediately called for a foul on Huntley-Hatfield, who makes both free throws. Saunders hits a fadeaway jumper from the baseline late in the shot clock. Buchanan is fouled and makes 1/2 free throws. Michael O’Connell gets a three-pointer to rattle home. Breon Pass gets a clean look from three in transition and knocks it down. Ismael Diouf gets free rolling to the basket for an easy layup. It’s an 8-0 run for NC State to take a 19-13 lead. Timeout Ron Sanchez.

NC State 19, Virginia 13 | 11:16 1H

NC State wins the opening tipoff and scores right away as Dontrez Styles cuts to the basket for an easy layup. Jacob Cofie rolls free to the basket and Elijah Saunders finds him for the layup. Dai Dai Ames drives baseline and stops on a dime under the basket to shed Michael O’Connell for a layup. Virginia plays a good possession of defense but Marcus Hill knocks down a contested mid-range jumper at the buzzer. Isaac McKneely answers with a fadeaway jumper. Jayden Taylor hits a corner three. Brandon Huntley-Hatfield backs down Saunders and hits a jump hook in the paint. Cofie backs down Huntley-Hatfield and gets around him for a layup. UVA gets a stop and then Andrew Rohde finds Saunders for a transition bucket. Both teams are shooting well from the floor to start this game.

NC State 9, Virginia 10 | 14:55 1H

The starting lineups have been posted for both teams.
NC State: Dontrez Styles, Jayden Taylor, Marcus Hill, Michael O’Connell, Brandon Huntley-Hatfield
Virginia: Andrew Rohde, Dai Dai Ames, Isaac McKneely, Elijah Saunders, Jacob Cofie

As we await our 12pm ET tipoff on ESPN2 for Virginia vs. NC State, read a full preview of the game here: Virginia Basketball vs. NC State Preview, Score Prediction

Report: Former Virginia Guard Dante Harris Transfers to Memphis

How Virginia Basketball Can Still Make the NCAA Tournament

Updating UVA Basketball’s NET Metrics After Non-Conference Play

The Plus/Minus: Virginia Basketball Ekes out Win over American

Report: UVA Basketball Set to Host Bosnian Sharpshooter for Visit

Source link

Virginia

FOIA Friday: Espionage case in Virginia ends with prosecution • Virginia Mercury

Published

7 hours ago

January 3, 2025

Press Room

FOIA Friday: Espionage case in Virginia ends with prosecution • Virginia Mercury

One of the less noticed features of the Virginia Way is the long-running tendency of the commonwealth’s leaders to conduct their decision-making behind closed doors. While the Virginia Freedom of Information Act presumes all government business is by default public and requires officials to justify why exceptions should be made, too many Virginia leaders in practice take the opposite stance, acting as if records are by default private and the public must prove they should be handled otherwise.

In this feature, we aim to highlight the frequency with which officials around Virginia are resisting public access to records on issues large and small — and note instances when the release of information under FOIA gave the public insight into how government bodies are operating.

Heightened concerns over drone activity

A Chinese national was sentenced to six months in prison in September after pleading guilty to illegally flying a drone over ship repair yards in Newport News, court records obtained by the Virginian-Pilot reveal.

The incident raised national security concerns due to the proximity of the yards — used by BAE Systems and NASSCO — to the Naval Station Newport, the world’s largest naval base, located along the York River.

According to the records, Fengyun Shi, a graduate student from China studying agricultural engineering at the University of Minnesota, purchased the drone on Jan. 3, 2024, The Pilot reported Thursday. Two days later, he traveled from San Francisco to Newport News, where he took photos of the repair yards and Newport News Shipbuilding.

His surveillance came to an abrupt halt when light rain forced his drone into a tree near 65th Street and Huntington Avenue on Jan. 6, attracting the attention of local residents and law enforcement as Shi attempted to retrieve it.

Shi left for California before wind gusts dislodged the drone. Law enforcement later recovered the device, prompting an investigation by Newport News Police and the FBI. Shi was arrested in San Francisco on Jan. 19 while attempting to board a one-way flight to China.

The case underscores growing statewide concerns about unauthorized drone activity near sensitive areas. Reports of mystery sightings in the western and southern Virginia, including Danville, Fincastle, Floyd, Pulaski, Radford, Roanoke, Salem, and Vinton, have prompted state officials to ramp up surveillance.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced on Dec. 14 that the Virginia State Police Homeland Security Division and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management are monitoring the issue through the state’s Fusion Center, which coordinates intelligence among law enforcement agencies.

In a statement, Youngkin said he is “concerned” about a lack of sufficient information shared by federal partners regarding drone incidents. “Virginia has consistently sought information from federal partners, and to date, the information shared with the commonwealth has been insufficient,” Youngkin said.

Va. Beach city council to weigh future of Pharrell’s Something in the Water festival

The Virginia Beach City Council will decide whether organizers of the popular Something in the Water musical festival, founded by hometown star Pharrell Williams, can move forward this April after organizers missed a Dec. 31 deadline to announce their lineup and begin ticket sales, the Virginian-Pilot reports.

The multi-day festival, launched in 2019, has drawn high-profile performers, including Virginia natives Missy Elliott, Chris Brown, Clipse and Trey Songz, and other popular artists, such as Usher. Organizers had agreed to receive up to $500,000 in city funding, contingent upon meeting specific goals and ensuring transparency in the planning.

Last year, organizers faced delays, postponing the festival from October to April and missing a deadline to sign a sponsorship contract that would grant the city greater oversight of planning and coordination. While the contract was eventually signed, the city council is set to revisit the issue on Tuesday.

Manassas Park seeks charter change amid timing concerns

Manassas Park officials are pushing for changes to the city’s charter, including updates to candidate requirements for city council and rules for the city manager’s residency. However, InsideNOVA reports that the General Assembly may not act on the proposal this year.

City Attorney Dean Crowhurst told the outlet that the council’s Dec. 10 decision to approve the changes came too late for legislation to be filed before the upcoming session.

If adopted, the changes would allow, city council candidates to qualify for office without party nominations or petition signatures from registered voters.

The proposed updates would also ease residency requirements for the city manager, allowing them to live within 30 miles of the city rather than inside city limits.

Have you experienced local or state officials denying or delaying your FOIA request? Tell us about it: [email protected]

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

Source link

Virginia

Carnell Warren Commits To Virginia Tech

Published

15 hours ago

January 2, 2025

Press Room

Carnell Warren has committed to Virginia Tech. (Nick Brown)

Carnell Warren
Wide receiver, Class of 2026
Bluffton, Bluffton, S.C.
6-4, 195

Virginia Tech received its first commitment in the 2026 class on Thursday from wide receiver Carnell Warren.

The Bluffton, S.C., product picked the Hokies on ESPN2 during the Under Armour All-American Game. He’s a top-300 talent in the class who had other Power Four offers from Cincinnati, Duke, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest. Appalachian State, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, East Carolina, Georgia State, Liberty, Miami (OH) and Toledo were among the Group of Five teams interested.

Warren is rated higher on ESPN and On3 than 247Sports and Rivals. Here’s a breakdown:

247Sports Composite: No. 277 nationally, No. 44 WR, No. 6 S.C. (Four-star)
ESPN: No. 203 nationally, No. 30 WR, No. 4 S.C. (Four-star)
On3: No. 185 nationally, No. 23 WR, No. 5 S.C. (Four-star)
247Sports: No. 43 WR, No. 4 S.C. (Three-star)
Rivals: No. 10 S.C. (three-star)

As a junior this season at Bluffton High School, earned all-region honors after catching 59 passes for 846 yards and 14 touchdowns while adding an interception on defense. Including his sophomore year, which featured 53 receptions, 723 yards and nine scores, Warren’s posted 112 catches, 1,569 yards and 23 touchdowns in two campaigns. He also plays basketball and averaged 13.6 points per game as a sophomore with the Bobcats.

Warren received an offer from the Hokies last May before camping in July. He had two unofficial visits to Blacksburg during the 2024 season, along with one to Tennessee.

It’s another big addition to the wide receiver room for Fontel Mines, who has constructed a talented room. Looking ahead, of the 10 wideouts slated to be on the roster in 2026, six of them — including Warren and Tennessee transfer Cameron Seldon — were once four-star prospects out of high school. Keylen Adams, Chanz Wiggins, Micah Matthews and Shamarius Peterkin are the others.

Warren is the second player in the 2026 class to verbal to Tech, though quarterback Peyton Falzone backtracked and decommitted in November after his original pledge in July.

Carnell Warren links:

247Sports
ESPN
Hudl
On3
Rivals
Twitter

Source link

Virginia

Virginia Tech vs Minnesota: Final Score Predictions For The Duke’s Mayo Bowl

Published

23 hours ago

January 2, 2025

Press Room

Virginia Tech vs Minnesota: Final Score Predictions For The Duke’s Mayo Bowl

The Hokies are in their second bowl game in the second consecutive year, and this one is a huge test for Brent Pry. The Hokies are missing plenty of transfer portal entries, NFL declarees, and more. The Hokies opponent is tough too. Minnesota is in a great spot and P.J. Fleck is one of the best Bowl coaches in the country. He is undefeated in Bowl games as Minnesota’s head coach. The only two years during his tenure where he did not make a bowl game was the COVID year, and his first year as a head coach where the Golden Gophers finished just one game shy of six wins.

The Hokies path will be tough. Freshman quarterback William “Pop” Watson will likely get the start and the Hokies’ defensive staff will look much different, as Bud Foster will put on the headset. Although Pry said Foster will remain with the program, he will not be the Hokies’ defensive coordinator in 2025. Shawn Quinn will lead Virginia Tech’s defense for the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.

Virginia Tech will likely be without twelve starters from the 2024 lineup, with the biggest losses being Aeneas Peebles and Antwaun Powell-Ryland on the defensive line. The Hokies will have to rotate plenty of defensive lineman in, even though Virginia Tech is short at that position. Honestly, there are some freshmen who will get significant time in this Bowl, even players who didn’t touch the field at all this season.

It’s not impossible, but it’ll be tough. The Hokies offense without Bhayshul Tuten has just struggled, he’s the indenture of the 2024 Virginia Tech’s defense offense. It’s not just Tuten that isn’t playing either. With the loss of multiple top wide receivers to the draft, Virginia Tech will again be playing backups at the wide receiver position, something that the Hokies did not do much of in 2024. Most of Virginia Tech’s pass production ran through their top receivers. There’s just so many missing pieces for Virginia Tech on both ends. Not having Dorian Strong, Mansoor Delane, Antwaun Powell-Ryland, and Aeneas Peebles all in one game means the defense will look much different. Missing almost the entirety of their starting lineup offensively will mean the Hokies’ offense will also look much different.

If the Hokies pull it off, it will be nothing like what we’ve seen throughout the season. Expect the Hokies to pass the ball more offensively, take more risks defensively, and just look like a completely different team. This game could go extremely well for Virginia Tech, or it could do the opposite. So much is uncertain about this game and it’s incredibly hard to predict.

Here’s how we think Virginia Tech’s bowl matchup against Minnesota will go.

Jackson Caudell (Publisher and Lead Editor), 8-4 record this year: Minnesota 28-17

Connor Mardian (Writer), 7-5 record this year: Virginia Tech 26-20

Phoebe Winters (Writer), 2-0 record this year: Virginia Tech 34-28

Kahlil McCuller (Writer), 7-5 record this year: Virginia Tech 31-28

RJ Schafer (Writer), 9-3 record this year: Minnesota 31-24

Dukes Mayo Bowl Predictions: SP+ Predicts Virginia Tech To Defeat Minnesota

Dukes Mayo Bowl Predictions: Oddsmakers Favor Minnesota, but ESPN’s FPI Likes the Hokies

Virginia Tech Football: Top 2026 target sets commitment date

Source link