Category Archives: Sports

Evans, Boozer help No. 6 Duke overcome slow start and defeat Texas 75-60 in season opener

Evans, Boozer help No. 6 Duke overcome slow start and defeat Texas 75-60 in season opener

By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Isaiah Evans scored 23 points, Cameron Boozer had a big second half and finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds as No. 6 Duke overcame a sluggish start to beat Texas 75-60 at the Dick Vitale Invitational on Tuesday night.

The Blue Devils got 10 points from Patrick Ngongba and used a stifling defense to limit Texas to 32% shooting and force 16 turnovers.

Dailyn Swain had 16 points, while Jordan Pope and Matas Vokietaitis each had 15 to lead Texas in coach Sean Miller’s debut.

Boozer, one of the nation’s top high school recruits, was 0 for 7 from the field and held scoreless in the first half with three rebounds as Duke trailed 33-32 at the break.

But Boozer, the son of former Duke star Carlos Boozer, made his presence felt in the second half getting to the foul line 12 times and converting nine free throws. He also had three steals, two assists and a block in an all-around effort reminiscent of Cooper Flagg a year ago.

Duke, which lost five players from last year’s team including Flagg to the NBA draft, looked like a team finding its way early on.

Nearly seven minutes into the game the Blue Devils trailed 7-3 and were 1 of 10 from the field with two turnovers.

But that changed in hurry as Evans, who played high school basketball just north of Charlotte, began to heat up with four 3-pointers helping the Blue Devils open a 26-17 lead. Texas clawed back to take the lead at halftime with Evans on the bench for an extended stretch.

Honoring Dickie V

An emotional video introduction about Vitale’s legacy and fight against cancer narrated by former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was aired on the Spectrum Center videoboard before the game, bringing the 86-year-old commentator to tears as he looked on from press row.

As Krzyzewski finished with “you are awesome with a capital V’ the crowd roared and gave Vitale a standing ovation.

Up next

Texas: Hosts Lafayette on Saturday.

Duke: Hosts Western Carolina on Saturday.

Newcomers Wilson and Bogavac power No. 25 North Carolina to a 94-54 rout of Central Arkansas

Newcomers Wilson and Bogavac power No. 25 North Carolina to a 94-54 rout of Central Arkansas

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Caleb Wilson scored 22 points and Luka Bogavac added 10 points and five assists in their North Carolina debuts as the No. 25 Tar Heels beat Central Arkansas 94-54 in the teams’ season opener on Monday night. Kyan Evans hit four 3-pointers and scored 15 points, Henri Veesaar added 14 points and 10 rebounds and Seth Trimble scored 12 points as the Tar Heels won their opener for the 21st consecutive season. Cole McCormick led Central Arkansas with nine points, though he went to the bench with his fourth foul early in the second half and fouled out with 4:56 left.… Continue Reading

Panthers may be potential playoff contender after 7 straight seasons of missing postseason

Panthers may be potential playoff contender after 7 straight seasons of missing postseason

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers have emerged as potential playoff contenders after a surprising 16-13 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. The Panthers, led by running back Rico Dowdle and quarterback Bryce Young, controlled the game from the start. This win marked their fourth consecutive victory with Young under center and put the Panthers just one game behind the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions in the NFC wild-card race. Coach Dave Canales praised Dowdle’s performance, emphasizing the team’s aggressive style. The Panthers aim to maintain this momentum as they prepare to face the New Orleans Saints next Sunday.… Continue Reading

ESPN icon Dick Vitale is back for start of another college basketball season after cancer fight

ESPN icon Dick Vitale is back for start of another college basketball season after cancer fight

ESPN broadcasting icon Dick Vitale is back for another season opener after his long fight to return from cancer. Vitale will call Tuesday’s game between No. 6 Duke and Texas in an event named in his honor. ESPN Events had announced the creation of the Dick Vitale Invitational over the summer. A lengthy cancer fight kept Vitale off the airwaves for two years until he returned late last season. In an AP interview, Vitale says he feels “lucky” to be able to keep working at 86 years old after that lengthy fight.… Continue Reading

Rico Dowdle’s big day and Ryan Fitzgerald’s big kick give Panthers 16-13 win over Packers

Rico Dowdle’s big day and Ryan Fitzgerald’s big kick give Panthers 16-13 win over Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Rico Dowdle rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns, and his big run in the final minute set up Ryan Fitzgerald’s last-second 49-yard field goal as the Carolina Panthers beat Green Bay 16-13. The Packers’ three-game winning streak ended, and they lost star tight end Tucker Kraft to a knee injury in the third quarter. Dowdle had been splitting time with Chuba Hubbard, but Panthers coach Dave Canales said Dowdle would get the bulk of the carries, and the move paid off. He made one big mistake, getting flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after a touchdown. But his 19-yard run got the Panthers in range for the winning kick.… Continue Reading

Smith’s homer in 11th lifts Dodgers over Blue Jays 5-4 to become first repeat champion in 25 years

Smith’s homer in 11th lifts Dodgers over Blue Jays 5-4 to become first repeat champion in 25 years

TORONTO (AP) — Will Smith homered in the 11th inning after Miguel Rojas connected for a tying drive in the ninth, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in Game 7 to become the first team in a quarter century to win consecutive World Series titles. Los Angeles overcame 3-0 and 4-2 deficits and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to become the first repeat champion since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees, and the first from the National League since the 1975 and ’76 Cincinnati Reds. Smith hit a 2-0 slider off Shane Bieber into the Blue Jays’ bullpen, giving the Dodgers their first lead of the night.… Continue Reading

Scott, Bailey power NC State to 48-36 upset of No. 8 Georgia Tech for Yellow Jackets’ 1st loss

Scott, Bailey power NC State to 48-36 upset of No. 8 Georgia Tech for Yellow Jackets’ 1st loss

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Duke Scott ran for a career-best 196 yards in place of injured Atlantic Coast Conference rushing leader Hollywood Smothers to help N.C. State stun No. 8 Georgia Tech 48-36 on Saturday night. That ended the Yellow Jackets’ unbeaten run after their first 8-0 start since 1966. Scott had a late 30-yard TD run that effectively sealed the win. CJ Bailey threw for 340 yards and accounted for three TDs for the Wolfpack. Haynes King threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more for Georgia Tech. This was N.C. State’s first win against a top-10 team since September 2021.… Continue Reading

Nate Sheppard’s 3-yard TD, Duke’s 2-point conversion stun Clemson 46-45

Nate Sheppard’s 3-yard TD, Duke’s 2-point conversion stun Clemson 46-45

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Nate Sheppard had a 3-yard touchdown run with 40 seconds left and Duke got the two-point conversion to win at Clemson for the first time since 1980 with a 46-45 victory. The Blue Devils didn’t hesitate in lining up for the victory after Sheppard scored and quarterback Darian Mensah found Shamir Hagans for the winning points. Clemson has lost four games at home, the first time that’s happened since 1998. Mensah finished with 361 yards passing and a career-best four touchdown passes. Cade Klubnik, in his first game back since getting injured against Boston College last month, passed for 385 yards and two touchdowns for Clemson.… Continue Reading

Bill Belichick wins first ACC game as North Carolina rallies to defeat Syracuse 27-10

Bill Belichick wins first ACC game as North Carolina rallies to defeat Syracuse 27-10

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Demon June accounted for two touchdowns and nearly 200 yards on offense, Gio Lopez threw for two scores, and Bill Belichick won his first Atlantic Coast Conference game when North Carolina came from behind to defeat Syracuse 27-10. The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Tar Heels (3-5, 1-3 ACC), while the Orange (3-6, 1-5) lost for the fifth consecutive time. North Carolina lost its previous two games by a combined four points.… Continue Reading

Unbeaten and 8th-ranked Georgia Tech looks to dodge upset at NC State

Unbeaten and 8th-ranked Georgia Tech looks to dodge upset at NC State

No. 8 Georgia Tech is a front-runner in the race for spots in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game. Staying on course will require the unbeaten Yellow Jackets to avoid a misstep at N.C. State on Saturday night. This is the sixth time in Georgia Tech history that the team is 8-0 and the first since 1966. In each of those previous five situations, the Yellow Jackets won the next game to reach 9-0. N.C. State has lost two in a row and four of its last five games. The defense has allowed 89 points in the past two games.… Continue Reading

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