Armando Bacot Propels No. 3 North Carolina to Victory Against No. 7 Duke

Armando Bacot Slams In The Exclamation Point On UNC's Win Over Duke

Armando Bacot delivered an outstanding performance with 25 points, which turned out to be crucial for No. 3 North Carolina as they dominated No. 7 Duke with a 93-84 victory on Saturday night at Chapel Hill, N.C.

Harrison Ingram had an impressive debut against Duke, contributing 21 points and securing 13 rebounds.

The Atlantic Coast Conference’s leading scorer, RJ Davis, concluded the game with 17 points, and Seth Tremble added 10 points off the bench for the Tar Heels.

North Carolina, who had suffered a one-point loss against Georgia Tech earlier in the week, ended a 10-game winning streak. With this victory, North Carolina (18-4, 10-1 ACC) widened their lead in the conference, outperforming the second-place team.

Duke’s Jared McCain and Kyle Filipowski both had noteworthy contributions, scoring 23 and 22 points respectively, but were unable to mount a comeback against the resilient defense of the Tar Heels.

Jeremy Roach and Mark Mitchell also made valuable contributions, adding 20 and 11 points respectively for Duke.

Davis extended the lead to 85-72 with a 3-pointer, effectively thwarting any hopes of a Duke comeback. Even though Duke managed to score five consecutive points, Davis sealed the victory with a pair of free throws at the 1:25 mark, reinstating a double-digit advantage for North Carolina.

This matchup marked the first time in almost five years that both teams were in the Top 10. It was the 49th all-time meeting with both teams positioned in the Top 10.

Bacot exhibited masterful shooting, converting 10 of 13 field goal attempts to equal his highest point total of the season, which was initially achieved in the season opener against Radford.

Duke displayed a commendable effort in the early stages of the second half, scoring on six of seven possessions. However, North Carolina’s lead remained largely unaffected, primarily due to Ingram’s two 3-pointers.

At the midway mark of the second half, North Carolina held a 69-57 lead, with Davis contributing only seven points. The Tar Heels maintained a first-half lead of 45-35, shooting at a remarkable 51.4 percent from the field.

This marked their highest first-half point total against Duke in nearly six years. Additionally, North Carolina held a 10-0 advantage in points off turnovers, as Duke did not attempt a single free throw in the first half.

This victory ended North Carolina’s two-game losing streak against Duke, marking their first win since the 2022 Final Four semifinals.

  1. College Sports News

    WCC to Add Grand Canyon and Seattle in 2025

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    Seattle and Grand Canyon will be leaving the Western Athletic Conference and moving to the West Coast Conference starting July 2025.

    The nine current members of the conference are private universities with a religious affiliation. Seattle is a Jesuit institution, while Grand Canyon, situated in Phoenix, is a Christian college.

    Grand Canyon’s basketball achievements were a significant factor in attracting WCC commissioner Stu Jackson. The team has participated in the last two NCAA Tournaments and three of the previous four under the leadership of coach Bryce Drew.

    As the 12th-seeded Antelopes defeated fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s before losing to Alabama in the tournament this season.

    Saint Mary’s is currently a member of the West Coast Conference.

    The WCC, while also integrating Oregon State and Washington State this autumn (excluding football), will expand from 11 to 13 members by the 2025-26 season.

    The future beyond 2026 looks uncertain, with Oregon State and Washington State appearing unlikely to continue with the WCC.

    The former Pac-12 schools are under a two-year contract, expiring on June 30, 2026. Sources from CBS Sports suggest that the odds of the two Pacific Northwest institutions staying are slim, with a move to the Mountain West or a new conference formation being more probable.

    Following the departures of Sam Houston and New Mexico State last year, Seattle and Grand Canyon’s exit from the WAC will reduce the conference’s membership to just eight by July 2025.

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  2. College Sports News

    Ex-Cal State Fullerton G Max Jones Commits to Kansas State

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Former guard of Cal State Fullerton Max Jones has made a decision to join Kansas State for his upcoming collegiate season, according to reports.

    Notable alternatives that Jones purportedly pondered were New Mexico, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Florida Atlantic, and Loyola Chicago.

    During the previous season with the Titans, Jones maintained an average of 15.3 points and 3.0 rebounds across 24 games, in which he started 21. He secured the second-highest scoring position within the team, alongside being the second in 3-pointers with 42 baskets and 41 steals.

    In the season prior, Jones held an average of 12.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 32 games, amassing 34 three-pointers and 30 steals.

    Before making his way to Cal State Fullerton post the 2021-22 season, Jones spent two years at Division II Tampa, where he managed to achieve an average of 21.9 points across 21 games during his sophomore year with the Spartans.

    In the recent offseason, Kansas State acquired Dug McDaniel, a former player from Michigan recognized as one of the premier point guards available in this year’s transfer portal.

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  3. College Sports News

    Stanford Names Basketball Court in Honor of Tara VanDerveer

    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    Tara VanDerveer’s legacy at Stanford will now be visibly acknowledged, with the school revealing on Thursday that the basketball arena’s floor will bear the name of the esteemed Hall of Fame coach.

    At the age of 70, VanDerveer stepped down following her 38th season at the helm of the Cardinal.

    She steered Stanford to 14 Final Fours and secured three national championships (1990, 1992, 2021). VanDerveer embarked on her coaching journey at Idaho (1978-80) and later coached at Ohio State (1980-85).

    In January, she surpassed Mike Krzyzewski to clinch the title of the most successful college basketball coach in history, across both men’s and women’s teams. VanDerveer concluded with a remarkable 1,216-271 record, boasting a 1,064-220 tally with the Cardinal.

    Alongside the unveiling of the Tara VanDerveer Court at Maples Pavilion this November, Stanford also established an endowed position in women’s basketball for an assistant coach in VanDerveer’s honor.

    VanDerveer said in a statement, “This endowment will go a long way to strengthening the future of Stanford women’s basketball. I have many wonderful memories of leading the women’s basketball program at Maples Pavilion.”

    “It’s an honor, and a little surreal, to know that my name will be linked to both in these ways, and I look forward to celebrating with all our fans this fall.”

    Last month, Stanford appointed Kate Paye, one of VanDerveer’s longtime assistant coaches who played for the Cardinal from 1991-95 and began coaching under VanDerveer in 2007, as the new head coach.

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