Sports

The Replay: NC State’s Seabron stars, Canes win out west, and HS football season ends

N.C. State’s Ebenezer Dowuona (21) pressures Bethune-Cookman’s Damani McEntire (5) during the second half of N.C. State’s 65-48 victory over Bethune-Cookman University at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, December 9, 2021.
N.C. State’s Ebenezer Dowuona (21) pressures Bethune-Cookman’s Damani McEntire (5) during the second half of N.C. State’s 65-48 victory over Bethune-Cookman University at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, December 9, 2021. ehyman@newsobserver.com

College basketball players focused on final exams more than games and practices over the past week.

In professional sports, the Carolina Hurricanes headed out on a road trip to western Canada that meant late night viewing for their fans. But the Canes rewarded them with two wins.

Here’s a look back at the week that was:

NC State nets win on slow week

Final exam schedules meant game schedules were light for the Triangle’s ACC men’s basketball teams.

While No. 3 Duke did not play, N.C. State (7-2, 0-1 ACC) returned to its roots for the annual Heritage game at Reynolds Coliseum and picked up a 65-48 non-conference win over Bethune-Cookman on Thursday night.

Dereon Seabron continued his strong play to the season, tallying 16 points and 14 rebounds in the win. It was his sixth consecutive double-double performance.

Earlier in the week, on Monday, the Wolfpack swept the ACC’s weekly awards when Seabron was named the league’s player of the week and Terquavion Smith won freshman of the week.

Smith followed that up by scoring nine of his 14 points against Bethune-Cookman in the second half.

Late night with the Canes

The Carolina Hurricanes embarked on a road trip to western Canada, beginning it Tuesday night with a 4-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets.

Jaccob Slavin and Sebastian Aho each netted a goal and an assist while Frederik Andersen made 16 saves in goal for Carolina.

On Thursday night, the Canes gutted their way to a 2-1 overtime win at Calgary. Aho scored both Carolina goals, including the game-winner with 52.4 seconds remaining in overtime.

Carolina wasn’t at its best, but it found a way to win anyway.

“It was just kind of, I don’t know, a gross hockey game,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “It wasn’t fun to watch, wasn’t fun to be a part of to be honest. But we dug in. We were battling but we weren’t very sharp. We were pretty fortunate.”

The Hurricanes continued their road swing with a game at Edmonton late Saturday night and they’ll play at Vancouver on Sunday night.

Prep football championships

High school football teams from around the state took over Triangle stadiums Friday and Saturday to decide state championships.

At Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill Friday night, Greensboro’s Dudley topped J.H. Rose from Greenville, 69-40, for the Class 3A title.

Saturday saw games in Chapel Hill and at Raleigh’s Carter-Finley Stadium, starting with the 1A championship game between Mitchell County and Tarboro at Kenan Stadium. Shelby and Wallace-Rose Hill played in the 2A title game at Carter-Finley Stadium.

Also in Raleigh, Cardinal Gibbons needed only travel across the street from its school to play Chambers, from Charlotte, in the 4A championship game Saturday night.

Steve Wiseman
The News & Observer
Steve Wiseman was named Raleigh News & Observer and Durham Herald-Sun sports editor in May 2025. He covered Duke athletics, beginning in 2010, prior to his current assignment. In the Associated Press Sports Editors national contest, he placed in the top 10 in beat writing in 2019, 2021 and 2022, breaking news in 2019, event coverage in 2025 and explanatory writing in 2018. Before coming to Durham in 2010, Steve worked for The State (Columbia, SC), Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, S.C.), The Sun Herald (Biloxi, Miss.), Charlotte Observer and Hickory (NC) Daily Record covering beats including the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints, University of South Carolina athletics and the S.C. General Assembly. He’s won numerous state-level press association awards. Steve graduated from Illinois State University in 1989. 
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