CAPITALS-HURRICANES
Capitals beat Canes 2-1 on Fehr’s late goal
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) β Eric Fehr scored with 4:02 remaining and the Washington Capitals beat the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 on Thursday night.
Jay Beagle scored an early goal and Braden Holtby stopped 29 shots for the Capitals. Washington, which had lost two in a row, moved back over .500 at 11-10-4.
Alexander Semin scored his first goal of the season for the Hurricanes, who were trying to win two in a row for the first time since early November.
Fehr made the game-winning play all by himself. He stole the puck from Riley Nash just inside the blue line, charged between the circles and snapped a shot past Anton Khudobin.
Khudobin finished with 26 saves for Carolina.
STRUGGLING HORNETS
Hornets, Stephenson off to sluggish 4-15 start
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) β The Charlotte Hornets brought in Lance Stephenson figuring he’d help take the franchise to the next level.
So far the only step the Hornets have taken is backward.
Charlotte is 4-15 and mired in a 10-game losing streak, a start coach Steve Clifford called “disappointing.”
Stephenson has struggled since signing a three-year, $27 million contract, shooting 37.9 percent from the field and 17.5 percent from 3-point range. The fiery swingman who was brought in to provide a needed weapon in clutch situations has been benched in the fourth quarter three different times this season due to lack of production.
Stephenson says it’s been a struggle learning a new system and fitting in with new teammates after four seasons in Indiana, but is starting to get more comfortable with his surroundings.
T25-CHARLOTTE-SOUTH CAROLINA
No. 1 South Carolina women beat Charlotte 82-61
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) β Freshman forward A’ja Wilson had 17 points, Elem Ibiam scored 16 on 7-of-7 shooting and South Carolina coach Dawn Staley earned her 300th career victory as the top-ranked Gamecocks beat Charlotte 82-61 on Thursday night.
Alaina Coates had 15 points and 13 rebounds for the Gamecocks, who improved to 7-0 for the third straight season. South Carolina got a much tougher-than-expected tuneup in winning its 23rd straight at home before traveling to face No. 9 Duke on Sunday.
Charlotte (1-6) led 19-18 about 9 minutes in before the Gamecocks closed the opening half with a 28-9 run to move in front for good.
Lefty Webster had 17 points to lead the 49ers, whose six-game losing streak is the team’s longest in 15 years.
Aleighsa Welch added 10 points for South Carolina. For the 6-foot-5 Wilson, it was the fourth time she’s led the Gamecocks in scoring.
NC A&T-SC-UPSTATE
USC-Upstate beats North Carolina A&T, 65-54
SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) β Ty Greene scored 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field to lead South Carolina-Upstate to a 65-54 victory over North Carolina A&T on Thursday night.
Michael Buchanan came off the bench to add 11 points and five boards for the Spartans (7-2). Fred Miller finished with 10 points, five rebounds, and a game high five assists.
Both teams shot under 40 percent from the field, but South Carolina State got to the free throw line 12 more times than the Aggies, hit three more 3-pointers, and pulled down five more offensive boards.
Khary Doby led North Carolina A&T with 13 points and six rebounds. Trey Brown added 11 points off the bench for the Aggies (1-7).
The Spartans had a 12-3 run in the first half and took an 11 point lead into the break.
COLUMBIA INTERNATIONAL-CHARLESTON SOUTHERN
Charleston Southern runs away 105-55
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) β Saah Nimley scored 21 points, including four 3-pointers, Arlon Harper added 17 points, and Charleston Southern handily beat Columbia International 105-55 on Thursday night.
Javis Howard scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Buccaneers (5-2), who outrebounded the Rams 47-32 while making 12 of 26 3-pointers.
Both Harper and Nimely have surpassed 1,300 career points. Harper is ninth on the Charleston Southern career scoring list with 1,316 points, while Nimley is 10th with 1,314 points.
Marcus Praylow led Columbia International (1-9), an NAIA member, with 11 points.
The Buccaneers opened with a 20-9 run capped by two free throws by Cedrick Bowen. Nimley made three 3-pointers in a row and Charleston Southern led 49-27 and pulled away to a 55-32 halftime lead. Nimley scored 19 points in the half and Harper 14.
Charleston Southern opened the second half with a 12-2 run and continued to pull away.
