The previously-winless South Johnston varsity boys basketball team opened conference play on Friday night with a 61-46 win at Fike. … The Campbell women’s basketball team has canceled its trip to the Holiday Hoops Classic December 20-21 in Las Vegas due to COVID protocols. … In the Basketball Hall of Fame Shootout in Charlotte on Friday, Liberty topped East Carolina, 74-64; N.C. State fell, 83-74, to Richmond and Wake Forest edged Charlotte, 82-79, on a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Isaiah Mucius. Alondes Williams had 34 points for the Deacons (11-1), eight rebounds and seven assists, including the game winner to Mucius on a kick out from a drive. … Bowl season opened with Middle tennessee State downing Toledo, 31-24, and Coastal Carolina holding off Northern Illinois, 47-41, as time expired with the Huskies on the Chanticleers’ 4-yard line. … Matchups today include Western Kentucky (8-5) against Appalachian State (10-3) in the Boca Raton Bowl (ESPN, 11 a.m.), Texas El Paso (7-5) against Fresno State (9-3) in the New Mexico Bowl (ESPN, 2:15 p.m.), Alabama Birmingham (8-4) versus Brigham Young (10-2) in the Indepemdence Bowl (ABC, 3:30 p.m.), Eastern Michigan (7-5) and Liberty (7-5) in Mobile (ESPN, 5:45 p.m.), Utah State (10-3) and Oregon State (7-5) in the LA Bowl (ABC, 7:30 p.m.) and Louisiana-Marshall in the New Orleans Bowl (ESPN, 9:15 p.m.). … In rescheduled college basketball contests due to COVID, No. 2 Duke (9-1) hosts Elon (3-8) (ACC Network, 4 p.m.) and UNC (8-2) meets Kentucky (7-2) in Las Vegas (CBS, 5:30 p.m.). … New England (9-4) plays at Indianapolis (7-6) tonight (NFL Network, 8:20 p.m.).