After trailing for most the contest, No. 18 N.C. State used a 13-0 run in the second half to overcome a double-digit deficit and shock No. 8 Maryland, 72-63, on Thursday at Kay Yow Court in Reynolds Coliseum.
It was the first time the Pack had defeated a top-10 team at home since Feb. 16, 2007, when State defeated No. 2 North Carolina, 72-65.
With the win, the Wolfpack improves to 19-3 overall, 6-2 in the ACC and remain unbeaten at home this season. The Terrapins dropped their third straight contest to fall to 16-4 on the season and 4-3 in conference play.
N.C. State had three players score in double-figures, led by senior guard Myisha Goodman-Coleman who finished with 16 points, all in the second half.
It was a game filled with spurts, N.C. State scored the first six points of the contest. However, Maryland responded with a 12-0 run to seize the lead.
The Terrapins outscored the Wolfpack, 22-6, over a seven-minute stretch to enjoy its biggest lead of the game at 10 points with fewer than 11 minutes remaining in the first half.
State, trailing by nine with six minutes remaining in the half, then rallied with 11 straight points to retake the lead at, 29-27.
The Terps, who were led by 20 points from freshman guard Lexie Brown and 18 points from two-time ACC Player of the Year senior forward Alyssa Thomas, surged back ahead and extended its lead to 53-44 with fewer than 12 minutes remaining. Then the Pack made its move.
“These kids just keep amazing me,” N.C. State head coach Wes Moore said. “We fell down by 10 [points] and were hanging our heads. They just hung in there. They’ve done that all year long.”
State’s run to retake the lead in the second half was spurred by hot-shooting from Goldman-Coleman, along with gritty play from freshman guard Miah Spencer, who came off the bench to chip in nine points, five assists and five steals.
“Miah did a good job, so she got more time,” Moore said. “That’s the way it works.”
Maryland shot 53.3 percent (16-30) in the first half, but was held to 36 percent (12-33) shooting after intermission. The Terps connected on five-of-nine three-pointers during the opening 20 minutes, but missed all 14 attempts they took in the second half.
“Obviously, the credit goes to N.C. State,” Maryland head coach Brenda Frese said. “They just did a tremendous job in the second half, I thought, with their adjustments and with their physicality. We struggled offensively to generate anything in the second half. They made the plays when they needed to make the plays.”
N.C. State will head into its bye-week as winners of three straight and owners of a 4-1 record versus ranked opposition this season, the most victories over ranked teams since the Pack’s 2004-05 campaign. With the win, the Wolfpack also crept a half-game ahead of North Carolina for third place in the ACC standings, two games behind first place Duke.
The Pack will seek its 20th win of the season when it returns to action on Thursday, Feb. 6, at home against Wake Forest in a contest that will be televised by Fox Sports South.
