RALEIGH — N.C. State got physical on Sunday night, but fizzled when it had a golden opportunity to upset eighth-ranked Maryland.
The Wolfpack got on the boards and got on the floor, but when push came to shove it was Maryland that was mentally tougher. The Terps escaped the hostile environs of the ESA with a 72-65 victory.
Experience was key. It was the ACC opener for both teams, which meant it was the ACC baptism of fire for the five freshmen who make up half of Wolfpack coach Herb Sendek’s 10-man rotation.
Coach Gary Williams’ Terps, on the other hand, employ a roster filled with familiar All-ACC faces.
It was an ugly foul-fest. A whopping 57 personals were called and 81 free throws were attempted. No fewer than nine players finished the game with four personals and Maryland big man Lonny Baxter fouled out.
The foul line is where the Terps (10-3) ultimately prevailed. They hit just six second-half field goals, but converted 27 second-half free throws.
All those foul-line forays turned a potentially exciting game into a yawn-inducing, 150-minute marathon.
“It was hard to get in a flow,” said N.C. State guard Anthony Grundy. “There were just so many whistles.”
Williams rolled his eyes and examined his watch as he met the press after the game. Then he wondered aloud if he’d just played the second game of a doubleheader.
“Geez, it’s 9 o’clock,” he growled. “That was a long game, a tough game.”
Sendek, who really needed this one, praised his team’s tenacity. But he moaned audibly as he perused a cruel stat sheet. It was obvious to the weary coach that with a respectable shooting night, N.C. State (10-3) could have pulled it off.
“I couldn’t be more pleased with our effort,” said Sendek. “We showed fortitude and we played with passion. But the one thing we didn’t do was put the ball in the basket. Our shooting difficulties were hard to overcome.”
No kidding. N.C. State shot 30 percent from the field in the first half and got colder in the second. The real killer was its 3-for-20 nightmare from the 3-point arc.
Grundy led the Pack with 18 points, but it wasn’t an 18 he’ll write home about. He shot 5-for-17 from the field and misfired on all five of his 3-point tries. Sendek’s other starting guard, Archie Miller, suffered through a 1-for-7 night that included heartbreaking in-and-outs at critical times.
The Wolfpack offense sputtered from the opening minute, allowing Maryland to grab a lead that swelled to as many as 10 in the first half. But the Pack battled to within four by halftime, then gamely hung around in the early stages of the second half. They slugged it out with the bigger Terps, as foul woes stacked up on both sides.
A quiet, tense ESA exploded when sophomore Marcus Melvin nailed a 3-pointer with 10:51 remaining to give the Wolfpack its first lead at 44-43. The game see-sawed over the next seven minutes. Either team could have taken command, but both bricked free throws and missed on hotly contested jumpers.
“Our defense was probably the best it’s ever been against a Maryland team,” said Sendek.
But that dreadful Wolfpack offense was the equalizer.
Veteran Maryland point guard Steve Blake, who had not made a single field goal, took over when the clock went under three minutes. Wolfpack freshman Julius Hodge made the mistake of ignoring Blake and trying to help out in the post and got roasted. Blake hit a short jumper from the baseline with 2:40 left, then buried a wide-open 3-pointer from the left corner with 1:42 remaining to give Maryland control at 60-54.
The Pack never got closer than five after Blake’s back-to-back daggers, because Maryland’s other guard, Juan Dixon, knocked down repeated free throws on his way to a game-high 21 points.
“This was a game we could have very easily lost,” said a relieved Williams. “To hang in there on the road and get this one was big. It will get bigger as the season goes along, because State is going to beat some people. Especially here.”
But the Pack, even with 18,163 friendly fans urging them on, couldn’t get it done this time. Even on a day when the Terps were practically begging to be beaten.
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