North Carolina State University Athletics
Maryland Comeback Does in Wolfpack
2/6/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
(QuickTime Movie -- 303k)
By Tony Haynes
Freshman Damien Wilkins scored 9 points including a 3-pointer at the end of
the first half in a 78-73 loss to Maryland (AP Photo/Roberto Borea) |
Leading by as many as 17 points in the first half, and up by 12 with 7:08 left, the Wolfpack couldn't hang on for its first ACC road victory of the year. Instead, it was Maryland doing all the celebrating at the end. Over the final 2:40, the Terps scored ten straight points to record a stunning 78-73 victory over the Pack.
"It's a very hurtful game to lose," said NC State coach Herb Sendek. "I thought everybody poured their hearts out, but we just weren't able to hang on in the end. You certainly had to give Maryland credit for making the plays they had to down the stretch."
Center Lonnie Baxter led the Terrapins (16-6, 5-4 ACC) with 31 points and ten rebounds. Ironically, Baxter also made the biggest defensive play of the game.
With less than three minutes remaining, NC State (15-5, 5-4 ACC) was leading 73-68 when Damon Thornton and Damien Wilkins broke loose on a two on one break. Baxter sprinted back and set himself underneath the basket as Thornton launched himself from the floor. But as Thornton threw the ball down in spectacular fashion, official John Clougherty blew his whistle.
No basket. A charge was called. Then, to further complicate matters, Thornton was called for a technical foul for slamming the ball down in anger. The personal, combined with the technical, sent Thornton to the bench with five fouls.
Damon Thornton scored 12 points and collected 11 rebounds for the Wolfpack. NC State is now 15-5 (5-4 ACC).
(AP Photo/Roberto Borea) |
Instead of leading by seven, the Pack was up only one with 2:39 left.
"The play was instrumental because it was two points for us that went away on the block call," Sendek said.
Following the six-point turnaround, Maryland took full control. After two missed free throws by NC State's Anthony Grundy, a Baxter tip in gave the Terrapins their first lead since it was 2-0 at the beginning of the game. A Dixon steal then set-up a Baxter layup to give Maryland a 76-73 advantage with 39 seconds left.
With 20 seconds remaining, Wolfpack guard Archie Miller missed a potential game-tying three-point attempt. NC State then got a break when Terps freshman Steve Blake missed a pair of free throws. The Wolfpack rushed the ball up the floor and actually got another open look from beyond the arc, but freshman Marshal Williams' shot missed everything.
Maryland's Terence Morris made two free throws with four seconds left to close out the scoring.
"The best comeback I was ever involved with was in the 1970 semi-final New Jersey State Championship when we were down by 18 at halftime and came back and won by ten," said Maryland coach Gary Williams. "But this one was right up there.
And Williams' club had a rather imposing mountain to climb most of the day. After Baxter scored the games first basket, NC State hit its first seven shots and ripped off 15 consecutive points to shock the sellout crowd of 14,500. During the opening onslaught, junior forward Kenny Inge scored five points. Guards Anthony Grundy and Justin Gainey added three point baskets.
But it didn't end there.
An Archie Miller three-point bomb gave the Wolfpack a 22-5 lead with 13:46 remaining in the half. Then Maryland came back.
Two Dixon free throws capped a 21-8 run to pull the Terps within four at 30-26. Baxter, who was unstoppable most of the day, scored 13 points during that stretch.
Then it was time for the Wolfpack to get hot again. NC State closed the half with an 11-3 blitz to take a 41-29 advantage at the break. Baxter had kept the Terrapins in it by scoring 18 of their 29 points. NC State shot a blistering 56.7 percent in the opening half.
The second half was much the same with NC State pushing its lead out to double-figures only to see Maryland bounce right back off the mat. A Morris jumper cut the Pack's lead down to three with 45-42. But as it had done throughout the day, NC State bounced back.
A Grundy three-pointer at the 13:08 mark made it 50-43 Wolfpack. A desperation 25-footer at the end of the shot clock by Damien Wilkins put the Pack up 63-53 with 7:31 left. Seconds later, a Marshall Williams layup gave NC State a 12-point cushion.
That set the stage for the final frenetic finish.
"You have to give NC State credit for the way they prepared for this game," Gary Williams said. "I thought we would make a run when they built that big lead early, but it took us a long time to work it back. Every time we'd get it down to six, it would go back out to eleven or twelve. It was very frustrating for all of us. To the player's credit, they just hung in there and wouldn't go away. And they could have gone away."
They didn't go away because of their relentless defensive pressure. For the game, the Terps scored 33 points off of 24 Wolfpack turnovers. 22 of those points and 15 of those turnovers came in the second half.
Baxter was joined in double figures by Dixon (17 points) and Morris (16). Dixon added six assists and five steals.
For NC State, Gainey played one of his best games, scoring 21 points, blocking three shots and coming up with three steals. Before his disastrous technical foul, Thornton had 12 points, eleven rebounds, and five blocked shots. Grundy finished with 16.
