North Carolina State University Athletics
MBB Hosts Maryland Wednesday Night
2/17/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
NC State Hosts Maryland: NC State will play host to Maryland Wednesday at 9:00 p.m., in the the first of two ACC contests at the RBC Center this week. Maryland won the first game this season between the two teams in College Park, 88-64, on January 23. The Pack will follow up its meeting with the Terps by hosting No. 23 Wake Forest on Saturday.
The game will be broadcasted on Fox Sports South with Mike Hogewood & Dan Bonner.
The Series Versus Maryland: Wednesday's meeting will mark the 146th in a series that dates back to the 1924-25 season. Maryland has a slight lead in the series, 73-72. NC State has won just five of the last 21 meetings, and eight of the last 39 dating back to the 1991-92 campaign. Prior to that streak, the Pack had won nine of the previous 12 matchups.
Maryland has won six straight in the series by an average of 14.8 points, and NC State will be looking to defeat the Terrapins for the first time under Sidney Lowe. Maryland won the first matchup this season, 88-64. Last season, Maryland won in Raleigh, 71-60, and again at the ACC Tournament in Atlanta, 74-69. In 2008, Maryland won in College Park by 14 points. The Terps won both contests in 2007 as well, winning by 15 in Raleigh then by 20 in College Park.
Prior to that season, the Wolfpack was on a three-game winning streak against the Terrapins, winning the only contest in 2006 (62-58 in Raleigh) and sweeping Maryland during the 2004-05 regular season for the first time since 1988-89.
NC State holds a 32-28 lead in games played in Raleigh, but Maryland has won six of nine contests at the RBC Center. The two teams have split the last four games at the RBC Center, with Maryland winning in 2007 and 2009, and the Pack winning in 2005 and 2006.
Earlier This Season Versus Maryland: Maryland scored the final four points of the first half and then the first five points of the second half, to take control of the game and came away with a 88-64 win over NC State in College Park on January 23. Maryland would dominate the second half of play, outscoring the Pack 47-31, thanks to shooting 66.7 percent (16-24) from the floor compared to the Pack hitting just 27.8 percent (10-36). Maryland was the first opponent to shoot over 50.0 percent against the Pack this season, as the Terps were 29-of-54 (.537) from the floor. Tracy Smith recorded a double-double leading NC State with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Javier Gonzalez hit three first-half three pointers and finished with 13 points.
Last Time Out for NC State: After going into the half with a two point lead, North Carolina used an 11-5 run to open the second half and never lost the lead enroute to a 74-61 win over NC State at Chapel Hill on Saturday. The Pack would get to within four points at the 6:18 mark, but the Tar Heels closed the game on an 18-9 run to end the game, including an 8-0 run after the Pack cut the lead to 56-52. Tracy Smith led the Pack with a game-high 20 points, and Javier Gonzalez hit three three-pointers and finished with 13 points.
Last Season Versus Maryland: Maryland claimed a couple of wins over the Pack last season, winning at the RBC Center in the regular season and against at the ACC Tournament in Atlanta.
Maryland's Greivis Vasquez poured in 33 points, as the Terrapins defeated NC State 71-60 at the RBC Center on March 1. Maryland led 34-25 with 4:06 to go in the first half, but the Pack would go on an 8-0 run to end the half and close it to 34-33. NC State would grab its first and only lead of the game, 49-47 at the 9:15 mark of the second half, but Maryland eventually closed the game on a 24-11 run. The Pack shot 50.0 percent (23-46) from the field, but Maryland's 3-2 zone defense limited the Pack to just 46 shots. Tracy Smith led the Pack with 19 points and nine rebounds, while point guard Javier Gonzalez had 11 points and five assists.
For the second time in 12 days, NC State fell to Maryland, this loss ended the Pack's season at the ACC Tournament, 74-69, on March 12. The Wolfpack owned a 62-61 advantage with 4:05 remaining, but the Terps converted on 15 of its last 16 possessions, scoring 10 unanswered points to take control of the game. Maryland's Eric Hayes came off the bench to hit five-of-six three-pointers and finished with 21 points, while Greivis Vasquez finished with 17 points and 10 assists. Julius Mays came off the bench for the Pack, and scored a career-high 18 points, while Ben McCauley added 14 points and seven rebounds.
Student-Athletes Recognized for Academic Progress: The athletics department will honor its student-athletes that achieved a 3.0 GPA or higher for the fall 2009 semester at halftime of the Maryland game.
