COLLEGE PARK, Md. - A marvelous performance by Julius Hodge, an uncanny display of accuracy at the line and a good bit of long-range shooting carried North Carolina State to a rare win at Maryland.
Hodge scored 28 and freshman Engin Atsur had a career-high 16 Sunday to lead the Wolfpack to an 81-69 victory - their first on the road against the Terrapins since 1989.
"To come into College Park and get a win, you have to be hitting on all cylinders. You've got to play a complete game, and our guys today probably played our best 40 minutes of the year," said N.C. State coach Herb Sendek, now 1-9 at Maryland.
Marcus Melvin scored 15 and Scooter Sherrill 10 - all in the second half - to help N.C. State (12-5, 5-2 ACC) improve to 2-5 on the road.
"Coach put it up on the chalkboard that we hadn't won here in a while, but this time we were able to get it done," Sherrill said. "We came into this game with the disposition that there was no way we would lose."
The Wolfpack was 0-14 in College Park since Jan. 29, 1989.
N.C. State made 10-of-19 3-pointers and made a season-high 92 percent of its free throws, including 10-for-10 by Hodge.
Jamar Smith led Maryland (11-7, 2-5) with 21 points.
"We shot close to 50 percent but we didn't make the right shots," Maryland coach Gary Williams said. "On defense, we were a little too passive at times."
After a layup by Hodge gave N.C. State the lead for good with 11 minutes left, the Wolfpack's next six baskets were 3-pointers.
A 3 by Sherrill made it 65-55 with 5:39 to go, but Maryland closed to 67-63. Atsur then hit a 3-pointer with 2:44 left.
Nik Caner-Medley had 10 points for Maryland, which has lost four of five. It was only the Terrapins' fourth loss in two seasons at the Comcast Center, and by far the most lopsided.
"When a team plays better than you, regardless of if you are home or away, you're going to lose," Caner-Medley said. "We just have to move on."
Successive 3-pointers by Atsur and Levi Watkins gave the Wolfpack a 41-35 lead early in the second half. Travis Garrison answered with Maryland's initial 3-pointer of the game, and after a tip-in by Hodge, Caner-Medley connected from long range, Smith hit a baseline jumper and Caner-Medley made a free throw to give Maryland its first lead, 44-43, with 14:19 remaining.
It wouldn't last. Atsur made two 3-pointers in an 11-3 run that put the Wolfpack up 58-51 with 8:52 left. Hodge scored 16 first-half points, and N.C. State led throughout the opening 20 minutes before Maryland closed with a 12-4 run for a 33-33 tie.
The Wolfpack limited Maryland to one field goal over the opening five minutes, taking a 13-2 lead. Melvin began the onslaught with consecutive 3-pointers.
"It's 9-0 before you could even blink," Williams said.
