Maryland Holds Off NC State, 75-67, in #ACCTRNY First Round
Williams tallies 16 points, 13 rebounds for 24th double-double of the year.
Maryland's Jordan Williams (20) shoots over NC State's Jordan Vandenberg (14) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Greensboro, N.C., Thursday, March 10, 2011. (AP Photo/Bob Leverone)

Maryland's Jordan Williams (20) shoots over NC State's Jordan Vandenberg (14) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Greensboro, N.C., Thursday, March 10, 2011. (AP Photo/Bob Leverone)

March 10, 2011

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) - Jordan Williams had 16 points and 13 rebounds to help Maryland hold off NC State 75-67 on Thursday night in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.

Dino Gregory added 11 points for the seventh-seeded Terrapins (19-13), who snapped a three-game losing streak and led the entire night. Maryland led by 17 points in the first half and never let the 10th-seeded Wolfpack (15-16) get closer than six in the second half, earning a matchup with fifth-ranked Duke in Friday's quarterfinals.

Tracy Smith had 14 points to lead NC State, which had a poor shooting performance. N.C. State shot 34 percent, including 2-for-17 from 3-point range, and couldn't pull off the same kind of magic they had in a pair of deep ACC tournament runs under Lowe.

Maryland didn't have a lot of drama with this one, scoring the first six points and taking a 31-14 lead on James Padgett's tip-in of his own missed shot with 8:51 left in the first half.

The Wolfpack responded from an effort standpoint, closing the gap to six points late in the half and trailing 42-33 at the break. But NC State just never could overcome that bad start, leaving Lowe - who donned the red blazer he traditionally wears for big games - looking for answers on the sideline the rest of the night.

Maryland pushed its lead to 16 with about 6 minutes left before N.C. State made its final push, twice getting as close as six points in the final minute. But Maryland's Pe'Shon Howard and Terrell Stoglin each went 2-for-2 at the line in the last 45 seconds to seal it.