Wolfpack Topples Top-Ranked Heels
Top 25
Lakista McCuller made three 3-pointers in the final 5:04 after North Carolina State had missed eight straight from long range and the Wolfpack upset No. 1 North Carolina 80-70 Wednesday night in Raleigh, N.C.
The Wolfpack (8-2) last beat a top-ranked team on Feb. 23, 1986, topping North Carolina 76-65 in Reynolds Coliseum, where Tar Heels coach Dean Smith is now 17-17.
McCuller, who scored 24 points, made four straight free throws after North Carolina (9-1) fell behind 73-66 but pulled to 73-70 with 49 seconds left. The Wolfpack, eighth in the ACC in free-throw shooting, made nine of 10 in the final 1:19 to secure the win.
Jerry Stackhouse led North Carolina with 24 points.
Mississippi 76, (3) Arkansas 71
Fred Johnigan scored five points in the last 1:01, including a three-point play with 21 seconds left, and the Rebels beat the road-weary Razorbacks (0-1 in the Southwest Conference, 11-2) in Oxford, Miss.
Johnigan’s last basket and free throw came after Corey Beck’s 3-pointer with 33 seconds left pulled the Razorbacks within 73-71.
Jack Jackson had 18 points to lead four Rebels (1-0, 4-5) in double figures. Johnigan finished with 14.
(7) Maryland 80, (24) Ga. Tech 67
Joe Smith had 15 points and 14 rebounds and led a second-half run that carried the Terrapins over the Yellow Jackets in College Park, Md.
Johnny Rhodes and Exree Hipp each scored 16 points for the Terrapins (1-0 in the ACC, 11-2). Smith, a sophomore center, had his 25th double-double in 43 games and also blocked six shots.
Travis Best led Georgia Tech (0-1, 8-4) with 18 points and Matt Harpring had 17.
(8) Kentucky 98, Auburn 64
Rodrick Rhodes, coming off a poor performance in Kentucky’s loss to Louisville, came off the bench to equal his season-high with 23 points and Mark Pope grabbed 10 rebounds as the Wildcats (7-2) opened Southeastern Conference play with a victory over the Tigers (7-3) in Lexington, Ky.
Clemson 75, (11) Duke 70
Rayfield Ragland scored 11 of his 16 points in a key 3-minute stretch of the second half, leading the unbeaten Tigers (9-0) to an ACC victory over the Blue Devils (9-3) in Durham, N.C.
(14) Michigan St. 78, Wisconsin 64
Shawn Respert scored 29 points and Eric Snow added 22 as the Spartans (8-1) pulled away in the second half to defeat the Badgers (6-4) in Madison, Wis., in the Big Ten opener for both teams.
Texas 102, (19) Nebraska 74
Terrence Rencher scored 25 points and became the Longhorns’ all-time steals leader as the Longhorns (6-2) defeated the Cornhuskers (11-2) in Austin, Texas.
(22) Iowa 74, (21) Indiana 55
Jess Settles scored 18 points and the Hawkeyes (1-0, 11-2) jumped to a 25-6 lead en route to a Big Ten victory over the Hoosiers (0-1, 8-5) in Iowa City, Iowa.
Iowa followed up its impressive second-place finish to No. 3 Arkansas at the Rainbow Classic by snapping a six-game losing streak to Indiana and winning its Big Ten opener for the first time since 1989.