In the second half, the Terps found themselves down by as much as 16 points. They battled back and stayed close with some smooth scoring by Tucker whose 22 points gave Maryland a second scoring option.

The officiating was somewhat uneven with numerous over the back (pushing) and traveling calls not called. The smaller Terps front court tried to coral the taller and quicker Tar Heels and by games end Milbourne, Gregory, and Neal had all fouled out of the game. Burney's playing time increased and played a significant defensive role as both he and Gregory blocked several shots at critical junctures of the game.

After nailing a three pointer with 1:15 left in OT, Vasquez helped seal the win by hitting two free throws to put the Terps up by three points with seconds left in the game. The only thing missing in the stunning upset win as fans stormed the court would have been a number one ranking by UNC. Another point critics appear to forget when discussing Gary Williams as head coach is the number of times the Terps have defeated a #1 Ranked team under Gary (6).

The win helps push the Terps back into the NCAA picture for now. With a home game on Wednesday vs. Duke followed by a game at NC State, home vs. Wakeforest, and the season finale at Virginia, Maryland's fate is in their own hands. A win in three of their last four games should be enough to get back to the big dance. A split in their final two of four games and they may need at least one win in the conference tournament to punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament. A win over third ranked UNC not only felt good for Terps fans over a turbulant season, but also quelled the critics of Gary Williams.