Final
  for this game

Maryland takes care of UNC in Top-10 battle

Jan 5, 2014 - 10:30 PM Chapel Hill, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - Alyssa Thomas recorded a double-double with 21 points and 14 rebounds as the No. 8 Maryland Terrapins opened up ACC play with a 79-70 road win over tenth-ranked North Carolina.

Shatori Walker-Kimbrough added 16 points off the bench for Maryland (13-1, 1-0 ACC), while Katie Rutan and Lexie Brown chipped in with 14 and 12 points, respectively, in the win.

Maryland's lone loss this season came at the hands of No. 1 UConn on November 15.

UNC (12-3, 0-1) was paced by Stephanie Mavunga's 15 points. Latifah Coleman tallied 13 points off the bench and Diamond DeShields finished with 12 points in defeat.

Maryland opened the first three minutes of the game on a 10-3 run that was capped by a layup from Alicia DeVaughn.

UNC later grabbed the lead following a Coleman 3 that capped an 8-0 spurt for a 17-16 lead with just under 12 minutes left in the first half.

Brown answered with a jumper before Walker-Kimbrough hit a triple to regain the lead for the visitors.

Maryland took a 40-31 lead at the break.

The Terrapins advantage stretched to as many as 18 following a Rutan layup, but UNC ran off nine straight to pull back within the halftime margin.

Mavunga hit a layup to pull the hosts within six, 61-55, but Thomas hit back- to-back shots to extend the lead back to double-digits with under six minutes to play as Maryland held on.