GREENSBORO - The North Carolina women's basketball team eventually woke up, but didn't have enough in the end to rally against Maryland, a 83-77 winner in the Thursday's first-round ACC Tournament game.
The Tar Heels (18-11) opened the game with none of the energy or toughness it had in a victory over Duke in the final regular season game. Instead the eighth-seeded Heels were flat against ninth-seeded Terrapins, falling behind 11 points in the first half and by 16 in the second.
The Heels rallied to cut the lead to two point with 12.6 seconds remaining, but that is as close as they would come. Terrapins' Kim Rodgers made two free throws and Jackie Nared made a layup at the buzzer to secure the win.
Six consecutive points by junior guard Cetera DeGraffenreid helped the Heels cut Maryland's lead to 61-57 with five minutes remaining. The Heels again cut the Terrapins lead to four with 1:42 left.
But each time, the Terps were able to find offense and keep the Heels at bay.
It's the first time UNC has failed to make it out of the opening round in 14 seasons. It's the first time UNC has failed to make the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament.
Trailing 41-31 at half-time, the Heels faced the offensive struggles they have for much of the second half of the season. They suffered through stretches where they were unable to score
They were not the fast-breaking team that began the season ranked among the nation's top 10 teams.
They looked more like the team that lost seven of its past nine games to close the regular season.
The Heels exit the conference unsure of their place in the NCAA Tournament.
UNC has not missed an NCAA Tournament since the 2000-2001 season, where they finished 15-14 overall and 7-9 in the ACC.
Lynetta Kizer, Maryland's 6-foot-4 sophomore center, made the difference early in the first half. She finished with a team-high 22 points
Maryland, the defending ACC Tournament champions, pulled ahead by 10 or more points four times in the first half, helped in part by sharp shooting and several stretches where the Heels were unable to score.
The Heels shot ? percent from the field and seemed uneasy against Maryland's man-to-man defense. They tried to attack inside, but the rims at the Greensboro Coliseum were unfriendly to players like Chay Shegog (6-for16).
DeGraffenreid finished with 23 points.
Edward joined the News & Observer staff in 2004. He is a graduate of American University and Johns Hopkins University. He covers Wake Forest football and women's college basketball for the N&O. Edward is a native of Washington, D.C. He can be reached at 829-4781 or 
