N.C. State 74, North Carolina 63

CHAPEL HILL -- N.C. State women’s basketball players grimaced as North Carolina ticked off eight points to start the second half of Sunday’s contest, clearly frustrated with the lack of offensive rebounding and sluggish tempo.

With her player’s shoulder’s dropping and faces tightening, State coach Kellie Harper called a timeout three minutes into the half and expressed a need to change their corrosive body language.

"The kids responded,” said Harper, whose Wolfpack (squad rallied for a 74-63 victory over the Tar Heels at Carmichael Arena. "They changed their body language. They walked back out there with a lot more confidence."

That confidence translated into a 15-0 State run midway through the second half that swung the momentum of the game and eventually derailed the Heels. It was a State run staked on precise shooting - three consecutive 3-pointers by Marissa Kastanek and Emili Tasler - and rugged rebounding.

In the end, the Heels’ inability to defend State - a team that shot 47.3 percent from the field - resulted in its sixth loss in seven games.

The Pack, led by sophomore Bonae Holston’s 20 points and nine rebounds, captured its first victory over its oldest rival since 2007 and upended the Heels at home for the first time since 2004. It seemed to boost the confidence of team that has had to find a way to make up for its size disadvantage in the post.

"I say it’s really high right now," Kastanek said. The freshman point guard finished with 17 points, six rebounds, seven turnovers, five assists.

State is now tied with Wake Forest for fifth place in the ACC with two regular-season games remaining - against Wake on Thursday and Georgia Tech on Sunday. Victories in those games could help better position the Pack entering the ACC Tournament March 4-7.