Acc Tournament

Kim Rodgers had plenty of chances to smile during the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. But the Maryland redshirt freshman is notoriously stoic when she is on the basketball court, so she remained stone-faced after every timely three-pointer - and there were several - she hit during the three games in Greensboro, N.C. Her expression didn't change, even after she converted two pressure-packed free throws with 12.9 seconds left in overtime against Duke...

It's not surprising that Brendan Byrne's confidence is peaking as he prepares for his first appearance at the NCAA wrestling championships. Byrne captured an Atlantic Coast Conference title last week after previously finishing second and third, and he beat a ranked opponent for the first time in six tries this season when it mattered most. The redshirt junior said his 7-6 win over eighth-ranked Jarrod Garnett of Virginia Tech in the 125-pound final in Blacksburg was as much a relief as anything else.

1 Plan it well: If you're going to call in sick to watch the ACC tournament (starting at noon on Ch. 54), figure out how you're going to stay home next week for the NCAAs. 2 Patriotic: Last resort of a scoundrel, but also last chance for Holy Cross or American to make the NCAAs - Patriot League final (4:45 p.m., ESPN2). 3 Sounds familiar: MLB Network (7 p.m.) is showing the Yankees and Red Sox! Can you believe it? We never get to see them. 4 Hoop-de-do: The Class 1A and 2A boys and girls play their basketball state semifinals at, respectively, University of Maryland and UMBC, starting at 3 p.m. 5 If you're bored: Post on a Steelers fans' message board that Pittsburgh's first few Super Bowls shouldn't count because the Steelers were steroid cheats.

ATLANTA -Entering the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament last night, the Maryland Terrapins were playing for time. They were like a pickup team needing a win to stay on the court for another game. The seventh-seeded Terrapins' 74-69 victory over North Carolina State not only secured their goal of hanging around Atlanta another day - they face second seed Wake Forest tonight - but it also allowed them to cling to their season-long hopes of advancing to the NCAA tournament. One more win might do it. "I'm really excited I get another chance to play tomorrow," said junior guard Greivis Vasquez, whose Terps had been eliminated in this tournament's first round the previous two seasons.

Site: Georgia Dome, Atlanta When: Today through Sunday Web site: theacc.com TV: ESPN, ESPN2, chs. 54, 20 Favorite: North Carolina (27-3, 13-3) State entry: Maryland (18-12, 7-9) Outlook: All eyes are on North Carolina and Duke. Nothing unusual about that. But Florida State picked up a first-round bye and is dangerous. The Seminoles (23-8) haven't had this many wins in a regular season since 1969-70. Toney Douglas has scored in double figures in 19 straight games. Wake Forest, though inconsistent, has size, so it can't be dismissed.

MARYLAND (18-12, 7-9) VS. N.C. STATE (16-13, 6-10) What to watch for: Maryland has often played well under pressure and will need to again. The Terps have left themselves in a precarious position after dropping their regular-season finale to Virginia and missing a chance to end the regular season with a .500 league mark. Now the Terps, who beat North Carolina State on March 1, need at least two ACC tournament wins to get an at-large berth in the NCAA tournament. This is Maryland's first appearance at the Georgia Dome since winning the 2002 national championship.

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Lynetta Kizer had already seen Duke hit one buzzer-beating, game-tying shot off an offensive rebound in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament final yesterday afternoon. So when she saw sharpshooter Abby Waner launch a three-pointer in the waning seconds of overtime, all the Maryland center thought about was boxing out, grabbing a rebound and making sure the Terrapins held on to their three-point edge. Waner's shot glanced off the rim and right into Kizer's hands, which turned out to be, Kizer said later, "the easiest rebound of the night."

Tyler Hansbrough walked off the court after his final home game at North Carolina celebrating another Atlantic Coast Conference championship and another win over the Tar Heels' fiercest rival. And once again, Ty Lawson had a lot to do with that. Hansbrough scored 17 points and Lawson nearly had a triple double to help the No. 2 Tar Heels beat No. 7 Duke, 79-71, yesterday, winning the league's regular-season title and the top seed in this week's ACC tournament. Lawson finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and several key late plays for the Tar Heels (27-3, 13-3)

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -It's hard to imagine how badly Gary Williams must have wanted this win. The Maryland coach was so close to making the NCAA tournament with an undersized team in a trying season. Williams' Terrapins missed a chance to make a much-needed statement to the NCAA tournament selection committee when their late comeback fell short and they lost, 68-63, yesterday to a Virginia team that had dropped four games in a row. "It hurts," said Williams, who wore the distant look afterward of a man stuck in a moment gone by. Maryland players said they could still make the NCAAs with a deep run in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament beginning in Atlanta on Thursday.

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Marissa Coleman is used to feeling a little bit anxious this time of year, when the Maryland women's basketball team gears up for the Atlantic Coast Conference and NCAA tournaments. But something seems different this season. "You know, you always have jitters going into tournaments and stuff like that. You always have doubts or you're second-guessing yourself," Coleman said. "But I don't think any of us are doing that right now. We are playing so well right now; we have so much confidence in our game and each other's games right now. Honestly, I think the only reason we could lose is if we beat ourselves."