Feb. 16, 1998

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Chasity Melvin and Tynesha Lewis combined for morethan 50 points for the second straight game to lead No. 10 North Carolina Stateto a 75-53 win over Maryland on Monday night.

The win put the Wolfpack back into a first-place tie in the Atlantic CoastConference with Duke.

Melvin scored 20 of her 27 points in the second half as N.C. State (20-4overall, 11-3 ACC) buried Maryland with a decisive 26-4 run in the final 9:05of play. Coming off a season-high 30 points against Virginia, Melvin also had14 rebounds.

Lewis had career highs of 25 points and seven assists.

Sonia Chase had 17 points to lead Maryland (13-11, 6-8), 12 of them in thefirst half as Maryland led by as many as six points and took a 33-30 lead intohalftime.

But Lewis scored 11 points, including three 3-pointers, in the first 5:30 ofthe second half to help N.C. State to a 49-43 lead. Maryland tied the score at49-49, but managed just two field goals on 12 shots in the game's final 14:58.

Lewis finished with a personal best four 3-pointers on eight tries, going10-for-18 overall. Melvin made 11 of 17 tries from the field.

The win gave N.C. State Coach Kay Yow her 16th 20-win season in her 23rdyear in Raleigh and set up a showdown Thursday in Durham with ACC co-leaderDuke.

The loss was Maryland's third to a Top 25 opponent in as many games.