COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) -- It must have been the yellow jerseys -- but more likely it was the tremendous play of Maryland's point guard.
Greivis Vasquez recorded Maryland's first triple-double since 1987, and the Terrapins rallied from a 16-point deficit to shock No. 3 North Carolina 88-85 in overtime Saturday, ending the Tar Heels' 10-game winning streak.
Vasquez had a career-high 35 points and 11 rebounds and 10 assists. The junior guard hit a key 3-pointer with 1:15 left and made two free throws with 5.4 seconds remaining to put Maryland up 88-85.
After North Carolina's Ty Lawson lost the ball while heading toward the basket just before the buzzer, many of the 17,950 fans stormed the court to celebrate the unlikely upset.
The triple-double by Vasquez was the first for Maryland (17-9, 6-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) since Derrick Lewis did it twice in 1987.
North Carolina led 52-36 with 14:17 left in regulation. Lawson led the Tar Heels (24-3, 10-3) with 24 points and Danny Green had 18.
Tyler Hansbrough had 11 points and 11 rebounds for North Carolina, which beat Maryland at home 108-91 earlier this month. But in the rematch, the Terrapins got career-best performances from Vasquez, who scored Maryland's first 16 points, and Cliff Tucker, who finished with 22 points on 8-for-12 shooting.
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After Green scored the first basket in overtime, Tucker made a lay up and Vasquez nailed a 3-pointer to give the Terrapins their first lead since 18-17. Lawson tied it with a 3-pointer, but Vasquez put Maryland back in front by coolly making a shot from beyond the arc.
Lawson answered with two free throws, and the Terrapins played keep-away until Eric Hayes was fouled with 11.3 seconds to go. Hayes made both shots, and after Wayne Ellington made two foul shots for the Tar Heels, Vasquez was fouled and made his two at the line.
Down by 16, the Terrapins launched their comeback behind Tucker and Hayes. Each made a 3-pointer in a 12-2 spurt that cut the gap to six, and after the Tar Heels went ahead 62-55, Hayes made two foul shots and Tucker scored on a drive and added a 3-pointer to get Maryland within 64-62.
Lawson then hit a jumper, Ellington added a free throw, Lawson connected from long range and Hansbrough capped the 8-0 run with a lay up.
But it wasn't enough. North Carolina led 76-70 before Vasquez scored with 1:24 to go, Hayes made a lay up with 1:05 remaining and a lay up by Vasquez with 8 seconds left forced the overtime.
Thompson scored 11 points, and North Carolina limited the Terrapins to 32 percent shooting in taking a 39-30 halftime lead.
After the Tar Heels went up 6-0, Vasquez's opening flurry got the Terrapins to 17-16. Then, after Landon Milbourne blocked a shot by Hansbrough, Adrian Bowie made two free throws to give Maryland its first lead.
But the Terrapins went cold, going exactly 8 minutes without a field goal while missing 10 straight shots from field. During that time, Ellington made two baskets in a 10-0 run that put North Carolina ahead 27-18.
Hayes ended the drought with a 3-pointer with 5:37 to go, the first field goal by Terp other than Vasquez.
