As the top seed in the conference tournament, the Wolfpack received a bye in the first round. In the semifinals State easily defeated Virginia, 87–66. In the championship game the team faced off against fourth-ranked Maryland, which had lost by only six points in each of the teams' regular season meetings. Maryland jumped to an early 25–12 lead, hitting 12 of its first 14 shots. The Wolfpack cut the deficit to five points at halftime, but momentum shifted throughout the second half. NC State led by four late in the game, but Maryland closed the gap and sent the game to overtime, tied at 97. The Wolfpack, led by Tom Burleson's 38 points, won 103–100 in what has been heralded as one of the greatest college basketball games ever played.