AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Knowing it couldn't match Summer Erb under the basket, Texas countered with Alisha Sare's range and Edwina Brown's accuracy.

	Texas' Asha Hill, left, intercepts a pass intended for N.C. State's Tynesha Lewis.

Sare, 5-for-11 from 3-point range, and Brown, 15 of 18 from the foul line, each scored 25 points Sunday as Texas held off North Carolina State (No. 5 ESPN/USA Today; No. 6 AP) 81-77 in the ACC/Big 12 Challenge.

"It was a statement maker," Brown said. "We came together and played as a team."

Erb scored 32 points but it wasn't enough to keep Texas from its second win this season over a top 10 team.

"Today the Big 12 was better," Texas coach Jody Conradt said. "We don't have any more of them on the schedule, do we?"

Sare hit three 3-pointers, including one from about 20 feet that banked off the backboard, in a four-minute span of the second half as the Longhorns used a 16-3 run for a 64-58 lead with 7:48 left.

"Coach has me out there to shoot, and that's what I'm going to do," said Sare, who had 20 points in a loss to Oklahoma earlier in the week.

Texas (12-6) led 75-67 with two minutes left after Brown hit two free throws. North Carolina State went on an 8-2 run, including four foul shots by Erb, to pull within 77-75 on Amy Simpson's 3-pointer with 21.5 seconds remaining.

The Wolfpack (15-3) then fouled Texas guard Asha Hill, a 68 percent foul shooter, with 10.8 seconds left. Hill made both attempts to push the lead back to 79-75.

"I tried to think about those free throws as if it was practice and nobody was there," said Hill, who's knees buckled after she made the first. "It was big."

Simpson then hit a short jumper with 1.3 seconds remaining, but the Wolfpack couldn't defend the inbounds pass as Lindsay Ryan found a streaking Hill downcourt. Hill converted a layup at the buzzer.

"When I caught the pass I did some Michael Jordan scoop and then thought 'What was that?' when it went in," Hill said.

Erb scored nine points in the opening minutes as the Wolfpack raced to a 13-2 lead by forcing Texas into more turnovers (four) than shots (three) in the first five minutes.

North Carolina State led 42-41 at the start of the second half and 55-48 with 12:40 left.

Texas took the lead for good on the strength of Sare's outburst.

"We needed to handle time and score situations better, like when we had the lead," Wolfpack coach Kay Yow said. "We needed to play smarter at that point in time."

Texas outrebounded the taller Wolfpack 43-41 and converted 32 of 41 foul shots while N.C. State finished 14 of 27 from the line.