COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) -- North Carolina (No. 12 ESPN/USA Today, No. 9 AP) needed to work a little harder than expected to beat Maryland on Thursday night.

LaQuanda Barksdale scored 22 points, Nikki Teasley added 18 and Juana Brown made several free throws late to help the Tar Heels pull away in the minutes to a 92-79 victory in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams.

	Maryland's Vicki Brick sends Juana Brown to the floor Thursday. Brown had the last laugh, sinking several key free throws in the final minutes.

North Carolina (4-1) scored the game's first seven points, held a 10-point halftime lead and was up 57-44 with just under 15 minutes remaining. However, Deedee Warley scored 10 of her 26 points in a 17-4 run that helped the Terrapins pull even at 61 with 9:48 left.

The Tar Heels scored the next four points and then pulled away.

"I think we played pretty well," North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell said. "But we beat them by outscoring them."

Maryland coach Chris Weller stuck with a smaller, quicker lineup that matched up better with the athletic North Carolina team. Weller often used three guards, but the Tar Heels had a size advantage.

That helped them at times when they switched to a triangle-and-two defense after Maryland tied the score. The Tar Heels also were able to drive against the Terrapins, especially the 5-foot-11 Barksdale and the 6-foot Teasley.

Teasley finished with nine assists and three steals as Maryland (4-2) struggled to stop her. The junior from Washington said she had to fight nerves because of playing in front of family and friends.

"It was an emotional game for me," Teasley said. "I was trying a little too hard, and I had to calm down."

The Tar Heels stayed calm at the free throw line, where they went 27-of-32, including 21-of-24 in the second half. Brown was 4-of-6 over the final 90 seconds and finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Jennifer Thomas had 15 points and Jackie Higgins added 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Tar Heels.

Marche Strickland added 18 points for Maryland while guards Vicki Brick and Tiffany Brown both scored 11. Brick also had eight assists while Brown added six for the Terrapins, who were 6-21 last season.

"Carolina did a good job of staying strong," Weller said. "We were taking it to them pretty well, but they did not get flustered."

North Carolina scored the game's first seven points, as Maryland needed three minutes to get off a shot and turned the ball over on its first four possessions. Teasley's 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer gave the Tar Heels a 43-33 lead.