Though it's only November, the determined Wolfpack -- minus injured Engin Atsur -- overcame adversity, overcame fatigue and overcame Michigan to pass its first major test with a 74-67 win in Monday night's ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

The beginning looked like the end for State as the Pack appeared jittery, fell behind 16-4 and saw Atsur, its senior leader with a 17.3 scoring average, suffer a pulled hamstring.

Already plagued with a sore Achilles, Atsur didn't return, which made the Challenge look insurmountable for State. But his young, resilient Pack teammates came together, came back, built a 20-point, second-half lead and then fended off the charging Wolverines down the stretch to run its record to 5-0.

Michigan had the maturity: four seniors and a junior in its lineup. But State had the moxie.

"We played hard against all odds,'' said an exuberant Ben McCauley, whose relentless effort resulted in 19 points and eight rebounds. "We can play well with anyone. We will be a force."

With bruising Brandon Costner (17 points, 11 rebounds), Gavin Grant (15 points) and Courtney Fells (10) stepping up and reserve Bryan Nieman (eight points, six rebounds) stepping in, State didn't look like a basketball team headed for the predicted last-place ACC finish.

Not this night, anyway, to the delight of a rocking RBC Center crowd of 13,135 that rendered a howling, standing ovation at game's end.

"I couldn't ask for more,'' said coach Sidney Lowe, enjoying the high moment of his first season. "This is a huge win, builds confidence. It tells our guys if they play smart, play hard, we can be successful.

"We were very concerned [when Atsur] got hurt. But these guys never flinched. They knew they had to do more."

Grant switched from wing to the point, which affected his shooting (3-for-13). He also had seven turnovers, but he parceled out seven assists, made a key jumper down the stretch and snapped a pass to McCauley for another timely bucket.

Yet the Wolverines wouldn't go away. They cut State's lead to a tenuous 71-67 in the final two minutes. But McCauley and Grant combined for three free throws, then bumped chests in celebration with three seconds left.

"I knew I had to keep us in line, keep us calm,'' Grant said of assuming point guard duties.

In addition to shuffling personnel, Lowe made a key tactical move early, switching to a zone with State trailing 18-12.

That vexed the 7-1 Wolverines, who were led by guard Dion Harris' 24 points. They lost their rhythm, scoring on just one of the next eight possessions and allowing State to gathered much needed momentum.

Though reverting to some man defense, the Pack finished the first half with a 23-10 flurry and held a 35-28 halftime lead. That demonstrated Lowe, who installed the zone only two days ago, can adjust and will do whatever it takes to win.

The Pack held Michigan to 38 percent shooting and bamboozled Wolverine big man Courtney Sims, holding him to seven points in 19 minutes. Credit the physical Costner for contributing to that interior defense.

"When they went zone, that slowed us down,'' said Tommy Amaker, who also was impressed with McCauley and Costner, calling them "very skilled."

Besides skill, this was about a team with a short bench, yet one long on heart and guts and the will to win.

McCauley embodied what the Pack was all about. After getting a shot blocked early, he responded with a drive-by dribble on Sims and then a left-handed bank shot over the big man.

Later he followed up two of his missed shots with a tip-in on the third attempt.

Then there was Nieman, a walk-on now on scholarship. During one late sequence, he grabbed a rebound, sneaked in for layup, and forced a timely turnover.

"Ben was huge; Gavin did a great job keeping things together; Brandon was big on the boards; and Bryan got his chance and ran with it," Lowe said. "Everybody picked it up."

Maybe the Pack will do much more of that.