By Todd McElwee

Terrell Stoglin sat at a foldout table in the Comcast Center's media room following a Feb. 4, 83-74 loss to No. 5 North Carolina, knowing how close Maryland was to upsetting another top-ranked foe. The Terps and their standout talent are maturing, but still feeling the growing pains of a budding star and team.

"We're real close," Stoglin said following the North Carolina game. "We fought against Duke. We were right there. We fought against North Carolina today. We were right there, but just couldn't finish. We just have to finish."

It's easy to see promise in both Stoglin and the Terps. Maryland was in control against the Tar Heels, leading by as many as nine points three minutes into the second half.

Stoglin's talent and knack for scoring are unquestioned. Early during the second half, he collected a loose ball in front of UNC's bench and, without breaking stride, drained a 3-pointer and spun to get back on defense. Minutes later, he crossed over North Carolina guard Reggie Bullock and hit a runner in the lane, bringing the capacity crowd at College Park to its feet.

During crunch time, Stoglin cooled. Down, 74-40, with 1:56 remaining, he took Maryland's last four field goals, missing three of them.

"It is frustrating," Stoglin said. "We're a young team. We're growing as a team and just have to learn from it."

When asked how Stoglin could become a better finisher and truly establish himself as a premier player in the ACC after the loss, Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said his sophomore guard must trust his teammates. The coach pointed to the balance of the first half, when five Terps had at least five points. Maryland led, 40-37, at intermission. After the break, only three Terps topped five points as the game slipped away.

Stoglin had nine points during the first half. His nine shots constituted 30 percent of Maryland's attempts. He was 1 of 3 on 3-pointers, had two assists and no turnovers.

During the second half, Stoglin took 12 shots -- 39 percent of the Terps' 31. He added a pair of assists, but was 0 of 6 from long range and committed three turnovers. He finished with a team-high 21 points.

"I'm learning when to pick and choose when to shoot, make the right plays, look for my teammates and be more of a team player," Stoglin said.

As of Feb. 7, Stoglin was pacing the ACC in scoring at 21.7 points. The North Carolina game marked the 16th time this season Stoglin has scored more than 20 points. He had a career-best 33 during a double-overtime loss to Miami.

He leads the team in minutes (717), free throws (115) and 3-pointers (59). He's shooting 42 percent from the floor and 36.9 from long distance.

As a whole, Maryland is on the come. The Terps were right there against Duke, Miami and North Carolina, but eventually dropped all three contests.

"There's a lot of positives," Turgeon said. "It's that fine line. It's no fun going through what we're going through."

Issue 170: February 2012