STAYING ALIVE

With some of its program's all-time greats looking on in Comcast Center, the Terrapin men's basketball team shook off a persistent struggle that has torn apart the team's season and, for at least a moment last night, threatened to all but end it.

In each of the team's past two losses, the Terps wilted under late-game pressure. But yesterday, they hit their shots and amped up their defense in the final moments of a back-and-forth affair against the Wolfpack.

Behind career efforts by guard Terrell Stoglin and forward Dino Gregory, the Terps erased a two-game losing streak and stormed past the Wolfpack, 87-80, properly capping an evening that began by honoring former Terp guard Greivis Vasquez and members of the 2001 Final Four team.

"We needed to have this," forward Jordan Williams said. "It seems like every game that we're down or we're fighting, we can't get that win. And tonight, when I looked up and we were about to win the game, I was like, ‘It's about time we got over that hump.'"

Despite holding the lead for much of the first half, the Terps (17-10, 6-6 ACC) went into halftime down 40-38 after the Wolfpack tore off a 17-2 run late in the half.

For much of the game's remainder, the two teams remained deadlocked in a close affair that featured eight ties and five lead changes. But after the Wolfpack tied the game with 6:39 remaining, the Terps went on a 12-1 run to essentially close the door on any late comeback. A 23-of-25 performance from the free-throw line, including 17 straight to seal the win, was just one factor in the Terps' must-have win.

"You can't be worried about losing," coach Gary Williams said. "We did a good job today just focusing on our execution down the stretch. I think we had one turnover the last 18 minutes ... so it's everyone."

In his first start since the team's 18-point defeat against Duke on Feb. 2, Stoglin matched his career high with 25 points, a mark he'd also reached against Virginia Tech on Tuesday.

Comfortably running the point-guard position Vasquez had held for the past four years, Stoglin dished out a career-high nine assists and kept the Wolfpack from mounting a late-game run that would've all but ended any NCAA Tournament talk.

It was just the third single-digit win for the Terps this season and their first since beating Clemson by two points last month.

"That's what we needed," Gary Williams said. "You have to earn that. You can't say everything's OK. You have to win games this time of year."

Stoglin consistently found Gregory on the baseline and Jordan Williams in the paint, leading both to impressive scoring lines. Gregory (18 points, 10 rebounds) finished with his third career double-double, while Williams (26 points) fell just one point shy of setting a career high. He also added eight rebounds.

"It was a big win," Gregory said. "Big-time environment — I had a great time out there. At one point, I felt like I could hit any shot I took."

The Terps took just one shot from the 3-point line, but it hardly mattered. Shooing a season-best 58.2 percent from the field, they eclipsed the 83-point mark for the third time in four games.

"We have the momentum and more confidence than we had last game, and we're ready," Stoglin said. "It just proves that we can bounce back from a tough loss, and that's what we did."

ceckard@umdbk.com