Holding on, with help

The Terrapins men's basketball team last night found itself scrapping for victory late in the second half against a program with no history and a record of unsightly losses for a second straight week.

With Comcast Center barely half full, the Terps had to fight back from a first-half double-digit deficit against Florida International with their star scorer in foul trouble.

But with guard Terrell Stoglin stuck on the bench in the second half with four fouls, the Terps learned something about themselves: They can win even without him.

Stoglin still scored a team-best 20 points, but the Terps grabbed the lead with the sophomore on the bench and went on to hold off the Golden Panthers, 65-61.

After a dismal first half that included nine turnovers and an 11-point deficit, the Terps (6-3) regrouped after the break to play some of their best team defense of the season and find scoring in other ways.

"That was a really good win for us," coach Mark Turgeon said. "It was really hard for them to score. We weren't very good on the other end, but they couldn't score on us. We won another close game, and that's the key. We hit just enough free throws, just enough plays to win another close game."

Before a generously announced attendance of 11,679, the Terps struggled for much of the first 30 minutes, with Stoglin unable to find a shooting rhythm as an ailing right ankle and foul trouble tormented him.

And with just more than 13 minutes remaining in the second half, Stoglin left the game with his fourth foul and the Terps down six points. A week ago against Mount St. Mary's, the Terps faced a similar situation with Stoglin on the bench. That night, they watched their double-digit lead evaporate into a tie game.

Instead of crumbling offensively with their star scorer on the bench, the Terps attacked last night. They ripped off a 9-2 run to take their first second-half lead.

"We know guys on this team can be scorers," guard Sean Mosley said. "When Terrell is in foul trouble, guys have to step up and they did that tonight. It's nothing that hard to adjust to."

After injuring his right ankle against the Mountaineers last Wednesday, Stoglin sat out practice on Friday and Saturday. His absence, Turgeon said, proved beneficial to a team still learning how to play without its go-to force.

"That was great for us," Turgeon said of last night's game. "Couldn't have scripted it any better. It was great for Terrell to watch it. … I think we all gain confidence with him sitting over there."

Said Stoglin: "Honestly, I was down on myself and I felt that I shouldn't get myself in that situation. But I had all the confidence in the world in my teammates."

Their defense helped, too. During a seven-minute stretch late in the second half, the Golden Panthers missed eight straight shots, allowing the Terps to sustain their lead.

"Everyone in the second half was talking, switching when we needed to switch and did what we needed to do on defense," said forward Ashton Pankey, who finished with 13 points and six rebounds.

Pankey left the game early in the first half after his tooth went through his bottom lip, resulting in a visit with the trainer and three stitches. During that absence, the Terps' offense shut down. The team didn't score a field goal for the final 4:52 of the first half, and the Panthers at one point led 34-23 after a 10-1 run.

Stoglin helped draw the Terps closer before the half after drawing a foul on a 3-point attempt. Florida International guard Jeremy Allen complained about the call and received a technical foul, giving Stoglin five straight free throw attempts. The guard hit four of them to narrow the deficit to 34-27 at the break.

With a renewed effort on defense in the second half, the Terps mounted a comeback bid and secured another narrow win, even if it again came against a subpar opponent. They enter winter break on a three-game winning streak, their longest of the season.

"The hardest thing for this group is confidence. We played with zero confidence, except for Terrell," Turgeon said. "Hopefully, as the year goes on, we'll become more confident in ourselves and as a team, we'll become more confident."

ceckard@umdbk.com