Frustrated on the sidelines in San Juan, Puerto Rico, yesterday, Terrapins men's basketball coach Mark Turgeon stood helplessly, watching shot after shot clank off the rim, or miss it completely.
It didn't matter if his Terps tried a spot-up 3-pointer, a drive to the lane, a mid-range floater, a low-post move. They missed and missed, and missed some more.
The Terps scored their fewest points since the advent of the modern shot clock in a humiliating 62-42 loss to No. 16 Alabama in the first round of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. They face Colorado in tonight's consolation game.
"I think we're way too selfish to be any good offensively," Turgeon said. "Our guys think they have to get it going instead of as a team get it going."
The Terps (1-1) took five minutes to make a shot, and it never got any prettier, hitting just five in the first half and eight in the second. No Terp scored in double digits — forward James Padgett led the team with nine points.
Upset with his regular rotation, Turgeon finished the game with four walk-ons and former walk-on forward Jon Auslander on the floor.
"I know we're better than we played," Turgeon said. "If we play the way we're capable, it's a six- or eight-point game."
Guard Sean Mosley's 3-pointer at the first half buzzer marked the only shot made by a Terps guard during the forgettable first half. Every other field goal came in the paint from forwards Ashton Pankey and James Padgett or center Berend Weijs.
Against the Crimson Tide's suffocating full-court defense, the Terps often settled for jumpers in the half-court set. Before Mosley's 3-pointer, the Terps' guards missed their first 14 shots.
"Their size, length and speed really gave us fits," Turgeon said. "That said, we missed a lot of wide-open shots that we normally make, and it kind of got our heads down."
Alabama guard Tony Mitchell took advantage of the Terps' poor shooting and pushed the Crimson Tide to early 14-3 and 24-7 margins. He sank his first three 3-pointers and had a game-high 17 points and 11 rebounds. Alabama guard Trevor Releford added 10 points.
Stoglin returned to the starting lineup for Turgeon, but he failed to hit any of his nine shots. He finished with six points, all from the free-throw line, and all in the first half. Starting guards Nick Faust, Mosley and Stoglin combined to shoot two of 23 from the field.
The Terps were also outrebounded, 47-29, and hit just 56 percent of their free throws.
"You just keep teaching. That's all you can do," Turgeon said. "It's willing to work and share the ball and do our stuff."
When Turgeon spoke to the media before departing for the trip on Tuesday, he expressed realistic expectations for a team starved of experience and scorers. Still, Thursday's game ranks among the worst offensive performances of any Terps team in program history and, perhaps more significantly, stands as a barometer of just how difficult this season could be for the rebuilding squad.
Said Turgeon: "Thank God we play [today]."
ceckard@umdbk.com
is a member of the 
Be the first to comment on this article! Log in to Comment
You must be logged in to comment on an article. Not already a member? Register now