Terps slog past North Florida, 85-62

As Terrapin men's basketball forward Jordan Williams swished in a free throw in the final moments of Wednesday night's game, the crowd on hand inside Comcast Center erupted with applause.

The point itself wasn't significant, as the Terps were putting the final touches on a rout of North Florida, but the reason for the reaction displayed the inconsistencies that have plagued the team this season.

Williams had missed all nine attempts before that final free throw. But it wasn't just his struggles that were illuminated against a far inferior North Florida squad. The entire team fell apart during several moments of both halves, never completely putting the Ospreys away and often looking sluggish.

Those struggles didn't put the Terps (9-4) in any danger in their 85-62 win Wednesday, but they certainly remain a cause for concern with just one game until traveling to Durham, N.C., to face No. 1 Duke.

"Who's going to be the first to say it?" Williams said quickly afterward to the assembled media before him, referencing his charity-stripe woes.

"I have concerns like every coach this time of year," coach Gary Williams said. "We showed the rustiness tonight, and that is something you have to play through quickly because it is January and almost February now."

For the second straight game, Williams started freshman guard Pe'Shon Howard in place of senior guard Cliff Tucker. The changes didn't spark much from the Terps in the opening minutes, as the Ospreys (4-8) stuck around for much of the first half.

After the Terps seemingly sealed the game with strong play to start the second half, including a seven-point scoring burst from Tucker, North Florida went on a 10-2 run to pull within 10.

"We have to trust each other more on defense," Jordan Williams said. "We can't get a lead and let them comeback into the game. Just pulling away early [is key]."

The Terps did have a balanced scoring attack, though, as Williams led the team with 17 points, while four others had double figures. Tucker scored all 14 of his points in the second half, and guard Sean Mosley shot an efficient 6-for-10 from the field and finished with 15 points.

"I haven't been playing to the potential I can play in," Mosley said. "I'm just getting familiar with everything and need to stop second-guessing myself."

The Terps face Colgate next week in their final nonconference tune-up before traveling to face the nation's best in the Blue Devils.

"Our intensity, our defense and making our free throws, and we'll be fine," guard Terrell Stoglin said when asked what the team needs to improve on. "We can't get stagnant and we have to keep playing hard as we go into conference play."

TERP NOTE: With 17 points and 11 rebounds, Jordan Williams tied former Terp Walt Williams for the program's longest double-double streak at seven games.

ceckard@umdbk.com