Maryland hits seven straight 3-pointers in a spectacular run
More than three decades ago as a Maryland Terrapin, Ernie Graham scored 1,607 points, many of them in bunches on whimsical flights of fancy that filled Cole Field House with joy.
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On Thursday night, shortly after Graham was honored at Comcast Center, Maryland went on the type of unconscious run that was his signature. Hitting seven straight 3-point shots in a span of 5 minutes, 14 seconds, Maryland turned a deficit into a big lead. The enchanted run fueled a 81-65 victory over Boston College before 12,465.
Five days after he was reprimanded for tweeting dissatisfaction with his playing time after a loss at Duke, sophomore Terrell Stoglin (24 points) hit five 3-pointers to lead Maryland (15-10, 5-6). With 14 points on five straight possessions, Stoglin ignited the 25-2 spurt which gave the Terps a 29-12 lead. After that, Maryland never let its lead slip to fewer than seven points.
“I was extremely pleased with our effort tonight,” Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said. “We talked about discipline on defense and we talked about being together. I don’t like the way we acted at Duke. I don’t like how we acted after Duke. We talked about being a team, being a family, and being together.”
Freshman Nick Faust (14 points, six assists, five steals) excelled as a replacement for injured point guard Pe’Shon Howard. And junior James Padgett (15 points, eight rebounds) hit 5 of 5 shots, doing all his scoring in the second half after a surprise benching to start the game.
“I understand coming off the bench. It’s not hurtful at all,” Padgett said. “Whoever’s playing the best most given nights are going to start. It doesn’t mean nothing if you’re coming off the bench. It’s just that someone’s playing better than you.”
Maryland dominated virtually every category, hitting 50 percent of its shots from the floor and the arc, while holding BC to 32.8 percent shooting. The Terps also out-rebounded the Eagles 39-31, led by 7-1 freshman Alex Len (two points, nine rebounds, four blocks) who got big numbers in just 17 minutes.
“We really need him for this team to do what I think it can do this year,” Turgeon said.
During its spectacular first half run, Maryland scored 23 points on eight possessions, also getting 3-pointers from Sean Mosley (13 points), Mychal Parker (seven points, six rebounds), and Faust. Maryland’s only unsteady stretch after than came at the start of the second half, when BC tallied the first six points cut the deficit to 41-33.
But after a timeout in which Turgeon demanded that the Terps get the ball inside, they heeded his message, pounding for a trio of three-point plays over the next two minutes, including two by Padgett.
“James was in a little bit of a funk, so I did it,” Turgeon said of the benching. “I thought Berend [Weijs] handled it well. And I thought James handled it even better. I don’t have any idea who I’m gonna start on Saturday.”
In the final 1:37, Maryland got a spectacular driving dunk from Faust and another rim-rocker by Parker, on a breakaway lob from Stoglin, to put the Eagles away and record its most decisive victory this season.
What most will remember, however, is Stoglin’s recovery from controversy and his lights-out first half display.
“It’s a roller coaster, no question about it with him,” Turgeon said. “But tonight, I can’t believe how well he’s guarding. He’s giving effort and trying to do everything I say. But it’s a full-time job. ”
Notes: Freshman forward Ryan Anderson (22 points, 10 rebounds) starred for BC … Stoglin has 68 three-pointers, ranking No. 6 on the single-season all-time list and No. 1 among sophomores. Greivis Vasquez (64) was the previous sophomore single-season leader with 64 … Maryland plays at Virginia on Saturday at 1 p.m.
