Mosley provides spark in victory over Jackets After Sean Mosley played perhaps the best game in his four seasons as a starter at Maryland, coach Mark Turgeon thanked him for his offense, his defense, his leadership and for laughing at his bad jokes.
Mosley was all things to all people Sunday against Georgia Tech, scoring 16 of his 18 points in the second half; stifling the Yellow Jackets’ top scorer, Glen Rice Jr.; and making the decisive 3-pointer and the key steal as Maryland won 61-50 before 11,776 at Comcast Center.
Recommended Stories
Junior forward James Padgett (14 points, nine rebounds), sophomore guard Terrell Stoglin (14 points, five rebounds) and freshman guard Nick Faust (eight points) all played roles for Maryland (12-4, 2-1 ACC). But the afternoon belonged to Mosley.
“I told a bad joke in practice yesterday, and he laughed,” Turgeon said. “It showed, one, he’s the one listening. He repeats everything I say. He’s constantly on the guys. I’ve got some immature guys who are tough to coach. He’s helping me coach them.”
On a day when Maryland reflected the energy of a listless crowd and shot only 33 percent from the floor, Mosley provided much-needed offense. He hit all 10 of his free throws and scored 11 points in the final six minutes.
Maryland limited Georgia Tech (8-9, 1-2) to 34 percent shooting, and Mosley showed the way, holding Rice (six points) to a third of his norm and knocking the ball from the grasp of Rice with 56 seconds left to seal it.
“It was one of those games where they were trying to get Rice open,” Mosley said. “We just had to stay attached to him.”
Mosley’s biggest play came after Georgia Tech whittled the deficit to four points on a three-point play by Brandon Reed. With the shot clock winding down and fans chanting the count, the 6-foot-4 guard swished a 3-pointer to give Maryland a 57-50 lead with 2:36 left.
“We all knew he was going to take it,” Turgeon said. “I think everybody on our bench knew it was going in just the way he was playing.”
With much of the state focused on the Ravens’ 20-13 victory over the Texans, the crowd was spotty and late-arriving. The players followed suit.
“I thought the building was dead at the start of the game and we were dead,” Turgeon said. “It was really quiet, and I think it affected our guys a little bit.”
Faust gave Maryland a lift at the end of the half, making a steal and rushing the basket for a breakaway slam and a 24-19 lead. It was the first of three steals for Faust. All produced fast-break baskets.
After another breakaway slam by Faust gave Maryland a 42-32 lead with 10:47 left, Mosley scored 13 of his points and Padgett added six underneath.
“Sean Mosley just took over,” Turgeon said.
