Florida State Shoots Lights Out in Win Against Maryland Terrapins
By Cory Forsyth
Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports
Florida State Hits 16 3-Pointers in 85-61 Win Against Terps
Maryland was looking for some consistency. They were looking to prove to everyone that they are ready to take the next step and compete in the ACC on their way to an NCAA tournament berth.
Sunday night’s game in Tallahassee against the Seminoles only showed once again that an NCAA berth might be out of reach for this Terrapins team.
The Maryland Terrapins (10-7, 2-2 ACC) came into the game hoping to slow down Florida State’s transition and penetration game. The Terps were caught off guard a little when the ‘Noles caught fire from three-point land.
When asked if the Terps were daring Florida State to shoot jumpers, Turgeon said…
"“I wouldn’t say dare. I would say make jump shots over an extended hand. They made a lot of shots. You get (ticked) because they haven’t made 3’s all year. … You get frustrated and then you come down and don’t play well at the other end of the floor.”"
Florida State (11-4, 2-1 ACC) came into the game shooting 31.2 percent behind the arc and ranked 13th in the ACC. No wonder Maryland was caught off guard when the Seminoles ended up hitting 16 of 24 three-point shots.
FSU hit nine of 12 three-point attempts in the first half which helped them go up by 20 at the half. Maryland never made any adjustments and continued to let Florida State shoot the lights out of the Donald L. Tucker center.
Florida State was led by senior guard Ian Miller who scored 20 points on the night. Okaro White scored 15 and Aaron Thomas finished with 14. Montay Brandon added 13 points and eight rebounds.
Dez Wells led the Terps with 15 points while Nick Faust chipped in 14.
To help you really see how ugly of a game this was, take a quick look at these stats.
1st Half
Total FG% | Maryland: 6-21, 28.6% – Florida State: 16-32, 50%
3-Pt. FG% | Maryland: 1-7, 14.3% – Florida State: 10-15, 66.7%
Free Throw % | Maryland: 9-12, 75% – Florida State: 10-15, 66.7%
2nd Half
Total FG% | Maryland: 11-30, 36.7% – Florida State: 11-22, 50%
3-Pt. FG% | Maryland: 2-11, 18.2% – Florida State: 6-9, 66.7%
Free Throw % | Maryland: 15-22, 68.2% – Florida State: 15-22, 68.2%
Game
Total FG% | Maryland: 33.3% – Florida State: 50%
3-Pt. FG% | Maryland: 16.7% – Florida State: 10-15, 66.7%
Free Throw % | Maryland: 70.6% – Florida State: 65.2%
Florida State owned this game from beginning to end. The Terps did manage to get to the foul line, but all of that started happening after Florida State went on a run to go up by 20 in the first half. From that point on, Florida State could not miss, and the Terps could not stop them and start a run themselves.
It’s not what Maryland fans were hoping for, but hey…both Duke and North Carolina are a combined 2-5 in ACC play this year.
The season if far from over but the Terps keep making it harder on themselves. It’s time for a leader to step up on that team and command his teammates to perform better.
Don’t break out the pitchforks on Turgeon yet. He’s a great coach with great fire and passion for the game. We all have seen he is a great recruiter by bringing in a top-10 class for next season. This season falls in the players’ hands. Will they accept the challenge to play harder and find ways to win or will they continue to frustrate themselves, their coaches, and the fan base who believed this team would put Maryland basketball back on the map?
The Terps will have an opportunity to redeem themselves Wednesday night at home against Notre Dame. The game will be televised on ESPN2 at 7PM in what will be a “white-out” at the Comcast Center.