The Maryland Terrapins lead by as many as 12 points against the Florida State Seminoles, but the older, more experienced team showed up in the second half in a 65-62 loss at the Comcast Center.
The Terps went over seven minutes without a field goal in the second half, which was more than enough time for Florida State to climb out of a double-digit deficit and seize control of the game.
Maryland found itself down six points with under two minutes to play, but a furious comeback actually gave the Terps a chance to win the game with just seconds to play. Seth Allen had a game-winning three-point attempt blocked by Michael Snaer, icing the game for Florida State.
At one point in the game, the Terps held a 24-10 rebounding edge over the Seminoles. However, they finished with just a 39-36 edge and the Seminoles finished with more offensive rebounds than the Terps. Maryland also turned the ball over 18 times and shot less free throws than Florida State made, a statistic that had been in the Terps favor throughout the non-conference schedule.
Dez Wells had a tough night, but Pe'Shon Howard really hurt the Terps. Howard is typically one of the more steady players as one of the oldest members of the team, but he finished without a single point, had just one assist and turned the ball over three times. He doesn't necessarily have to even score every game, but his assist-to-turnover ratio must be a lot better than it was against the Seminoles.
There were at least a couple of positives to take away from the game. Alex Len finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds while Nick Faust played his best game in several weeks and didn't seem bothered by back spasms that caused him to sit out much of the prior contest.
Maryland had control of the game in a sloppy first half despite numerous turnovers. Florida State was getting pounded on the glass and could not make a shot, allowing the Terps to open up a double-digit lead. The second half was a different story.
It's the type of game that could really come back to haunt Maryland in the ACC race and their push for a return to the NCAA tournament. The good news is that there are still 16 games remaining in the regular season plus the ACC tournament, so there are numerous opportunities to pad the resume the rest of the way.
The Terps will now have to regroup before heading to Miami for ACC Sunday Night Hoops. Maryland seemingly always struggles in Miami, but the Hurricanes are without star center Reggie Johnson due to injury. The next six games are a tough stretch for the Terps before things ease up a bit in the second half of the ACC schedule.
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