The Terps are down at halftime, 34-27, and here are a few reasons:
FIU had gone up 34-23 with 1:23 left in the half after a 13-1 run, but Terrell Stoglin was fouled on a 3-point shot and the player who fouled him, Jeremy Allen, was called for a technical. Stoglin hit four of five free throws, and neither team scored again the rest of the half.
Stoglin leads the Terps with eight points at the half, but is shooting just 1-for-8 from the field, several of the misses more reminiscent of the ill-advised shots the sophomore guard was launching earlier in the season. Stoglin's only basket came on a wrong-footed, right-handed bank in the lane.
Terps are 9-for-25 from the field, 0-for-2 on 3s. They have only two assists, compared to nine turnovers. Golden Panthers are 12 of 26 from the field, 5-for-10 on threes. They have as many assists as turnovers (five).
Again, Maryland's defense is getting burned by the 3, as it was against Mount St. Mary's. FIU's Allen has been coming off baseline screens all night and is 5-for-6 overall, 4-for-5 on threes.
The Terps are having a tough time with FIU's zone. Freshman guard Nick Faust (City) and Mychal Parker have tried to drive against it and have been stripped numerous times.
Maryland is fortunate to be down only seven at the half, and the Terps have to figure a way to defend Allen better in the second half. DeJuan Wright, FIU's leading scorer (17) coming in, has only six points at half and came out late in the half limping a bit. I'm not sure why Mark Turgeon even went to a zone for a while in the first half, but FIU had pretty good ball movement and got several open looks.
Stoglin, who sprained an ankle against Mount St. Mary's, has two fouls. Maryland's ballhandling was so shaky that Turgeon had to put Stoglin back in the game after the Golden Panthers went up 11, then took him out after the four free throws.