Stoglin scores 24 points, Auslander gives Terps a lift in 73-67 win
Starting the year with six players who came to Maryland as walk-ons, Maryland coach Mark Turgeon knew he would have to use some out of necessity. But on Friday night, Turgeon employed former walk-on forward John Auslander out of preference after the 6-foot-7 sophomore gave the sluggish Terps the lift they needed.
With Auslander in the rotation and scoring six points, Maryland subdued Florida Gulf Coast of the Atlantic Sun Conference, 73-67, before an intimate gathering at Comcast Center, which didn’t approach the announced figure of 12,080.
With the Maryland starters shooting blanks in the opening minutes and the Terps falling behind 9-2, Turgeon went to Auslander early and the Herndon graduate delivered with back-to-back baskets, touching off a 12-2 run that put the Terps in the lead for good.
After that, sophomore guard Terrell Stoglin (24 points) did just enough to keep Maryland (3-2) in command.
“He’s in the right position. He knows every play. He knows where the holes are in the zone. He does everything right,” Turgeon said of Auslander, who received scholarship in the preseason. “He understands how to play the game. We’re teaching other guys how to play the game. They can learn from John.”
Maryland led by 16 points with 13 minutes left, but couldn’t shake Florida Gulf Coast (2-4) and its full-court pressure.
“The whole key to the game is they started pressing and we didn’t handle the press,” Turgeon said. “If we handle the press we would win by 20.”
The Eagles made two late runs at the Terps, whittling the deficit to seven points before junior forward James Padgett (11 points, four rebounds) hit a spinning shot in the lane and freshman guard Nick Faust (eight points, five rebounds, four assists) followed with a backcourt steal and a layup for a 66-55 lead with 4 minutes, 39 seconds left.
Then in the final minute, the Eagles cut the lead to four as guard Brett Comer (16 points) scored twice and Stoglin missed six of eight free throws in the final 75 seconds. But Florida Gulf Coast failed to take advantage of opportunities to get closer.
“We made it a little too interesting with the free throws,” Turgeon said.
Auslander is an old sophomore. After graduation from Herndon in 2008, he spent a prep season at West Nottingham Academy north of Baltimore, then a year at Division III Greensboro (N.C.) College where he averaged a modest 1.4 points, 1 rebound and 7.4 minutes. After sitting out a year per NCAA transfer rules, Auslander walked on this summer.
On Friday night he played 20 minutes, which was more than forwards Mychal Parker (five points, five rebounds, 19 minutes), Berend Weijs (seven points, three rebounds, 18 minutes), Ashton Pankey (three points, three rebounds, 17 minutes) and starter Padgett (15 minutes).
“He’s been through a lot,” Padgett said. “He’s very motivated and wants to come out and play hard and help the team as much as he can. He’s very excited to get a chance to be on the court.”
Notes: Both teams had 16 turnovers … FGC out-rebounded Maryland 42-37 … Maryland’s next game will be Tuesday night at Comcast Center against Illinois (5-0) in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge … Florida Gulf Coast has also lost at SMU and TCU, both by one point.
