Terps Face Alabama in Puerto Rico

Nov. 15, 2011

SAN JUAN, P.R. - Maryland faces its first ranked team of the season on Thursday when it plays Alabama in the first round of the 5-hour Energy Puerto Rico Tip-Off.

Storyline

The Terrapins opened the Mark Turgeon era on Sunday night with a 71-62 victory at home over UNCW... Sophomore Terrell Stoglin hit 10 of 11 free throws en route to a team-high 22 points, with Ashton Pankey finishing with 13 points and a team-high eight boards. James Padgett hit 6 of 7 from the floor for 12 points.

Four Terrapins in the starting lineup against the Seahawks were making the first start of their college career (Pankey, Padgett, freshman Nick Faust and sophomore Mychal Parker)... Only Sean Mosley (77th career start) had been on the floor for an opening tip as a collegian.

With three games in four days in Puerto Rico, Maryland will open its season with four games in a span of eight days... This comes with only one player who has made more than 15 career starts (Mosley) for the Terrapins.

Turgeon is only the eighth head coach in Maryland basketball history (1923-24) and only the fourth coach the Terps have had in the past 43 seasons (since Lefty Driesell became the new coach in 1969-70).

Maryland last played in a tournament in Puerto Rico in 1998 when it won the Puerto Rico Shootout... On the way to that title, the Terrapins beat AU-Puerto Rico, UCLA and Pittsburgh... The Terps finished 21-11 that season and reached the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.

Scouting the Crimson Tide

Alabama has opened the new season with a pair of home victories, beating North Florida, 64-44, and Oakland, Mich., 74-57, on Monday night.

Senior forward JaMychal Green led the Tide with 18 points in the first game, while junior forward Tony Mitchell had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds... Alabama had a stifling defense against UNF, holding it to .232 shooting from the floor (13-for-56), including a 3-for-21 (.143) mark from the 3-point line.

Sophomore Trevor Releford, freshman guard Levi Randolph and freshman guard Rodney Cooper were the other starters against North Florida.

Against Oakland, Green again had 18 points, while Mitchell finished with 12 points, nine rebounds and four assists... Releford had 14 points and Trevor Lacey scored 10 off the bench.

Alabama has moved up to 16th in this week's Associated Press poll and 15th in the coaches' rankings.

Players Mentioned

Nick Faust

Sean Mosley

James Padgett

Ashton Pankey

Mychal Parker

Terrell Stoglin

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