Ever since Florida State’s starting point guard Toney Douglas got hurt, the team has been, well, hurting. Douglas went down Feb. 7 after breaking his shooting hand, and the Seminoles went 0-4 without him.

He did not play again last night, although a team spokesman confirmed Douglas was at Comcast Center. Douglas did not start, and usual sixth man Ralph Mims got the nod in his place, as has been the case since Douglas went down.

Getting the guards in the game

Coach Gary Williams harped on rebounding as an element of the game on which his Terrapin men’s basketball team needed to improve on. The Terps have done so, thanks to more than just the big guys owning the glass.

Guards have been in on the rebounding game – especially in recent weeks – as the Terps have won five of their last six. D.J. Strawberry, Eric Hayes and Greivis Vasquez each had four rebounds to lead the Terp guards last night against Florida State. The guards combined for 16 boards.

While forward Ekene Ibekwe led the Terps in rebounding against Clemson, it was a balanced effort. Sunday, guards Strawberry, Hayes, Mike Jones and Vasquez combined for 11 rebounds.

“Before, we just expected the big men to rebound the basketball. We really didn’t think that we had to get in there as much,” Strawberry said Tuesday. “We just had to get in our minds that if we wanna win games, we have to be able to rebound the ball – all five of us, including the point guard.”

Strawberry showed off his all-around game at N.C. State, almost registering a double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds. The senior guard has made a habit of diving for loose balls and trudging into a forest of seven-footers to get rebounds, but the transition has taken time for freshmen Hayes and Vasquez.

Williams said there is a big difference between rebounding at the high school and college levels, adding that Hayes and Vasquez have been able to adjust, going after balls instead of waiting for them to bounce toward them.

Hayes has gotten rebounds in each of his last six games, an achievement for a 6-foot-3-inch, 175-pound guard. The always energetic and volatile Vasquez has been more aggressive on the boards this season. He even had nine rebounds against Mount St. Mary’s in December.

TERP NOTE: Despite earlier indications, Associate Athletics Director Brian Ullmann said students had claimed all available tickets for last night’s game against Florida State.

Contact reporter Stephen Whyno at whynodbk@gmail.com.