14 Point Second Half Swing Leads Tigers to Win in Conference Home Opener
By: D’Mari Dreher-Smith, Sports Editor and Tommy Pelle, Deputy Sports Editor
The Towson Tigers made their 2025 debut at TU Arena against the Northeastern Huskies. The last time the Tigers were at home, Coach Pat Skerry spoke after the team’s win against Bryant about plans to use the break for defensive adjustments, shooting improvements, and enhancing on-court communication.
“I think the biggest thing with this group is we’ve started to have a lot of practices,” said Skerry. “We’ll continue to get better. We’ve got good players, great kids, that like each other.”
Towson eventually made good on their New Year’s resolution. After a first half that echoed the same issues the team faced on their recent road trip, a second-half resurgence led the Tigers to an 80-73 win over the Huskies. However, struggles remained on both sides of the ball.
Like the temperatures in Towson, the Tigers got off to a cold start. Poor turnovers, a lack of communication, and uncharacteristic three-point shooting from Northeastern created an early deficit. The Huskies’ aggressive defensive push caught Towson off guard, leading to five turnovers in the first half.
Shooting has been a significant challenge for the Tigers this season, with an average shooting percentage of just .307, and the first half was no exception. Towson ended the half shooting 37.9%, struggling to find communication and rhythm. As the half wound down, the Tigers began to claw back. Two foul shots and a dunk from Christian May gave Towson a 28-26 lead with five minutes left in the half. However, an 11-0 run from the Huskies provided Northeastern with a seven-point lead going into halftime, 37-30.
After halftime, the Tigers came out with renewed energy. They improved their rebounding on both ends of the court, with a breakaway slam from Nendah Tarke giving Towson a 46-45 lead with 15 minutes left.
“I just don’t think we had enough force in the first half, and we played what we came up with, 50/50 balls,” said Skerry.
With five minutes remaining, the Huskies held a narrow 66-65 lead. Towson’s defense stepped up, increasing their rebound total from 14 in the first half to 26. Offensively, the Tigers needed a spark to avoid losing their second straight conference game.
Tarke answered the call.
A contested layup by Caleb Embaya and a three-pointer gave Towson a six-point lead with 3:46 left. Northeastern attempted to respond with a three-pointer and a foul shot, but another Embaya layup pushed Towson’s lead back to five. The Tigers maintained control until the final buzzer, kicking off home conference play with an 80-73 victory.
May and Tarke led the way for the Tigers. May recorded a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Tarke added 17 points and seven rebounds.
“Sometimes the game speed and the defense just throws you off a bit,” said Tarke. “It just took us a while to settle into the game, but once we did, we just kept talking to each other.”
The Tigers are now 7-9. Their next game will be on the road, Saturday, Jan. 11, at Drexel, with tipoff scheduled for 2 p.m.
