Tigers keep rolling
By: Tim Klapac, Sports Editor
File photo by Brendan Felch/ The Towerlight
The Tigers have had their struggles on the road this season, coming into their final road trip of the year with a 7-8 record away from home. Nevertheless, Towson (17-9, 11-4 CAA) came away with a pair of conference road wins over the weekend.
The Tigers defeated the Elon Phoenix (8-17, 3-11 CAA) 59-50 in their first meeting this season.
Junior forward Nukiya Mayo and redshirt junior guard Qierra Murray played the entire game for the Tigers, contributing 18 and 12 points, respectively.
Playing the entire 40 minutes is a tall task, but Head Coach Diane Richardson was confident in them.
“They were doing really well and said they were feeling great so we kept them in,” Richardson said.
Redshirt senior center Maia Lee grabbed 10 rebounds and helped Towson win the battle on the boards, out rebounding the Phoenix 43-33.
After Elon tied the game midway through the third quarter, the Tigers closed the quarter on a 7-0 run, and refused to surrender the lead again.
“It’s always tough on the road but our girls dug in and knew that,” Richardson said. “We have a saying that you have to be 10 points better on road and we strive for that separation.”
Heading into their rematch with William & Mary (12-13, 5-9 CAA), Towson was focused on getting revenge for its lone home loss this season. The Tigers struggled from three-point range in that loss and were determined to change the narrative as they sought vengeance.
“I think the girls felt like that and it was a tough game most of the way,” Richardson said.
With the game tied at 70 with 2:29 to play, Towson took over and closed the game on a 12-5 run, aided by clutch free throw shooting down the stretch.
Freshman center Janeen Camp was all over the stat sheet, registering 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
“Her confidence level is up,” Richardson said. “She has a lot of skill and we’ve been working with her and she’s finally getting those reps in the game.”
With the Tigers sitting in third in the conference standings, they prepare for their final homestand of the season. Towson will host first place James Madison on Sunday, March 3 at SECU Arena. Tipoff is at 2 p.m.
