Sjökvist Shines in Tigers’ Sixth-Straight Win, 79-68 

By Kylie Jones, Deputy Sports Editor 

Riding a five-game win streak, most recently capped by a one-point victory over Hofstra, the Towson Tigers returned home to face the UNCW Seahawks. Despite a rather narrow scoring margin for most of the match, Towson pulled away in the fourth quarter to take home their sixth-straight win, 79-68.

Tilda Sjökvist led the Tigers through an exciting first quarter, notching eight points from a driving layup and two three-pointers. 

“I’ve had a couple of tough games where it’s not falling and doesn’t really go my way,” said Sjökvist. “This was definitely needed for my confidence.” 

Towson, initially struggling against the Seahawks’ press, eventually broke through for scoring opportunities across the lineup. Viki Matulevicius, the frontrunner for this scoring, would add two strong driving layups to aid Towson in taking the lead to end the first quarter, 20-17. 

“We knew that they were going to pressure us,” said Head Coach Laura Harper. “Ultimately, we’ve practiced these repetitions day in and day out– it’s really just calming us down and letting us settle into it.” 

Despite the exciting start, the pace of both teams seemed to slow down in the second quarter. The Tigers shot a slim 25% allowing for UNCW to gain some traction.

Sjökvist, who led Towson in the first quarter, was held scoreless in the second. After UNCW grappled to make it a one-point game, Kayla Morris knocked down a three-pointer of her own, notching her seventh point, and reclaiming the lead.

Layups from Semaya Turner and Hannah Dereje closed out the half with Towson holding onto a four-point lead, 34-30. 

Morris was the early standout for the Tigers in the third quarter, adding four points within the first two minutes to recover some of the lost momentum. Three-pointers from Sjökvist and Asya Lara Barnes held the Tigers’ lead steady at five.

For the remainder of the quarter, the Tigers ran into significant foul trouble. In less than a minute, Dereje tacked on her second, third, and fourth fouls, prompting a lineup change. 

“I think it’s been a while since our bigs have gotten into foul trouble. One thing about our team, we can move Zoli to the four, Semaya can play the five some. Whoever’s ready, we just go and get it,” said Harper. 

Despite the fouling issues, Sjökvist kept the offense steady, managing her fourth three-pointer of the match and adding a basket in the paint.

“I feel like it’s very important to have that next play mentality,” said Sjökvist. “My team is picking me up and I pick them up so I think that’s the key.” 

Johnston capped the third quarter with a mid-range jumper to bring the Tigers to a 55-49 lead. She then opened the fourth with a three-pointer to set the tone for the rest of the match.

Despite their success from beyond the arc, it was the Tigers’ driving game that stood out in the fourth with Matulevicius, Turner and Zoli Khalil each contributing at the rim.

A string of made free-throws sealed the win for Towson, 79-68. The victory marked Towson’s sixth-straight victory, including a perfect 3-0 start to conference play.

“It’s early in the season,” said Sjökvist. “It’s a long season so even though we are 3-0, we still have to step up and keep working hard.” 

Sjökvist led Towson with 16 points, including four three-pointers, and five assists. Khalil, Matulevicius and Morris each added 11 points. Khalil added eight rebounds and Morris contributed six in the win. 

The Tigers return home for a match against Monmouth slated for Friday, January 16 at 7 p.m.