Tigers Fall Early, Unable to Claw Back in 73-53 Loss to Columbia

By;Jackson Palich, Staff Writer and Kylie Jones, Staff Writer

After an extended break, the 8-4 Columbia Lions travel down to TU Arena to take on the Tigers, who hope to jump start their season with an upset victory. 

To beat a team like Columbia, the Tigers would need to limit the amount of careless mistakes they’d make, and that is exactly what they didn’t do. Mostly due to poor shot selection, Towson started sluggish, opening up 1-5 from the floor and allowing four offensive rebounds.

Forward Anasia Staton would make her return for the Tigers, contributing early with a made jumper. A scoreless two minutes on either side of the floor would follow, but came to a close after forward Khady Leye added a layup for Towson. 

Columbia’s offense would eventually click, as they’d finish the quarter on a 17-2 run. A buzzer-beater three-pointer by Columbia guard Maria Arrebola would cap off a dominant first quarter for the Lions, giving them the early 23-10 advantage. Columbia simply looked like the better team, dominating Towson defensively and owning the offensive glass. 

Head Coach Laura Harper gave a nod to Columbia’s pure ability on the floor. 

“Their size at every single position is something we can’t replicate. They play very strong and disciplined, and are able to execute their actions very well.”

Towson looked to connect better offensively heading into the second quarter, which began with a hard-fought layup made by Anasia Staton for the Tigers. Columbia seemed unable to assert themselves until a turnover from Towson’s point guard Shariah Baynes would lead to a three-pointer made for the Lions, ending a nearly four-minute drought on their side of the floor. 

Guard India Johnston would drain a contested three-pointer from the corner to excite things for Towson as they looked to bridge the gap with Columbia. Now within 10, Baynes and Johnston would each knock down jumpers for the Tigers. 

Though Towson trailed, Columbia was in a rut of their own, shooting just 1-9 on their last 10 field goal attempts, which allowed for the Tigers’ gain. Columbia would add three more points for themselves, however, which finished off the second quarter, leaving Towson behind 10 heading into the second half. 

As for the Tigers’ ongoing offensive struggles, Head Coach Harper highlights their approach after trailing for the majority of the game. 

Harper says, “We’re trying to simplify things to get the ball inside and get post touches, but our approach remains the same.”

Teams would trade buckets to open up the third quarter, and Towson would respond with a Shariah Baynes three-pointer, breaking their 0-8 stretch from beyond the arc.

Towson would make an effort in asserting themselves on the glass, managing to score on multiple put-back efforts. Staton was able to sink another three for the Tigers, but it wasn’t enough as Columbia would go on to earn nine straight points. The third quarter would come to a close with a score of 54-39, Tigers trailing. 

The fourth quarter showcased another slow start from the Tigers as they struggled to connect on shots, a recurring theme throughout the game. Columbia would prove to be too much for the Tigers, as they pulled away in the fourth. The Tigers were battling from behind since the first quarter, but couldn’t claw their way back in the game. The offense would show a bit of promise but it would be too late, with the Tigers falling 73-53.

On her return, Anasia Staton would lead the team in scoring, finishing with 19 points, a career high. Other leaders included Khady Leye with nine points and six rebounds, and Deja Bristol with six points and six rebounds.

Moving forward, Head Coach Laura Harper looks to key in on some of the flawed areas of the Tigers game. 

“Having a team put up 60 rebounds on us– that’s hard,” Harper said. “Clearly we haven’t worked on rebounding enough and this will need to be a big point of emphasis going forward as we enter CAA play.” 

The Tigers will begin their conference play on the road against Charleston this Friday, January 3rd, at 7 p.m.