Timely Comeback Earns Towson 73-68 Win over No. 2 Stony Brook 

By: Kylie Jones, Deputy Sports Editor

Following a 10-point loss against No. 1 Charleston, the No. 7 Towson Tigers returned home to take on No. 2 Stony Brook in a crucial game for post-season seeding. A momentous comeback effort earned the Tigers a 73-68 victory over the Seawolves to advance to an 8-7 conference record. 

Despite Towson opening up scoring, Stony Brook quickly took control of the first quarter with an 8-0 run, setting the tone for a tough match. 

The Seawolves’ run ended after a technical foul resulted in Towson’s India Johnston splitting a pair of free-throws. Johnston, coming off the bench for the Tigers, added a pull-up jumper bringing the score to 8-5. 

Semaya Turner would bring the Tigers within one-point with a second-chance layup, but Stony Brook responded with four points of their own. After Johnston knocked down a pair of foul shots and Turner added a layup, Stony Brook would go on a 9-0 run, made up of three three-pointers, to end the quarter 21-11. 

“We were a step slow, and, you know, coming off of the Charleston game, I was afraid it’s possible we could have a little bit of a hangover,” said Head Coach Laura Harper. “So just continuing to remind them, one possession at a time, we’re gonna get out of this.” 

The second quarter saw a different side of the Tigers. Defensively, Towson held off the Seawolves with a successful full-court press bringing momentum to the offensive side of the ball. 

Turner kicked off the standout second quarter for Towson with a fast-break layup assisted by Johnston. After Stony Brook responded with four points, Tilda Sjökvist fed the ball to Kayla Morris for a layup, ater adding a three-pointer of her own. 

The Seawolves added a driving layup, holding onto an 11-point lead, but Towson did not bow down. Exceptional ball movement from the Tigers led to another three-pointer for Sjökvist, her second of the game. 

After a brief basket from Stony Brook, a 13-0 run from Towson ensued. 

Turner added the first layup of the scoring streak, followed by a fouled layup from Morris who finished the three-point play. This brought the Tigers within six points. 

Johnston nailed a dagger from behind the arc, and then finished a fast-break layup accredited to a steal from Thalia Shepard.

“I’m just stepping up– whatever my team needs, I’ll do,” Johnston said. 

Despite the stellar scoring, it was Towson’s defensive effort that denied the Seawolves for the final three minutes. 

“We’re athletic. We play nine consistently. Our depth is going to be what really can destroy people because we’re just fresher than most teams,” Harper said. 

Now, within one point, Zoli Khalil sealed the run by hitting a three-pointer, assisted by Sjökvist, to give Towson the lead at the half, 31-29. 

“I felt like once we got in the second we never really looked back from an energy standpoint,” Harper said.

Khalil opened the second half just as she had closed the first, with a three-pointer that kept the Tigers’ momentum running high. 

The teams chipped back-and-forth for two points each, until Johnston knocked down a three-pointer to give the Tigers a 41-35 lead.

The exchange of points continued throughout much of the third quarter, but an added three-pointer from Sjökvist and another from Johnston furthered the margin. The Tigers earned an 11-point lead after Johnston found Viki Matulevicius for a fast-break layup, but Stony Brook answered with seven straight to close the third quarter within four points, 56-52. 

The Seawolves took a brief lead to open up the fourth quarter after a full court press held Towson scoreless for nearly two-minutes. Johnston reclaimed the lead for Towson with her fourth three-pointer of the match. 

Shepard then drew a foul, splitting a pair of free-throws, followed by a pull-up jumper from Khalil that put the Tigers up by four. After a 30-second Tiger timeout, Stony Brook connected on a three-point play, but Towson had a response. 

Khalil found Morris in the corner for a two-point jumper, and Sjökvist kept it going with another three-pointer, this time as the shot clock expired. 

“We’re best when we play fast and we play free and our guards aren’t overthinking,” Harper said. “It’s just fun to see them out there having fun and if it’s not one’s night, it’s someone else’s.” 

Stony Brook rallied back with five consecutive points, shy one-point of a draw, but then began a last-ditch foul effort that resulted in Shepard going two-for-two at the line with just over one- minute-and-a-half to go. 

A driving layup from Stony Brook brought them back within one, but a highly contested two-point jumper from Johnston sent the Seawolves into their last timeout to come up with their final game plan. 

Unfortunately, the Seawolves strategy found Towson’s free-throw leader, Johnston, at the charity stripe, and she knocked both shots down to complete the comeback victory, 73-68. 

Johnston led the Tigers from off the bench with 25 points, 4-8 three-point shooting, three assists, two steals and one block. 

“We wanted to get one Friday [against Charleston]. Today was our get back and we gave everything, ” Johnston said. “This is momentum for post-play. We deserve this, we work super hard as a team so it felt good today to get it.” 

Sjökvist added 11 points on 3-4 three-point shooting, and Turner contributed 10 points and six rebounds. 

“We’re learning, we’re growing. I’m extremely proud of our team just for the resilience of pushing through those runs and completing a full game,” Harper said. 

Towson’s next matchup is on the road against Campbell and is slated for Friday, Feb. 27 at 5 p.m.