HAIRSTON EARNS FIFTH CAA ROOKIE OF THE WEEK AWARD

The Freshman Averaged 13 Points & 4.5 Assists in Towson’s 2-0 Week

RICHMOND, Va. - Towson University freshman Jerome Hairston was named the Colonial Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Rookie of the Week, it was announced by the league on Monday. It marks the fifth time this season that the guard has garnered the weekly award.

Hairston averaged 13.0 points, 4.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds in Towson’s 2-0 week. The freshman guard scored a team-high 17 points, dished out four assists and swiped three steals in a 67-64 win over Hofstra and had nine points and a season-high tying five assists in an 85-81 overtime victory at George Mason.

Hairston ended his rookie campaign averaging 9.9 points per game, third on the team and second in the CAA among freshmen. The freshman led Towson with 35 steals and was second on the squad with 77 assists.

Hairston played in all 31 games as a freshman, starting 30 at the point guard spot. His 29.2 minutes per game was third-best on the team.

TOWSON TRAVELS TO GEORGE MASON FOR ROAD FINALE ON TUESDAY
Game Can Be Seen Live on Comcast SportsNet

FAIRFAX, Va. - Towson will play its final road game of the season on Tuesday as the Tigers travel to George Mason for a 7 p.m. contest that will air live on Comcast SportsNet.

Al Koken and Ron Thompson will be on the call from the Patriot Center as two of the top four teams in the league standings square off.

The game can also be heard on the Towson Sports Network with Spiro Morekas and Vince Angotti calling the action.

Towson (16-13, 11-5 CAA) has won six of its last seven games, including a dramatic 72-71 win over Drexel on Saturday. The win gave the Tigers their most victories in a season since 1995-96.

The Tigers have played extremely well on the road this season, picking up 11 wins away from the Towson Center, including a 6-2 mark in CAA play. However, Towson has lost its last 14 games played at George Mason and have not defeated the Patriots on the road since 1977.

Towson is led by Lou Henson Award finalist Jerrelle Benimon, who is tied for the NCAA-lead with 19 double-doubles. The junior led the Tigers with 19 points against Drexel on Saturday and has scored in double figures in 17 of his last 18 games.

Tiger freshman Jerome Hairston was named CAA Rookie of the Week on Monday after scoring a career-high 20 points against the Dragons. Hairston shot 3-for-5 from beyond the arc en route to winning his fourth league award of the season.

George Mason (17-11, 10-6 CAA) has won three of its last four games, including a thrilling 60-58 triumph over William & Mary on Saturday. Sophomore Erik Copes hit a 13-foot jumper with less than a second remaining to push the Patriots past the Tribe.

Junior guard Sherrod Wright leads Mason in scoring at 16.6 points per game, while classmate Bryon Allen ranks fifth in the CAA averaging 3.7 assists per game.

Tuesday’s game will be the 41st all-time meeting between Towson and George Mason.

HAIRSTON NAMED CAA ROOKIE OF THE WEEK FOR THE FOURTH TIME

Freshman Scored a Career-High 20 Points in Towson’s Win Over Drexel on Saturday

RICHMOND, Va. - Towson University freshman Jerome Hairston was named the Colonial Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Co-Rookie of the Week, it was announced by the league on Monday. It marks the fourth time this season that the guard has garnered the weekly award.

Hairston scored a career-high 20 points and swiped three steals in Towson’s 72-71 victory over Drexel on Saturday. The freshman guard made a steal with less than 10 seconds to play, was fouled and made a free throw for the game-winning point.

Hairston finished the game 7-of-13 from the floor, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range.

Hairston and the second-place Tigers are next in action on Tuesday at George Mason. The game, set to tip at 7 p.m., can be seen live on Comcast SportsNet.

HAIRSTON GARNERS THIRD CAA ROOKIE OF THE WEEK AWARD

The Freshman Averaged 17.3 Points Per Game in Towson’s 3-0 Week

RICHMOND, Va. - Towson University freshman Jerome Hairston was named the Colonial Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Rookie of the Week, it was announced by the league on Monday. It marks the third time this season that the guard has garnered the weekly award.

Hairston averaged a team-high 17.3 points to lead Towson (14-12, 9-4 CAA) to a 3-0 week. The guard scored a career-high 18 points in an 81-68 victory over UNCW to start the week. He then posted 17 points, three assists and two steals in an 85-65 win over Delaware in a midweek game. Hairston concluded the week by making a career-high five three-pointers on just six attempts en route to scoring 17 points in a 90-82 overtime win at Georgia State.

For the week, Hairston shot 45 percent from the floor, 44 percent from three and 80 percent from the free throw line.
Hairston and the second-place Tigers are next in action on Tuesday at James Madison. The game, set to tip at 7 p.m., can be seen live on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic.

TOWSON HOSTS RIVAL DELAWARE ON WEDNESDAY SEEKING THIRD STRAIGHT WIN
The Game Can Be Seen Live on Comcast SportsNet

TOWSON, MD. - The Towson men’s basketball team will look to complete a season sweep of second-place Delaware on Wednesday as the Tigers host the Blue Hens in a game that can be seen live on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic.

Al Koken and Ron Thompson will be calling the action for CSN.

Towson (12-12, 7-4 CAA) is off to its best start ever in the CAA and best start overall since the 2006-07 season.

The Tigers are coming off an 81-68 win over UNC Wilmington on Monday night. The 81-point effort was the second best scoring performance by Towson this season.

Junior forward Jerrelle Benimon led four Tigers in double figures with 20 points to go along with 12 rebounds for his NCAA-leading 16th double-double. Freshman Jerome Hairston scored a season-high 18 points and junior Rafriel Guthrie chipped in 14 points off the bench.

Delaware (11, 6-3 CAA) currently sits in second-place in the CAA, just percentage points ahead of third-place Towson. The Blue Hens have won three straight games, including a 71-56 home win over UNC Wilmington on Saturday.

Junior guard Devon Saddler leads the team and ranks first in the CAA by averaging 19.3 points per game. Senior forward Jamelle Hagins is averaging a double-double this season with 12.4 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.

Wednesday will be the 70th all-time meeting between Towson and Delaware. The Tigers have only played Loyola (71) more often in their history.

TOWSON TRAVELS TO OLD DOMINION ON WEDNESDAY
Tigers Seeking Ninth Road Win of the Season

NORFOLK, Va. - The Towson men’s basketball team will look to get back on track after three straight losses as the Tigers take on Old Dominion at the Ted Constant Convocation Center on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

The game can be heard live on the Towson Sports Network with Spiro Morekas and Vince Angotti calling the action.

After winning six of seven games, Towson (10-12, 5-4 CAA) has dropped three straight, including a 63-56 loss at William & Mary on Saturday.

Despite the recent slide, Towson is still 3-1 in road CAA games this year and will be attempting to win its ninth game away from home on Saturday, its most since the 1995-96 season.

The Tigers are one of only two teams to rank in the Top 5 in the CAA in both scoring offense (65.9 ppg) and scoring defense (65.6 ppg).

Junior forward Jerrelle Benimon ranks first nationally in double-doubles (14) and third in rebounding (11.5 rpg). Benimon, along with juniors Marcus Damas and Mike Burwell and freshman Jerome Hairston are all averaging double figures since the start of CAA play.

Old Dominion, which has won two of the last three CAA Tournaments, is struggling this season. The Monarchs enter Saturday’s game with a 2-17 overall mark and are winless in seven conference games.

ODU, which is just 1-10 at home this season, is led by senior DeShawn Painter. The center leads the Monarchs in both scoring (11.2 ppg) and rebounding (7.9 rpg).

Towson and Old Dominion are the two best rebounding teams in the conference. The Tigers rank first in both rebounding offense (39.2 rpg) and rebounding margin (+4.9), while the Monarchs are second in both rebounding offense (37.5 rpg) and rebounding margin (+4.3).

TOWSON SEEKS BEST START SINCE 1995-96 AGAINST GEORGIA STATE
Tigers Look to Move to 6-1 in the CAA When Facing the Panthers at Home on Monday

TOWSON, Md. - Towson will be seeking its best start to a season since 1995-96 when the Tigers host Georgia State on Monday at the Towson Center Arena.

The game, set to tip at 7 p.m., can be heard live on the Towson Sports Network with Spiro Morekas and Vince Angotti calling the action.

The Tigers (10-9, 5-1 CAA) have won six of their last seven games and after topping James Madison on Saturday are off to their best start since the 1999-2000 season.

Five players scored in double figures to lead Towson to its biggest win in nearly six years, a 73-47 drubbing of the Dukes just two days ago.

Junior forward Jerrelle Benimon posted his NCAA-leading 13th double-double in the win with 13 points and 12 rebounds in just 26 minutes. Benimon is the first Tiger since 1977 to post double-doubles in five consecutive games.

Graduate student Bilal Dixon scored in double-digits for the third straight game as he recorded a game-high tying 13 points to go along with seven rebounds. The forward/center is a remarkable 26-for-35 (74.3%) from the field in his last seven games.

Freshman Jerome Hairston also netted 13 points in the win, including 3-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc. The guard has scored in double figures in four of his last five games.

Georgia State has won two straight with wins agianst William & Mary and Old Dominion last week. Freshman R.J. Hunter leads the Panthers by averaging 15.6 points per game.

Georgia State ranks third in the CAA making 6.1 three-point field goals per game.

The Panthers lead the all-time series 8-6, but the Tigers are 5-1 in games played at the Towson Center.

TOWSON TRAVELS TO RIVAL DELAWARE ON WEDNESDAY SEEKING FOURTH STRAIGHT ROAD WIN
Tigers Hoping To Halt Delaware’s Five-Game Win Streak

NEWARK, Del. - After having its four-game win streak snapped on Saturday, the Towson men’s basketball team will look to get back on track as the Tigers travel to rival Delaware on Wednesday night.

The game, set to tip at 7 p.m., can be heard live on the Towson Sports Network with Spiro Morekas and Vince Angotti calling the action.

Towson (8-9, 3-1 CAA) and Delaware (8-8, 3-0 CAA) will be meeting for the 69th time on Wednesday. The Tigers have only played Loyola (71) more often in their history.

Towson is coming off a 70-59 loss at home to CAA-leading Northeastern on Saturday. Junior Jerrelle Benimon posted his NCAA-leading 11th double-double in the game with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

After averaging 12.5 points and 3.0 assists per game last week, Tiger freshman Jerome Hairston was honored as the CAA Rookie of the Week on Monday. It was the second time this season that Hairston has garnered the weekly award.

Delaware is riding a season-high five game win streak and is one of only two undefeated teams in the CAA. The Blue Hens have won 10 consecutive CAA regular season games dating back to last season.

UD is led by high-scoring guard Devon Saddler and Jamelle Hagins, one of the top big men in the CAA. Saddler leads the league in scoring at 20.6 points per game and Hagins leads the country in rebounding with 11.9 boards a game.

Towson will be looking to snap a five-game losing streak to Delaware, including three losses last season.

HAIRSTON NAMED COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Freshman Guard Collects Second Weekly CAA Award

RICHMOND, Va. - Towson University freshman Jerome Hairston was named the Colonial Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Rookie of the Week, it was announced by the league on Monday. It marks the second time this season that the guard has garnered the weekly award.

Hairston averaged 12.5 points and 3.0 assists in Towson’s 1-1 week. He had 13 points and four assists in Towson’s 99-86 double-overtime win over William & Mary. The rookie scored the Tigers’ first five points in the second overtime.

Hairston then followed that up with 12 points in a 70-59 setback to CAA-leading Northeastern on Saturday. It marked the third straight game in which Hairston scored in double figures.

For the week, Hairston shot 9-for-16 (56.3%) from the floor, including 3-for-6 from beyond the arc.

Hairston and the Tigers travel to Newark, Del. on Wednesday to take on Blue Hens, who are off to a 3-0 start in CAA play. Tip time from the Bob Carpenter Center is set for 7 p.m.

WILMINGTON, N.C. - Fresh off one of the biggest road wins in program history, the Towson men’s basketball team is now set to begin Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play Wednesday at UNC Wilmington.

The game, set to tip at 7 p.m., can be heard live on the Towson Sports Network with Spiro Morekas and Damon Lewis calling the action.

The Tigers (5-8) will be led by current CAA Player of the Week Jerrelle Benimon and Current CAA Rookie of the Week Jerome Hairston, who both played a major role in leading Towson from down 19 in the second half at Oregon State to an overtime victory on the Beavers’ home court this past Saturday.

Benimon became the first Division I player to record 20 or more points and 20 or more rebounds in a game this season as the junior tallied a game-high 20 points and career-high 21 rebounds against Oregon State.

Hairston was stellar in the second half, netting nine points during the Tiger run which would force overtime. The freshman also grabbed five rebounds and handed out a game-high tying three assists in the win.

UNC Wilmington (5-7) has dropped three of its last four games, including a 72-60 road setback to Campbell on Saturday.

The Seahawks are led by one of the top big men in the league, Keith Rendleman. The senior is averaging 16.2 points and 9.7 rebounds to pace UNCW in each category.

UNC Wilmington leads the all-time series against Towson, 16-10, but the Tigers topped the Seahawks on their home floor last year for their lone win of the season.