HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. - The Towson men’s basketball team will play its third straight road game on Saturday as the Tigers travel to Hofstra to battle the Pride at 4 p.m.

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

Towson (14-13, 9-5 CAA), which had its four-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday at James Madison, currently sits in third-place in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) standings.

Since the start of CAA play, the Tigers lead the league in scoring at 73.9 points per game. They’ve also been strong on the defensive side, pacing the conference in rebounding margin (+6.4) and blocked shots per game (5.8).

Towson junior Marcus Damas has scored in double figures in six straight games, including a game-high 19 points at James Madison on Tuesday. Graduate student Bilal Dixon has recorded consecutive double-double performances and is averaging 10.7 points and 12.7 rebounds in his last three games.

Hofstra has dropped eight of its last nine games and enters Saturday with a 6-19 overall record and a 3-9 mark in CAA games.

The Pride are led by sophomore guard Taran Buie, who averages 13.5 points per game. Junior forward Stephen Nwaukoni paces the team in rebounding at 7.9 boards per game.

Hofstra is 5-6 at home this season with wins over Marshall, Georgia State and William & Mary.

Towson has dropped seven straight to the Pride and have not won at Hofstra since Feb. 25, 2002.

The Tigers will be seeking their 11^th win away from home on Saturday, a total they haven’t reached in a single season since winning 13 under Angotti during the 1976-77 season.

-TowsonTigers.com-

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 TRAVELS TO WILLIAM & MARY SATURDAY SEEKINGS FIFTH STRAIGHT ROAD WIN
The Tigers Have Not Won Five Straight Away From Home Since 1993

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - The Towson men’s basketball team will be attempting to win its fifth straight road game for the first time since 1993 when the Tigers travel to William & Mary on Saturday.

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

Towson (10-11, 5-3 CAA), which fell to George Mason on Wednesday, will be playing its fourth game in eight days on Saturday.

William & Mary (7-11, 1-6 CAA) has dropped eight straight games since starting the season 7-3. The Tribe nearly gave Northeastern their first CAA loss on Wednesday, dropping a 95-91 double-overtime thriller to the Huskies in Boston.

Saturday’s game will be the second match-up between Towson and William & Mary in 18 days. The Tribe fell to the Tigers at the Towson Center, 99-86, in double overtime on January 9.

Junior forward Jerrelle Benimon led five Tigers in double figures with 26 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high seven blocked shots. Junior guard Mike Burwell matched his season-high with 18 points against the Tribe and classmate Marcus Damas chipped in 19 points and seven rebounds in the win.

Both William & Mary and Towson rank in the Top 5 in the CAA in scoring. The Tribe rank second by averaging 68.4 points per game while the Tigers are fourth, posting 66.4 points per game.

TOWSON, Md. - The Towson men’s basketball team is set to square off against George Mason in a battle between two of the top three teams in the Colonial Athletic Association on Wednesday night.

The game, set to tip at 7 p.m. in the Towson Center Arena, can be seen live on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) with Jason Knapp and Craig Esherick calling the action.

The CAA clash can also be heard on the Towson Sports Network with Spiro Morekas and Vince Angotti on the call.

Towson (10-10, 5-2 CAA) will be playing its third game in five days on Wednesday. The Tigers are coming off a narrow 71-69 defeat against Georgia State on Monday.

Junior Marcus Damas will look to pick up where he left off last year against George Mason. The forward averaged 22 points and six rebounds against the Patriots in two meetings last season. Damas shot 17-for-34 (50%) from the field and 6-for-10 (60%) from beyond the arc in those two games.

Junior forward Jerrelle Benimon continues to lead the nation in both rebounding (11.7 rpg) and double-doubles (14). Benimon is the first Tiger since Towson joined Division I in 1979 to post a double-double in six straight games.

George Mason (11-7, 4-2 CAA) has won four of its last five games and sits third in the CAA standings, just a half game behind the Tigers. Junior guard Sherrod Wright paces the Patriots with 18.1 points per game and he’s coming off a 21-point performance in a win against Hofstra on Saturday.

George Mason and Towson boast two of the best defenses in the CAA. The Patriots rank first in the league allowing just 61.9 points per game, while the Tigers are third, giving up 65.2 points per game.

TOWSON, Md. - The Towson men’s basketball team will seeking its fifth straight win and sole possession of first-place in the Colonial Athletic Association when the Tigers take on Northeastern on Saturday at the Towson Center Arena.

The game, which is set to tip at 12 noon, will feature the only two 3-0 teams in league play.

Towson (8-8, 3-0 CAA) defeated Oregon State, UNC Wilmington and Drexel on the road before returning home to outlast William & Mary in double-overtime on Wednesday.

Junior forward Jerrelle Benimon led the Tigers with his 10th double-double (26 points, 12 rebounds) of the year against the Tribe. He also blocked a career-high seven shots in the Tiger victory.

Towson has been extremely balanced scoring since the start of league play with at least four players scoring in double figures in each game. Junior forward Marcus Damas has tallied double-digits in five straight games and junior guard Mike Burwell has accomplished the feat in three consecutive contests.

Northeastern (8-7, 3-0 CAA) has begun league play with three straight wins, including an overtime victory at Drexel on Tuesday. Joel Smith paces the Huskies in scoring at 15.9 points per game, while Quincy Fordaverages 12.7 points and a team-high 6.7 rebounds per contest. Northeastern ranks second in the CAA by making 6.2 three’s per game.

Towson is 6-5 all-time at home against Northeastern, but the Huskies have won each of the last two meetings at Towson and four straight overall in the series.

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

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - The Towson men’s basketball team will be seeking its third straight win on Saturday as the Tigers travel to CAA Preseason favorite Drexel for a 4 p.m. match-up against the Dragons at the Daskalakis Athletic Center.

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

The last time Towson played three straight road games and won them all was in February of 1993 when the Tigers defeated UNC Asheville, Radford and UMBC in an eight-day span.

The Tigers (6-8, 1-0 CAA) will have the chance to match that feat after winning an overtime thriller at Oregon State last Saturday and starting off conference play with a road win at UNCW on Wednesday. Current CAA Player of the Week Jerrelle Benimon just missed his ninth double-double of the season on Wednesday as the forward finished with a team-high 19 points and eight rebounds.

Graduate student Bilal Dixon was also impressive, posting his first double figure scoring game since mid-November with 14 points to go along with eight rebounds in the win over the Seahawks. For only the third time this season, the Tigers had four players in double figures as Mike Burwell (13) and Marcus Damas(11) joined Benimon and Dixon with double-digit points.

Drexel (5-8, 1-0 CAA), which was selected as the preseason favorite in the conference, started the season 2-6 before winning three its last five games. The Dragons opened CAA play on Saturday, defeating Georgia State, 77-60, in Atlanta.

Sophomore guard Damion Lee leads Drexel in scoring at 18.5 points per game while CAA Preseason Player of the Year Frantz Massenat is averaging 13.5 points and 4.4 assists per game.

Towson will be attempting to win its first two league games for the first time since joining the CAA prior to the 2001-02 season. The Tigers will also be looking to snap a seven-game losing streak to the Dragons and win their first game at Drexel since Jan. 12, 2002.

CORVALLIS, Ore. - The Towson men’s basketball team will wrap up non-conference play on Saturday as the Tigers head west to take on Pac-12 foe Oregon State. Tip time is set for 4 p.m. (EST).

The game can be seen live on the Pac-12 Network with JB Long and Lamar Hurd on the call. The contest can also be heard on the Towson Sports Network with Spiro Morekas and Zach Maskavich bringing you the action.

The Tigers (4-8) have dropped four straight since starting the season 4-4. In its last game, Towson fell to local rival Coppin State, 64-61.

Junior forward Jerrelle Benimon posted his seventh double-double in the loss while classmate Marcus Damas came off the bench to score a team-high 16 points.

Benimon ranks fifth in the country in double-doubles and 10th in rebounding (10.8 rpg). The junior has double-doubles in seven of his last 10 games.

Damas registered his first career double-double against the Beavers last season in the Towson Center. The forward posted 18 points and grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds as the Tigers fell at home in the first meeting between the squads.

Damas needs only two points on Saturday to hit the 500 point mark for his Towson career (43 games).

Oregon State (9-2) has won five straight games since falling to No. 10 Kansas at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. on November 30. The only other loss for the Beavers was a 65-62 setback against Alabama in the 2K Sports Classic Championship Round at Madison Square Garden.

Junior guard Roberto Nelson leads the team in scoring at 16.5 points per game. He has also dished out a team-high 34 assists on the year.

The Beavers are 6-0 at home this season, outscoring their opponents by 16.3 points per game.

TOWSON HOSTS NORTH DAKOTA STATE IN HOME OPENER SATURDAY
Tigers Welcome Bison For Home Opener After 10-Game Road Swing

TOWSON, Md. - After a tough 10-game road swing to start the season, the Towson men’s basketball team returns home to take on North Dakota State on Saturday at 7 p.m.

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

Towson (4-6) has dropped back-to-back games to No. 15 Georgetown and Temple after topping Vermont on December 5.

Junior forward Jerrelle Benimon registered career-highs in both points (30) and rebounds (18) in the 11-point loss at Temple on Wednesday. Benimon currently ranks Top 5 in the Colonial Athletic Association in scoring (17.1 ppg), rebounding (11.3 rpg), field goal percentage (55.0) and blocked shots (1.5 bpg).

Junior Marcus Damas posted his third double-digit scoring game of the season on Wednesday, netting 11 points to go along with six rebounds and a career-high three steals against the Owls.

North Dakota State (8-3) has won seven of its last nine games since falling to No. 1 Indiana, 87-61, on November 12. Junior guard Taylor Braun leads the team with 15.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.

The Bison average 71.4 points per game while only giving up 58.6 points per contest. NDSU defeated CAA foe James Madison, 66-44, on November 21 and are coming off a 70-57 loss at Minnesota on Tuesday.

The Tigers have won five of their last six home openers and are 12-2 in home openers over the last 14 years.

Towson and North Dakota State have never met in men’s basketball. In fact, the only sport the schools have ever competed in is football (1983 Division II playoffs).

TOWSON CONCLUDES 10-GAME ROAD SWING AT TEMPLE WEDNESDAY NIGHT
Tigers Seeking .500 Record During Season-Opening Road Trip

PHILADELPHIA Pa. – The Towson men’s basketball team will conclude its 10-game road swing on Wednesday as the Tigers travel to the Liacouras Center to take on the Temple Owls.

The game is set to tip at 7 p.m.

The Tigers (4-5) are coming off two of their best efforts of the season last week as they defeated defending America East champions Vermont (68-64) on Wednesday before narrowly falling at No. 15 Georgetown (46-40) on Saturday.

Junior forward Jerrelle Benimon was named the Colonial Athletic Association Co-Player of the Week yesterday after averaging 20.0 points and 13.0 rebounds in those contests. Benimon has registered a double-double in five of his last seven games.

Freshman guard Jerome Hairston (9.8 ppg) is second on the team in scoring and tops the team in assists (23) and steals (19). Junior guard Mike Burwell (9.2 ppg), junior forward Marcus Damas (8.3 ppg) and graduate student Bilal Dixon (7.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg) round out the Tiger starters.

Temple (6-1) is coming off its first loss of the season, a 90-67 setback against No. 2 Duke.

The Owls, under the direction of seventh-year head coach Fran Dunphy, are led be the play of senior guards Scootie Randall (15.1 pgg) and Khalif Wyatt.  Besides topping the team in scoring, Randall also leads Temple in rebounding (7.1 rpg.), three-pointers (15) and minutes played (35.7 mpg). Wyatt (13.9 ppg) paces the Owls and ranks sixth in the Atlantic 10 Conference in assists, averaging 4.6 per game.

Temple has won both all-time meetings against Towson, with the squad’s last meeting on Dec. 6, 2007 in Philadelphia.

TOWSON MEN’S BASKETBALL LOOKING FOR THIRD STRAIGHT WIN MONDAY AT LOYOLA

Tigers and Greyhounds Meet for 71st Time

BALTIMORE, Md. - The Towson University men’s basketball team will be looking for its third straight win on Monday as the Tigers (3-2) travel to Loyola (Md.) University (5-1) to take on the Greyhounds in Reitz Arena at 7:30 p.m.

The game will mark the 71st all-time meeting between Towson and Loyola. It is the Tigers’ longest standing rivalry with any opponent. The Tigers have won four of the last six meetings between the programs.

The Tigers are off to a 3-2 start, their best mark after five games since the beginning of the 2008-09 season when they also started 3-2. Towson has not been 4-2 since the start of the 1999-2000 season.

Towson posted a 3-1 record at the 2012 Comfort Suites Invitational, recording wins over Radford, Kennesaw State and Cincinnati Christian. The Tigers lost in overtime to host school Eastern Kentucky. Junior Jerrelle Benimon, graduate student Bilal Dixon and junior Marcus Damas were each named to all-invitational teams at the conclusion of the tournament.

Led by Benimon, the current Colonial Athletic Association Co-Player of the week, Towson has scored at least 69 points in each of its last four games. The Tigers failed to score more than 69 points in any
game last season.

Monday’s game will mark the sixth game of Towson’s 10-game road swing to start the regular season. The Tigers will travel to UMBC, Vermont, Georgetown and Temple before playing their home opener on December 15.

Loyola, which qualified for the 2012 NCAA Tournament, is coming off a dramatic overtime win at Rhode Island. The Greyhounds lone loss this season came at the University of Washington, an 85-63 at the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament in Seattle.

Dylon Cormier leads the Greyhounds in scoring at 16.8 points per game. Erik Etherly paces Loyola on the boards, averaging 8.0 rebounds per contest. Tyler Hubbard is the current MAAC Rookie of the Week.