KENDALL: Towson should win the CAA

Jordan Kendall, Cumberland Times-News, Md.
·3 min read

Nov. 21—The Towson Tigers men's basketball team is 4-0 for the first time since moving up to Division I in 1979.

Towson beat UNC Greensboro 56-53 on Thursday in a game that reminisced last year's CAA (Colonial Athletic Association) tournament.

The Tigers haven't reached the NCAA tournament in over 30 years. After winning the CAA regular season title last season, they were picked as the preseason favorite. So far, they've shown why.

Against the Spartans, Towson started off slow in the first half and really struggled to hit shots. The Tigers shot 7 for 27 from the field and missed all 10 three-pointers. Nicolas Timberlake entered the game as Towson's leading scorer. He only scored two points in the first half.

It reminded me a lot of last year's CAA tournament opener against Northeastern. Timberlake only scored two points in the first half, and the Tigers were struggling to hit shots.

That changed in the second half. Timberlake went off and scored 23 points. He shot 5 for 7 from three-point range and 6 for 7 at the free-throw line. He stepped up when his team needed him most.

Against Greensboro, he did it again. He scored 24 points in the second half and was 3 for 5 from deep and 3 for 4 from the line.

This game is a great example of what makes Towson a threat in the CAA. They have players like Timberlake who can take over games on offense. They have players like Charles Thompson who can take over on defense.

Against the Spartans, Thompson scored 14 points with seven rebounds and four blocks. In the second half, Greensboro was held to 5 of 30 shooting from the field and 3 for 14 from three point range. They only scored 20 points in the second half.

The Spartans finished with a 28.6% shooting percentage from the field and a 32% shooting percentage from deep in the game. This is the type of defensive performance Towson has excelled in providing the last two years.

While this is a great win for the Tigers, it also leaves room for concern. Only two players scored in double figures. Cam Holden and Sekou Sylla were the only others to even score. Both were under 10 points, however, they each had at least seven rebounds.

It concerns me because you can't rely on two players to be your entire offense. Towson has the talent that should prevent this from happening. Jason Gibson didn't play in the Greensboro game, but he did play in the first three games of the season. He averages 8.7 points per game and is one of the top three-point shooters in the CAA.

Offensive games like this were why the Tigers failed to reach the NCAA tournament last season. In the CAA tournament semifinals against Delaware, Towson couldn't make a shot to save its life.

It shot 31% from the field and only 17.4% from three. It was one of the worst games I ever saw. It was one of the most disappointing losses in any sport I can remember.

The last time the Tigers played in the NCAA tournament was 1991. They were still known as Towson State and lost 97-86 to Ohio State.

I think the Tigers have what it takes to break their 32-year tournament drought. They've got the fire power on offense and a lock down defense. If they can retain consistency on both sides of the ball, they will be cutting down nets as CAA champions.

Jordan Kendall is a Sports Writer for the Cumberland Times-News. Follow him on Twitter @JKendallCTN.