CAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL RECAP - DEC. 10
Towson 67, #25/18 Maryland 55
Box Score
TOWSON, Md. - Playing before the largest crowd to watch a Towson women's basketball game in the Towson Center, senior guard Shanae Baker-Brice carried the Tigers (5-4) to one of the biggest wins in school history as they stunned 25th-ranked Maryland (8-2) with a 67-55 victory on Thursday night.
Baker-Brice connected on 8 of 13 shots from the floor as she scored a seasonal high 25 points. She also had seven assists and three steals.
The victory was Towson's first-ever win over a nationally-ranked team and it came before a crowd of 2,243. Just four years removed from winning the 2006 NCAA national championship, the Terps came into the Towson Center with a five-game winning streak.
Already the second-leading scorer in school history with 1,442 points, Baker-Brice scored 17 of her points in the second half as she combined an array of off-balance jumpers with some pin-point passing and clutch free throw shooting.
"As the head coach of a building program, this is something you dream about," said Towson Coach Joe Mathews, who earned his 100th career victory. "We've played some very good teams in the past and we haven't done very well. This was probably the best team we've ever played and we knew it would take everybody's effort to get a win.
"We had a great crowd and a great win over a great opponent," he added. "None of us will ever forget this night."
The Tigers played an inspired first half against the Terrapins, who won the last meeting between the schools by an 80-49 margin in 1996 at Cole Field House. They shot 56 per cent from the floor and held Maryland to 34.5 per cent shooting on their way to a 34-27 lead at intermission.
In a wild first half that saw the lead change nine times, the Tigers outscored the Terps by 12-4 over the final 5:05 of the half. Maryland never led by more than three points in the half and the score was tied six times.
Senior Katrina Wheeler's layup off a pass from Baker-Brice with 5:05 remaining put Towson ahead by 24-23. The Tigers would never trail again.
When junior guard Jaleesa Dryver nailed a three-point basket just before the halftime buzzer sounded, the Tigers owned their biggest lead of the game at 34-27.
"Jaleesa's three-pointer right before halftime was one of the most important baskets of the game," added Mathews. "It gave us a very positive vibe going to the locker room and boosted our confidence."
Early in the second half, Maryland did its best to try and cut into the Tigers' lead. With the margin down to 38-33 and 16:22 remaining, junior guard Simone Petronyte connected on a three-point to put the Tigers ahead by 41-33.
A steal and a breakaway layup with 7:55 left by Wheeler upped the lead to 51-40.
With the Tigers owning a 51-42 lead and less than five minutes remaining, Baker-Brice took over.
Her off-balance 15-foot jumper with the shot clock ticking down gave the Tigers a 53-42 lead. With 3:27 left, her driving layup gave the Tigers their largest lead of the game at 57-45.
When she nailed two free throws with 2:40 remaining, the Tigers owned a 59-46 advantage.
With less than two minutes remaining, Baker-Brice was trapped in a double-team in the backcourt. But she got the ball to Petronyte who fed it ahead to Dryver. Dryver's layup made it 61-50 with 1:54 remaining.
Over the final minutes, the Tigers protected their lead as junior Charmonique Watt made three of four free throws. With 33 seconds left, Baker-Brice iced the victory by hitting a pair of free throws to make it 67-53.
At that point, Mathews jubilantly emptied the bench and replaced his starters, who prepared for the post-game celebration.
"My hat's off to Towson," said Maryland Coach Brenda Frese. "They came out ready to play and we didn't."
Baker-Brice was one of three Tigers to score in double figures as the Tigers shot a seasonal high 52.2 per cent from the field.
Dryver added a career high ten points to go along with a career high nine rebounds. Wheeler added 10 points and five rebounds while Petronyte scored eight points and had five assists. Senior forward Haliena Snowden chipped in with six points. Watt also scored six points.
The Terps were led by Kim Rodgers, who scored 15 points and had six rebounds. Maryland shot just 34.4 per cent from the floor and made only 5 of 20 three-point attempts.
The Tigers, who have won three games in a row, return to action at Navy on Sunday at 2:00 p.m.
Hofstra 70, Niagara 48
Box Score
Hempstead, NY - Freshman forward Shante Evans posted a double-double and three other Hofstra players scored in double figures to lead the Pride to a 70-48 victory over Niagara in a non-conference matchup Thursday night at the Mack Sports Complex.
Evans (West Chester, PA) scored a team-high 13 points with 11 rebounds for her third career double-double while sophomore guards and Staten Island natives Candice Bellocchio (11 points) and Nicole Capurso (12 points) added key outside shooting as the Pride won its second in a row to improve to 5-3. Ali Morris scored 14 points for Niagara, which fell to 2-7.
Senior center Jess Fuller (Queens, NY) finished two rebounds shy of joining Evans in the double-double club, scoring 12 points on 6-7 shooting while adding eight rebounds and six blocks. Senior guard Sam Brigham (Simsbury, CT) chipped in nine points to help Hofstra improve to 4-0 at home.
The Pride held Niagara to just 30.2 percent shooting from the field in holding an opponent under 50 points for the third time this season. Hofstra capitalized on the plethora of missed shots, out-rebounding Niagara, 47-26, while establishing a 32-16 edge in points in the key.
Hofstra found early success feeding the ball down low while also opening the perimeter, surging to an 8-0 run capped by freshman Candace Bond's jumper to put Hofstra ahead by double digits nine minutes into the contest.
Eight different Pride players scored at least two points in the opening half to sustain the offensive pressure.
The balanced scoring attack helped Hofstra forge a 14-1 run punctuated by Evans' layup with 3:04 remaining. The Pride's bench contributed 15 points before the break.
Fuller provided a low-post presence, blocking five shots and hauling in five rebounds in scoring six points on 3-3 shooting through the opening 20 minutes. Capurso and Brigham complemented Fuller by scoring nine points apiece to lead Hofstra to a 39-24 halftime lead.
Capurso put the Pride ahead by a game-high 26 points with almost five minutes left, converting a layup to give Hofstra a 64-38 edge. Evans scored all but two of her points in the second half, hitting three of her five shots following intermission.
Hofstra will cross the East River Saturday to take on local rival Manhattan in a non-conference matchup. Opening tap is set for 2 p.m. at Draddy Gymnasium.