Winning is Everything

[randy]

Dec 6, 2000: Towson (4-2) @ Arkansas-Little Rock (5-2)

Start of 1st half

We are getting the ball to where we wanted (low post), but shots not falling, as we started the game on 1-9 FG, and 5 turn overs. Down 7-17, 10:45. We'll shift to a more balanced focus on offense. The adjustment in offense had a mixed effect, as we hit 3 jumpers, but added 3 more turn overs to bring our total to 8. Down 13-20, 5:06. Plus 4 more turn overs. To add insult to injury, they get an off rebound off a missed FT in which they eventually converted to a 3pt shot. All of a sudden, our deficit ballooned to 17. Halftime, Down 19-35.

Key stats / Notes (Halftime)

• Turnovers: TOW 12, UALR 3; I can tolerate that our shots were not falling (33% FG), but what is unacceptable is that UALR had +11 FGA because we keep throwing the ball away

Start of 2nd half

We had a promising start at the 2nd half, cutting the deficit to 13. But after adding 4 more turn overs in a 3-minute span, there is no way we can turn things around. Down 34-51, 11:06.

We got ourselves a small 9-4 run; btw those 4 pts by UALR, were transition pts off our turn overs. We were down by only 12. We got ourselves two opportunities to slice the deficit further; both times we turned the ball over. A 3rd chance, we miss. A 4th chance, we turn it over again. 23 turn overs! UALR eventually scored a string of baskets. Down 47-61, 4:37. We'll favor more outside shots now, and increase the pace a bit. The rest of the game just became a shoot out


Final Score: Towson - 56, Arkansas-Little Rock - 71


Box Scores
[INDENT]Wilkerson 12, 8, 0, 8 tos
Hale 11, 5, 1, 5 tos
Green 10, 5, 0
DeMond 8, 3, 2
Hardy 6, 8, 0
Martin 6, 1, 2
Roberson 3, 1, 4
Weaks 0, 3, 1, 4 tos
Granger 0, 1, 2
Desmond 0, 1, 1
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 45-45%
REB: +13
TO: +19 (26 turn overs, which is more than our 23 FGMs)
Pts in paint: -6
2nd chance: Even
Fast break: -9 (21 fast break pts for UALR, mostly from our turn overs)
[/INDENT]
Notes

• 45% FG shooting would be enough to win us a lot of games, if only we can minimize our turn overs. Currently, our 18.6 turn overs/game ranks 8th worst in the country. Considering that we play a relatively slow pace game, then our performance in handling the ball becomes even worse. Our OTO is 23.6%, which is also 8th worst nationally - we're throwing the ball away 1 in every 4 possessions!

[randy]

We will try to increase the pace just a little bit (from 3 to 4), and determine if that would solve our current turn overs problem

Dec 13, 2000: South Carolina Upstate (5-3) @ Towson (4-3)

Start of 1st half

We jumped off to an early lead with superb shooting accuracy, 8-8 FG, 7-8 FT. Up 23-5, 12:37. After the hot start, we missed our next 5 shots and started to again throw the ball away. Fortunately for us, SCU is shooting miserably today at 26%; plus they are in the penalty so we cotinue to get pts from the FT line. Up 33-12, 5:37. SCU began hitting some shots late in the game, but C Byron Hardy has asserted himself inside the paint to stop any possible rally from SCU. Halftime, Up 42-21.

Key stats / Notes (Halftime)

• Rebounds: SCU 9, TOW 28

Start of 2nd half

SCU already converted 3 triples at the start of the 2nd half. However, we continued to take advantage of their weak interior defense, and they have no answer to C Byron Hardy (16 pts, 9 rebs) down low. Up 50-34, 13:48. SCU connecting on 4 more shots from beyond the arc, on a 12-2 burst that evaporated almost all our lead in an instant. I had to burn a timeout. Up 52-46, 10:23.

No one has scored for more than 2 minutes, even on our low post plays. And then SCU gets a FG, and we're up only by 4. Unbelievable. We regrouped, and my players responded to an 11-5 run, capped by a 3 from SG Haven Wilkerson, to bring our lead back to double digits. Up 63-53, 4:53. But this is definitely not over with the way SCU is shooting lately.

Our big men scored at least 4 inside baskets late in the game, to preserve our lead and ensure this win.


Final Score: South Carolina Upstate - 58, Towson - 73


Box Scores
[INDENT]Hardy 22, 15, 1 (*)
Wilkerson 17, 5, 2
Green 16, 6, 2
DeMond 8, 12, 1
Martin 3, 1, 3, 4 tos, fouled out
Hale 2, 4, 1
Weaks 2, 2, 0
Roberson 2, 1, 1
Desmond 1, 0, 0
Granger 0, 0, 4
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 45-36%
REB: +23
TO: +3
Pts in paint: +28
2nd chance: +4
Fast break: -2
[/INDENT]
Notes

• We almost collapsed there, as we were comfortably leading by 23, and then a furious rally by SCU cutting our lead to as low as 4. Our rebounding and inside plays saved the day for us
• Our 10 total turn overs seem like a slice of heaven. It's too early to tell if the improved performance on lessening turn overs, is due to increasing the pace.
• One interesting thing to consider though is the performance of seldom used Fr PG Nick Granger. He played 13 mins today due to foul trouble on starting PG Anthony Martin. Granger may not be a scoring threat, but he had a "clean" game today with zero turn overs, not to mention dishing out 4 assists. In fact for the season, he has played a total of 29 mins (in 4 appearances), and he has not committed a single turn over! Perhaps it's his diminutive frame (he stands 5'5") that gives him an advantage to protect the ball. But definitely, he's someone I would consider giving more playing time in future games

[randy]

Dec 20, 2000: Towson (5-3) @ Bryant (4-6)

Start of 1st half

There were signs of having this game a high-scoring affair, as both teams shot well early. However, we got into our turn overs habit again. BRY slightly cooled down, which allowed us to keep the game close. Down 13-14, 12:06. After BRY took a 3 pt lead on their 3rd triple of the game, PF Bevon Green strung up 6 straight pts en route to an 12-4 run. Up 26-21, 7:45. BRY continues to shoot well on their outside shots, but we managed to maintain a lead behind C Byron Hardy's (12 pts) repeated inside shots. We finished the half strong behind the shooting of SG Haven Wilkerson and SF Aaron Hale. Halftime, Up 45-31.

Key stats / Notes (Halftime)

• Pts in paint: TOW 30, BRY 8; this is the main reason why we shot 76% FG in the 1st half
• We were also disciplined in defense, as BRY had zero 2nd chance pt and zero fast break pt

Start of 2nd half

Scoring has dipped in the 2nd half; BRY went on a cold spell and we were able to slightly increase our lead. Up 52-35, 13:47. Our big men rotation continues to punish BRY's interior defense, as we started to blow this game wide open. Moreover, despite the 14 turn overs, our transition defense is holding well. After more than 33 mins of play, BRY only has 13 rebounds. This game is practically over, unless BRY comes up with a barrage of 3s. Up 66-41, 6:28. Bench to play more today.


Final Score: Towson - 74, Bryant - 56


Box Scores
[INDENT]Hardy 18, 9, 0 (*)
Wilkerson 15, 3, 2
DeMond 13, 3, 0
Green 12, 6, 2
Hale 6, 5, 3
Granger 4, 3, 1, 6 tos
Weaks 2, 5, 2
Roberson 2, 0, 3
Desmond 2, 0, 0
Martin 0, 3, 2, 4 tos
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 60-41%
REB: +20
TO: +7
Pts in paint: +34
2nd chance: +6
Fast break: +5
[/INDENT]
Notes

• Rebounding and playing good defense at certain stretches, allowed us to win this game easily. It also helped that BRY only had 7 fast break pts, and they did not took advantage much on our 20 turn overs
• Looks like my little experiment of giving more playing time to PG Nick Granger did not work out, as he had 6 turn overs in 17 mins.

[randy]

Dec 27, 2000: Towson (6-3, 0-0) @ VCU (7-2, 0-0)

Start of 1st half

VACOM is the conference's top offensive team, and it clearly showed early in the game, when they started 9-12 FG. Down 12-20, 11:58. VACOM's efficient offense continued the rest of the half. We tried to take advantage of the penalty situation of VACOM, but it wasn't enough. Halftime, Down 30-48.

Key stats / Notes (Halftime)

• FG%: TOW 34%, VACOM 62% (including 5-7 3pt); we only allowed 4 fast break pts, which means VACOM simply shot the lights out in their half-court offense during the 1st half

Start of 2nd half

We just need to approach this one play at a time; but we have not made progress. Down 44-61, 12:51. We continue to grind it out, making few stops here and there; slowly but surely, we were able to cut our deficit to 8. And then VACOM hits a dagger triple; we converted afterwards. Don 62-71, 3:59. After trading a couple of shots, VACOM missed on their possession. VACOM called for a foul, and we converted 2 FTs. Down 70-75, 1:46. Just as when we're giving oursleves a chance to steal this game, VACOM hits thier 8th 3pt shot of the game to go up by 8. With a little over a minute left, we went out to shoot 3s the rest of the game, to no avail.


Final Score: Towson - 70, VCU - 80


Box Scores
[INDENT]Hardy 16, 6, 2
Wilkerson 16, 3, 4
DeMond 12, 5, 1
Hale 10, 5, 0
Green 8, 3, 1
Weaks 2, 2, 3
Martin 2, 1, 7
Roberson 2, 1, 0
Desmond 2, 0, 1
Granger 0, 0, 1
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 47-52%
REB: -1
TO: +1
Pts in paint: +14
2nd chance: +2
Fast break: -2
[/INDENT]
Notes

• Relative to our previous games, it wasn't really really a bad effort by the team; our FG shooting was okay, we had a tolerable 12 turn overs, and we played good transition defense. VACOM just had an excellent 1st half, which proved to be enough to cushion our rally in the 2nd half

CAA Conference Standings

1. James Madison, 1-0 (W1)
2. VCU, 1-0 (W1)
3. Delaware, 1-0 (W1)
4. NC Wilmington, 1-0 (W1)
5. Georgia St, 1-0 (W1)
6. Old Dominion, 1-0 (W1)
7. Towson, 0-1 (L1)
8. Northeastern, 0-1 (L1)
9. Hofstra, 0-1 (L1)
10. George Mason, 0-1 (L1)
11. Drexel, 0-1 (L1)
12. William & Mary, 0-1 (L1)

[randy]

Is there any correlation between the offensive pace your team is playing and the chances of turning the ball over? Or are turn overs simply a function of how familiar your team is playing your preferred offensive sets?

[randy]

Dec 30, 2000: Delaware (6-4, 1-0) @ Towson (6-4, 0-1)

Start of 1st half

We had a shaky start as we were not doing a good job on the def glass. We also missed our 1st 4 FGAs, but good defense allowed us to stay close. Down 8-10, 11:52. SG Rob Roberson turned the ball over 3 consecutive times; he's not coming back in the game. DEL has connected on 4 3pt shots. There are a lot of things that we are not doing correctly; all we want at this point is to keep the game close in the 1st half. Game was tied, and then DEL hit back-to-back triples (the last a buzzer beater. Halftime, Down 30-36.

Key stats / Notes (Halftime)

• 3pt shooting: DEL 6-13, TOW 1-5; those last two 3s by DEL were gut-wrenching, because before that we battled hard to tie the game
• 2nd chance pts: DEL 6, TOW 0

Start of 2nd half

DEL started the 2nd with another 3 (their 7th in the game) and we were down by 9. SF Aaron Hale has scored 8 of our 10 pts in the 2nd half so far, and he is the only one keeping us alive in this game; the rest of the team are completely lost on offense. Down 40-44, 11:50. It's not a big deficit, but every time we have the chance to get something going, we come up with a turn over. Down 43-46, 7:40. After a "heated" conversation with the team during the huddle, we cam up with a fast break basket, followed by a 3pt shot; we finally got ourselves the lead. A split FT by DEL was answered by an inside basket on our side. DEL forced to call a timeout. Up 53-50, 5:53.

2 FTs by both teams were the only pts scored in the next 2 mins. A miss by DEL, but they get another off rebound; that turned out to be crucial as DEL hits a 3pt shot afterwards. Timeout. I didn't hide my disappointment on that last play. Tied at 55, 3:32.

TOW: SF Aaron Hale gets his jumper to fall. Hale scored 23 of his 14 pts in the 2nd half. Up 57-55, 3:08.

DEL: They answered with a long 2. Tied at 57, 2:54.

TOW: We go to C Byron Hardy on the low post, and Hardy scores. Hardy with another double-double performance, 14 pts, 11 rebs. Up 59-57, 2:35.

DEL: Foul. Double bonus, 2 FTs. Miss the 1st. Hits the 2nd. Timeout. Up 59-58, 2:26.

TOW: This time, C Alex DeMond gets the pass on the low post. He gets his shot to fall also!. Up 61-58, 2:11.

DEL: Their C hits a medium-range jumpshot. We're going m2m on the next defensive play. Up 61-60, 1:45.

TOW: We go to C Alex DeMond again. DeMond shoots, but this time he missed. But C Byron Hardy gets the offensive rebound, and the put back is good! Our big men rising to the challenge. Up 63-60, 1:19.

DEL: They may have been surprised with our sudden change in defensive tactics. Traveling.

TOW: I instructed that we slow down and kill some clock. But SF Aaron Hale called for a charge, which is a borderline flop by the defender. I complained to the refs, but they simply ignored me. Timeout DEL

DEL: We get called for another foul. 2 FTs. Hits the 1st. Missed the 2nd. We get the def board. Timeout. Up 63-61, 0:34.

TOW: Please, no stupid plays. DEL with 5 team fouls, so they would need to foul 3 times before they can send us to the line. I have opted to remain with backup PG Nick Granger on the floor. We inbound. DEL not fouling. We pass the ball around. 0:20. C Alex DeMond threw a bad pass! Our 16th turn over. I can only cover my face. Up 63-61, 0:16.

DEL: They have no timeout. Just one stop guys. Another foul. It was a very soft foul. But 2 crucial FTs coming up for DEL. Hits the 1st. Miss the 2nd!. We get the def rebound. Timeout. Up 63-62, 0:05.

TOW: I don't know how else we could possibly screw this up. Interestingly, DEL put up a 3-2 zone, which takes some time to setup, and hey were not able to give up a foul. Time expired


Final Score: Delaware - 62, Towson - 63


Box Scores
[INDENT]Hardy 16, 12, 0 (*)
Hale 14, 9, 1
DeMond 12, 6, 1
Wilkerson 10, 3, 3
Green 8, 3, 0
Weaks 2, 2, 2
Desmond 1, 0, 0
Martin 0, 2, 3, 4 tos
Roberson 0, 1, 1
Granger 0, 0, 3
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 46-40%
REB: +13
TO: +4
Pts in paint: +24
2nd chance: -5
Fast break: -3
[/INDENT]
Notes

• DEL bailed us out in this game. DEL was 12-22 FT today, and only came up with a split each on their last 3 trips. Tehre are no easy games in this conference, whether at home or at the road.

CAA Conference Standings

1. James Madison, 2-0 (W2)
2. NC Wilmington, 2-0 (W2)
3. George Mason, 1-1 (W1)
4. VCU, 1-1 (L1)
5. Delaware, 1-1 (L1)
6. Georgia St, 1-1 (L1)
7. Old Dominion, 1-1 (L1)
8. Towson, 1-1 (W1)
9. Northeastern, 1-1 (W1)
10. William & Mary, 1-1 (W1)
11. Hofstra, 0-2 (L2)
12. Drexel, 0-2 (L2)

[randy]

Jan 3, 2001: Towson (7-4, 1-1) @ Drexel (5-6, 0-2)

• PF Devon Green is injured; small chance that he will play

Start of 1st half

Only 1 turn over so far, after more than 8 mins of play. Up 15-9, 11:44. DREX beginning to hit some outside shots, but C Byron Hardy (8 pts, 6 rebs) has been dominant down low to help us increase our lead further. Up 27-18, 7:01. Hardy (20 pts) continues to tear DREX's porous defense, scoring on 6 more inside plays. C Alex DeMond also joining the party in the paint, with 10 pts. We committed only our 2nd and 3rd turn overs with less than a minute in the 1st half. For the 2nd consecutive game, our opponents have converted a buzzer-beating 3 at the end of the 1st half. Halftime, Up 45-33.

Key stats / Notes (Halftime)

• FG%: TOW 53%, DREX 39%
• Pts in the paint: TOW 32, DREX 12
• Turn overs: TOW 3, DREX 6; if we commit less turn overs, we get more chances to score

Start of 2nd half

C Byron Hardy might as well paint his name on DREX's shaded area, as he seems to own it; Hardy has added 6 more for a total of 26 pts, together with 12 rebs (6 offensive). SG Haven Wilkerson has also come alive, scoring 7 of his 11 pts in the 2nd half. Up 58-44, 13:24. Despite our good performance in offense, DREX has done a good job keeping themselves in the game; and our turn over woes are beginning to creep up in the 2nd half. Up 64-50, 8:42.

C Byron Hardy (34 pts) continued to wreck havoc. SG Haven Wilkerson hits another 3. And for the 1st time this season, SF John Weaks (8 pts) finally contributed something on offense. Up 77-54, 4:07. This game is over.


Final Score: Towson - 84, Drexel - 66


Box Scores
[INDENT]Hardy 32, 15, 0 (*)
DeMond 16, 6, 0
Wilkerson 16, 1, 2
Weaks 8, 4, 3
Hale 5, 4, 2
Granger 3, 1, 1
Roberson 2, 5, 1
Martin 2, 2, 2
Desmond 0, 0, 0
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 52-44%
REB: +17
TO: +1
Pts in paint: +24
2nd chance: +16
Fast break: +7
[/INDENT]
Notes

• One of our best offensive games so far this season; minimal turn overs, crashing the off glass and getting 20 2nd chance pts, and repeatedly pounding the ball inside (52 pts in the paint) to our big men.

CAA Conference Standings

1. James Madison, 3-0 (W3)
2. VCU, 2-1 (W1)
3. Towson, 2-1 (W2)
4. Delaware, 2-1 (W1)
5. Georgia St, 2-1 (W1)
6. NC Wilmington, 2-1 (L1)
7. George Mason, 1-2 (L1)
8. Hofstra, 1-2 (W1)
9. Old Dominion, 1-2 (L2)
10. Northeastern, 1-2 (L1)
11. William & Mary, 1-2 (L1)
12. Drexel, 0-3 (L3)

[randy]

Jan 6, 2001: Towson (8-4, 2-1) @ George Mason (5-7, 1-2)

Start of 1st half

GM had 3 early 3pt shots. Our big men are dominating the inside again; C Byron Hardy already with 15 pts. Up 23-17, 10:20. We started committing tons of turn overs again, which allowed GM to take lead momentarily. Both teams' offense are clicking, and score was kept close until the end of 1st half; 11 lead changes and 4 ties so far. Halftime, Tied at 44.

Key stats / Notes (Halftime)

• Pts in the paint: TOW 32, GM 10
• Turn overs: TOW 9, GM 2; as a result, GM had a +5 in FGA which is significant in this high-scoring game

Start of 2nd half

GM adding 2 more triples, to bring their total of 8 for the game. C Byron Hardy (26 pts) has carried us the whole game; we need others to contribute, like SG Haven Wilkerson (2 pts). Tied at 52, 15:52. GM getting their fair share off rebounds and 2nd chance pts, which is compounding our problems in letting GM get more shots. Down 62-66, 10:00.

SG Haven Wilkerson (8 pts) took over the scoring while C Byron Hardy is resting on the bench. GM continues to sizzle from outside, already with 10 3pt shots. And our turn over woes won't stop; we now have 15. Down 68-71, 6:59. Wilkerson scored another FG, and split his last trip to the FT line, to tie the game. We made 2 more stops, and scored 4 unanswered, he last FG courtesy of Hardy's 35th point. Up 75-71, 4:23.

We scored on 2 FTs. A couple of plays later, GM scored on fast break off our 16th turn over. GM is in the penalty. After we split on FT, we got called for a foul on the defensive end. GM hits both of their FTs. Timeout. Up 78-75, 1:55.

TOW: We'll go Heavy Inside. SG Haven Wilkerson strong drive to the hoop and got fouled. 2 FTs. Split. Up 79-75, 1:41.

GM: Traveling. Timeout. Up 79-75, 1:26.

TOW: SG Haven Wilkerson called for traveling in back court

GM: We go m2m defense. They miss, but they got the off rebound. They shoot again, and missed again. This time, we were able to secure the def board. Timeout. Up 79-75, 0:51.

TOW: They foul intentionally. Double bonus; 2 FTs. PG Anthony Martin hits both. Timeout GM. Up 81-75, 0:50. We'll slow down the game

GM missed on their 3pt shot attempt, and fouled again after we got the ball. We converted both FTs to make it a 3 possession game, to secure the win.


Final Score: Towson - 86, George Mason - 77


Box Scores
[INDENT]Hardy 35, 8, 1 (*)
Wilkerson 12, 8, 3, 4 tos
DeMond 10, 6, 2
Green 10, 4, 0
Martin 9, 6, 3, 5 tos
Hale 7, 2, 2
Desmond 2, 1, 0
Granger 1, 3, 4
Weaks 0, 5, 1
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 59-39%
REB: +17
TO: +12
Pts in paint: +34
2nd chance: -2
Fast break: -1
[/INDENT]
Notes

• Another game of inside vs outside match up. GW is +27 pts in 3pt shooting, and we were able to offset it with +34 pts in the paint
• 2nd consecutive 30+ pts performance from C Byron Hardy. His season averages thus far are 18.9 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 57% FG.

CAA Conference Standings

1. James Madison, 4-0 (W4)
2. Towson, 3-1 (W3)
3. Delaware, 3-1 (W2)
4. Georgia St, 3-1 (W2)
5. NC Wilmington, 3-1 (W1)
6. Hofstra, 2-2 (W2)
7. VCU, 2-2 (L1)
8. Old Dominion, 1-3 (L3)
9. Northeastern, 1-3 (L2)
10. George Mason, 1-3 (L2)
11. William & Mary, 1-3 (L2)
12. Drexel, 0-4 (L4)

[randy]

Jan 10, 2001: Hofstra (7-6, 2-2) @ Towson (9-4, 3-1)

Start of 1st half

7 early turn overs. Down 9-13, 10:54. Aside from turn overs, we're also shooting poorly at 33% FG. We also got into foul trouble, and I was called for T as well. Down 9-19, 7:55. We went down by as much as 11, and on our way to what is probably our worst 1st half of the season. Until our big men started to get pts inside. SG Haven Wilkerson's 3pt shot brought as closer to within 3 pts. We had at least 3 chances to get to within 1 (or tie), but we missed on all of them. Teams traded baskets, and after a split by HOF, we got the final basket of the half to go down by only 2 pts. Halftime, Down 26-28.

Key stats / Notes (Halftime)

• Turn overs: HOF 6, TOW 11
• We're doing everything right, including controlling the def boards, and not allowing a single fast break pt. We jus need to cut down on those turn overs

Start of 2nd half

A nightmare 2nd half opening. Another turn over for us, HOF converted 3 outside shots (including 2 3s), and we're down double digits again. We played catch up basketball once again. We go on a 9-0 run, capped by a 3 from SF Aaron Hale. Down 35-36, 15:08.

HOF scored hier 1st 2nd chance pts of the game, while C Byron Hardy hits 2 FTs. Hardy beginning to heat up with 12 pts. Fouls are beginning to mount up on us again, but I can't complain anymore because of an earlier technical foul. Had a chance to regain the lead, but missed. HOF gets a FG. We turned the ball over once again, and HOF made us pay dearly with their 7th triple of the game. We have gotten so close, but we let it slip it away. Down 37-43, 11:59.

C Alex DeMond did his best to keep us alive, scoring 6 of our last 8 pts. Down 45-47, 8:43. We get a stop. Chance to tie. C Byron Hardy scores, and we're tied. HOF with another off rebound put back. Hardy responded once again. Tie again. We made a defensive stop. SF Aaron Hale hits his 2nd 3pt shot of the game, and we get the lead for the 1st time. Up 52-49, 6:46.

TOW obviously getting rattled with the change of momentum; they started turning the ball over, and forced to take contested outside shots. SF Aaron Hale scored 4 of our next 8 pts. Up 60-53, 2:51. HOF collapsed in the end


Final Score: Hofstra - 55, Towson - 68


Box Scores
[INDENT]Hardy 22, 9, 0 (*)
DeMond 20, 6, 2
Hale 14, 5, 1
Wilkerson 8, 3, 0, 4 tos
Martin 2, 2, 4
Granger 2, 2, 0
Green 0, 3, 1
Weaks 0, 2, 2
Roberson 0, 0, 2
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 48-38%
REB: +8
TO: -1
Pts in paint: +26
2nd chance: +6
Fast break: +5
[/INDENT]
Notes

• Patience and perseverance. It seems we won't be able to get pass HOF, but we kept doing and executing our game plan - get inside pts, and control the boards. We also minimize our turn overs, committing only 3 in the 2nd half
• Our starting unit scored all, but 2 pts in this game (64 out of 66)

CAA Conference Standings

1. James Madison, 5-0 (W5)
2. Towson, 4-1 (W4)
3. Delaware, 4-1 (W3)
4. NC Wilmington, 4-1 (W2)
5. Georgia St, 3-2 (L1)
6. George Mason, 2-3 (W1)
7. Hofstra, 2-3 (L1)
8. VCU, 2-3 (L2)
9. William & Mary, 2-3 (W1)
10. Old Dominion, 1-4 (L4)
11. Northeastern, 1-4 (L3)
12. Drexel, 0-5 (L5)

[randy]

Jan 13, 2001: Towson (10-4, 4-1) @ Northeastern (7-7, 1-4)

Start of 1st half

NORTH started with a cold 2-11 FG. SG Haven Wilkerson already with 10 pts. Up 17-4, 13:25. NORTH started connecting on their outside shots. C Byron Hardy scored a bunch of pts late inthe game, to maintain us in the driver's seat. Halftime, Up 39-33.

Key stats / Notes (Halftime)

• Pts in paint: TOW 20, NORTH 8
• FT shooting: TOW 8-10, NORTH 0-0
• Both teams each with only 4 turn overs after the 1st half.

Start of 2nd half

We committed 4 turn overs in less than 3 minutes! Early timeout just to regroup. We did a bit better after the timeout, but NORTH had kept themselves in this game. Up 51-46, 12:11. NORTH tied the game after converting a 3pt play opportunity. We scored 6 staright to gave ourselves some breathing space, until NORTH hits another basket. Up 57-53, Up 8:41.

NORTH hits their 5th triple of the game, to come to within 1 pt. We committed 4 consecutive turn overs, but so far, NORTH has not been able to regain the lead. NORTH missed again. SG Haven Wilkerson, shoots a 3 and converts!.. Wilkerson has been huge today, 25 pts. We go up by 4. NORTH responded with a FG. Our shot was blocked, and on their next play, NORTH splits their FTs. Another down the wire game here. Up 62-61, 3:33.

Another turn over, and NORTH capitalizing with a fast break basket. Timeout. Down 62-63, 3:10.

I couldn't hide my anger during the timeout. On our next possession, SF Aaron Hardy able to hit a jumper. Up 64-63, 2:56.

NORTH: They miss. They get the off rebound. Shoots again. Miss. Another off rebound. They reset the play. This time, they convert on their 3rd attempt. A wasted chance for us there. Down 64-65, 2:13.

TOW: Another turn over!

NORTH: Miss. We secured the def rebound this time. Timeout. Down 64-65, 1:21.

TOW: C Alex DeMond gets the ball but he's on top of the key. DeMond forced a pass. Turn over #19.

NORTH: They miss. But they get another off rebound. Second shot is up. Block. Loose ball out of bounds. It's our ball. Timeout (last). Down 64-65, 0:32.

TOW: We go to C Byron Hardy on the low post. Hardy shoots. Miss but there was a foul. 2 FTs. 1st shot is good. 2nd is also good. Timeout NORTH. Up 66-65, 0:21.

NORTH: We'll go m2m defense. We have 6 team fouls, so we can't afford to give up another one. They go Princeton offense, with 4 players beyond the arc. They try to isolate their center on the low post. The pass was too strong. Turn over. Up 66-65, 0:11.

We break their press, and scored on the break. Game over


Final Score: Towson - 68, Northeastern - 65


Box Scores
[INDENT]Wilkerson 25, 3, 3 (*)
Hardy 15, 11, 0
DeMond 13, 10, 1
Hale 9, 7, 1
Green 6, 4, 1
Martin 0, 2, 4, 5 tos, fouled out
Granger 0, 1, 3
Weaks 0, 0, 1
[/INDENT]
Stats Comparison
[INDENT]FG: 48-44%
REB: +14
TO: +8
Pts in paint: +20
2nd chance: +10
Fast break: +1
[/INDENT]
Notes

• Another escape act on the road. We were leading by as many as 17 in the 1st half. We lost our concentration again and allowed NORTH to come back. But in the end, we made the important plays on both ends of the floor, and pull off this win.

CAA Conference Standings

1. James Madison, 6-0 (W6)
2. Towson, 5-1 (W5)
3. Delaware, 5-1 (W4)
4. Georgia St, 4-2 (W1)
5. NC Wilmington, 4-2 (L1)
6. VCU, 3-3 (W1)
7. William & Mary, 2-4 (L1)
8. George Mason, 2-4 (L1)
9. Hofstra, 2-4 (L2)
10. Northeastern, 1-5 (L4)
11. Drexel, 1-5 (W1)
12. Old Dominion, 1-5 (L5)