BALTIMORE, Md. – Four players scored in double figures as the Towson University women's basketball team used a balanced attack to post a 59-48 win at UMBC on Tuesday evening. The Tigers improved to 4-0, the program's best start to a season since the 2008-09 squad opened the year with five straight victories.

THE BASICS
Towson 59, UMBC 48
RAC Arena, Baltimore, Md.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Tigers got off to a hot start, scoring 14 of the game's first 19 points. A three-pointer from sophomore guard Sianni Martin with 3:44 to go in the stanza gave the visitors a 14-5 edge. Martin and redshirt junior forward Jordyn Smith each scored five points during that opening run. UMBC (2-2) responded by scoring 11 of the final 13 points in the quarter and the two teams found themselves deadlocked at 16-16 after 10 minutes. Lakiah Sims had six of the 11 tallies for the Retrievers.
• UMBC scored the first five points of the second quarter and took its largest lead of the game, 21-16 with nine minutes to go. Towson responded with an 8-0 run and took a 24-21 lead with 4:13 left on the clock. Smith had half of the Tigers' points during that stretch. The two teams traded baskets before junior center Daijha Thomas' layup gave Towson a 27-26 with 2:48 to go before the half. Sims hit one-of-two from the foul line with 2:22 to go which tied the game at 27-27. A late foul on the Tigers sent Pandora Wilson to the line with one second left in the half. She converted one shot and UMBC took a 28-27 lead at the break.
• Towson turned up the defensive pressure in the third quarter and outscored the Retrievers 17-5 in that 10 minute stanza. That included a 10-2 run to start the third. Martin led the Tigers with seven points in that quarter. Towson scored eight points on eight UMBC turnovers in that 10 minute span.
• The Tiger scored nine of the first 15 points in the fourth quarter and led 53-39 with 6:14 to go in the game. Redshirt junior guard Raine Bankston had five points during that stretch. Smith connected on a layup at 4:41 which gave the visitors a 57-42 lead. That 15-point advantage was Towson's largest lead of the game. UMBC got a pair of three-pointers down the stretch but it was not enough as the Tigers claimed the 59-48 victory.

 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• The Tigers placed four players in double figure scoring for the first time since last year against Drexel in the CAA Tournament.
• Senior guard Raven Bankston and Martin led Towson with 14 points each. Bankston added four rebounds, four steals and three assists. Martin posted two rebounds and a steal.
• Smith contributed a season-high 13 points, seven rebounds and grabbed a career-high four steals.
• Raine Bankston had a strong game from the point as she recorded 11 points, a career-high nine assists, eight rebounds and six steals.
• Towson posted a season-high 17 steals, it was the most steals in a game since the Tigers had 17 against Richmond during the 2010-11 campaign. Six Tigers recorded at least one steal in the game.
• Towson scored 23 points off 28 UMBC turnovers. It was the fourth straight game that the Tigers have scored at least 20 points off opponent turnovers.
• The Towson defense has now held two opponents to under 50 points this season.
• Sims led UMBC with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

The Tigers return home to host former Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) rival, George Mason on Sunday, Nov. 27 at 2 p.m.