TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University men's basketball team delivered one of its better defensive performances of the season to defeat Elon, 67-56, in a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) game Saturday afternoon at SECU Arena.
 
In earning their 19th victory of a special season, the Tigers returned to their roots of meticulously defending an Elon squad that entered the contest averaging 77.7 points per game. They kept the Phoenix under suffocating surveillance throughout the festive afternoon in which Towson raised awareness for autism by sporting blue uniforms.
 
How It Happened

• Three Towson players scored in double figures led by junior John Davis' 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
• Byron Hawkins added 12 points and Timajh Parker-Rivera chipped in with 11 points for the Tigers.
• Towson limited Elon to 31 percent shooting (18-for-58).
• The Tigers held Elon to a season-low point total.
• With Mike Morsell having the primary responsibility, the Tigers held Elon's leading scorer Tanner Samson scoreless. He entered the game averaging 12.7 points per game.
• In taking control of the contest, Towson held Elon without a basket for the final 6 minutes, 56 seconds of the first half.
• Trailing 22-19 following Damien Swoope's 3-pointer, Towson ended the first half with a 14-5 burst to grab a 33-26 lead at intermission.
• Elon missed 11 consecutive 3-pointers over a 22-minute stretch that bridged each half.
• Towson scored eight points in 41 seconds highlighted by triples from Hawkins and Morsell that gave Towson a 27-22 lead.
• William Adala-Moto's tough layup inside gave Towson the lead for good, 24-22, with 5:39 remaining in the first half.
• Eleven seconds into the second half, Elon's Dmitri Thompson converted an old-fashioned three-point play that pulled the Phoenix to within, 33-29. That would be as close as Elon would get.
• Parker-Rivera's free throw gave Towson its largest lead, 57-43, with 5:22 remaining.
• Steven Santa Ann drained a 3-pointer to bring Elon to within, 59-52, with 3:22 remaining.
• The Tigers closed out the victory by sinking eight foul shots over the final two minutes.

 
Inside the Numbers

• This is the fifth time since Towson became a Division I program in 1979-80 that it has won at least 19 games in a single season (1988-89, 1990-91, 1993-94 and 2013-14).
• This is the second time in three years Towson has won at least 19 regular season games.
• This is the third time since Towson joined the CAA in 2001-02, it has won double digit conference games.
• Skerry won his 75th career game as Towson's head coach and 99th in his coaching career.
• Towson improved to 5-3 in CAA home games.
• The Tigers have won four straight televised games.
• Towson improved to 9-1 following losses this season.
• The Tigers are 18-0 when leading at halftime.
• Towson remained perfect against Elon in regular season meetings, 4-0, all-time.
• The Tigers outrebounded their 15th consecutive opponent.
• Towson improved to 11-3 at home this season.
• Parker-Rivera tied Devin Boyd's career total of 74 victories.
• With two blocked shots, Parker-Rivera upped his career mark to 124, three shy of passing Bobby Washington's total of 126 and into sixth-place all-time.
• Parker-Rivera has 657 career rebounds.
• Adala-Moto's 13 rebounds was the seventh time this season, he finished with a double-digit rebounding total.
• Davis reached double figures in scoring for the sixth time in Towson's last nine games.
• Davis tied a season-high with four assists for the second time in the last three games.
• Hawkins scored in double figures for the 21st time this season.
• Eddie Keith II produced seven points and six rebounds in 22 efficient minutes.
• Walter Foster also scored six points for Towson.
• This was the first time in eight games that Towson limited an opponent to below 40 percent shooting.
• Towson led for 30:45.
• Elon's leading scorers were Dmitri Thompson (13 points, two dunks) and Santa Ana (10 points).

 
Up Next
Towson hosts James Madison Thursday in its regular season finale at 8 p.m.