BELFAST, Northern Ireland – Two continents. Two championships.
 
In showcasing its undeniable hatred of losing and resiliency, the Towson University men's basketball team concluded a grueling stretch of seven games in 15 days with a finish to cherish. The Tigers are bringing a glass championship cup back to York Road.
 
Towson senior guard Mike Morsell took a pass from Brian Starr and sank a 12-foot baseline jumper with 1.5 seconds remaining to lift the Tigers to a thrilling, 56-55, victory over Manhattan in the championship game of the inaugural Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic at SSE Arena Saturday night. This is a perfect companion to the Gulf Coast Showcase crown Towson won before Thanksgiving.
 
It was far from easy as the Tigers dismissed the inconvenience of a 13-point first half to deficit to beat the Jaspers for the first time in program history. Furthermore, once Eddie Keith II intercepted Manhattan's final pass of the contest, Towson's bench erupted in delirious joy and stormed the floor like a giant tidal wave as players hugged, high-fived, danced, and posed for snapshots.
 
Zane Martin earned tournament MVP honors after his second consecutive 20-point performance and Keith II was named to the all-tournament team. Keith II had eight points, seven rebounds, two assists and three steals.
 
Quotable
Morsell on his game-winning shot.
"We ran our play. Deshaun set a good screen for me and I came off of it, had my feet set and ready to shoot it. I shot it and it went it in. I shot the ball in rhythm. My teammates encouraged me to keep shooting even though a lot of my shots weren't falling today."
 
Morsell on how Towson was able to rally from a 13-point halftime deficit.
"We found a way and we're a real gritty team. We have a bunch of veterans here and we always believe if there's time on the clock that we can win any game. We stuck together today during the tight moments and trusted one another."
 
Towson head coach Pat Skerry on the victory.
"We were fortunate to win. Sometimes it's important to be lucky just as well as good. I am happy for our kids and our program. We hung in there on a night in which we didn't play our best. Manhattan is good and tough to prepare for in one day. We kept battling, went small and got the ball into the middle of their zone. Mike made a great shot off of a nice pass from Brian. It's something we work on all the time during practice."
 
Records
Towson           8-1
Manhattan       3-5
 
Historical Notes

• Towson is 8-1 for the first time as a Division I program.
• The Tigers' eight-game winning streak is their longest since Feb. 3-27, 1993.
• This is the Tigers second regular season tournament championship this season and fourth in program history.

 
How It Happened

• Towson led three times during the game for a combined 48 seconds.
• Morsell missed a shot with 3.5 seconds to play, but following the review, Towson was awarded possession, setting up the game-winning shot..
• Towson enjoyed a 42-23 rebounding advantage.
• The Tigers had 19 offensive rebounds and the last two were huge.
• Deshaun Morman set a brilliant screen to get Morsell open for the final shot.
• After Zane Martin gave Towson a 52-50 lead with 2:23 remaining, Manhattan's Calvin Crawford scored five straight points to give the Jaspers a 55-52 edge with 1:22 remaining.
• Martin brought the Tigers within, 55-54, with 50 seconds remaining.
• Manhattan turned the ball over setting up the Tigers for the decisive possession.
• Towson's defense turned the game after intermission.
• The Tigers, who opened the second half with eight straight points, held Manhattan to 31.8 percent shooting (7-for-22) in the final 20 minutes.

• Manhattan scored 25 of its 31 first half points off of 14 Towson turnovers.
• Eddie Keith II opened the scoring with a transition 3-pointer. That was Towson's only advantage of the opening half.
• The Tigers used an 11-2 burst to slice Manhattan's 23-10 lead to 25-21 with less than three minutes remaining in the opening half.

 
Inside the Numbers

• This was Martin's third consecutive game of 20 or more points and fifth this season.
• Martin, who was 9-of-12 from the field, has scored in double figures eight times.
• This was the 92nd time under Skerry, Towson finished with 40 or more rebounds.
• The Tigers have outrebounded 56 of their last 61 opponents.
• Alex Thomas finished with six rebounds for Towson.
• The Tigers overcame a season-high 20 turnovers.
• Aaron Walker Jr. (16 points) and Crawford (15) led the Jaspers.
• Zane Waterman pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds for Manhattan.
• This was the first time this season Towson trailed at intermission.
• Towson has rallied from two double-digit deficits to win games this season.
• The game featured four ties and four lead changes, with the most important switch coming at the buzzer.

 
Up Next
Towson returns to action Wednesday when it hosts Morgan State in the Battle for Greater Baltimore at 7 p.m. Tickets start at just $8.