LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The Towson University women's basketball team held the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff to 11 points in the second and third quarters combined and rolled to a 70-44 win in its opening game of the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic. Senior center Daijha Thomas led four Tigers (5-5) in double figures as she finished with 13 points.  

THE BASICS
Towson 70, Arkansas Pine Bluff 44
South Point Hotel and Casino Arena, Las Vegas, Nev.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Arkansas Pine Bluff scored the first five points of the game as Noe'll Taylor converted a traditional three-point play at 9:17.
• Towson responded with a 9-0 run of its own that was capped by Thomas' jumper at 5:45. The senior center scored five of the Tigers' nine during that stretch.
• The two teams traded points as redshirt senior guard Raine Bankston's lay-up at 3:03 gave the Black and Gold a 16-10 advantage.
• The Golden Lions scored back-to-back buckets and cut the Towson lead to two, 16-14 with 2:21 left in the stanza.
• The Tigers finished the quarter on a 10-0 run and took a 26-14 lead after 10 minutes of play. Thomas knocked down four points during that stretch while senior forward Mary Cuevas and sophomore guard Etalyia Vogt each contributed three points.
• Arkansas Pine Bluff scored five of the first six points in the second quarter and pulled to within eight, 27-19 with 5:08 to go before the half.
• Towson closed the second period on an 11-2 run and took a 38-21 lead at the break. Cuevas contributed four points during that stretch while freshman guard Rayna Barbour scored the first two points of her career from the foul line.
• The Tigers got back-to-back baskets from Cuevas to open the third quarter and pushed their lead to 21, 42-21 with 8:25 to go in the stanza.
• Shawntayla Harris scored for the Golden Lions at 8:09, however that was the last points Arkansas Pine Bluff would score until there were 19 seconds left in the period.
• During that scoring drought by the Golden Lions, Towson went on a 12-0 run and pushed its lead to 31, 54-23 with 37 seconds left on the clock. Bankston posted four points during that stretch while Thomas was three-for-four from the foul line.
• A three-pointer by sophomore guard Mariah Gray with three seconds left in the period gave Towson a 57-25 lead with 10 minutes to play.
• Sophomore forward Nukiya Mayo got hot to start the fourth quarter. She scored Towson's first eight points of the period and had 10 of her 11 points for the game in that stanza.
• The two teams traded baskets in the final 10 minutes of the game as the Tigers claimed the 70-44 victory.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Towson shot a solid 44.8 percent from the field and made 15-of-25 chances from the foul line. Arkansas Pine Bluff shot 23.7 percent from the field and went 14-for-21 from the foul line.
• The Tigers continued to dominate the rebounding battle, outrebounding their opponent for the 10th straight game. For the second time in the last three games, the Tigers pulled down a season-high 48 rebounds and held the Golden Lions to 39.
• Towson scored 29 points off 22 Arkansas Pine Bluff turnovers in the game. The Tigers tallied 34 points in the paint and got 27 points from the bench.
• It was another balanced attack for the Tigers as 10 of the 12 players who appeared in the game scored at least two points and 11 of the 12 pulled down at least one rebound.
• Thomas paced Towson with 13 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots. The four blocked shots gave her 12 for the season and 72 for her career. Thomas has now blocked at least 12 shots in all four years and ranks seventh on the career blocks list at Towson.
• Cuevas and Mayo each had 11 points and seven rebounds for the Tigers while Bankston added 10 points, five rebounds and four assists.
• Vogt contributed eight points and a career-high five steals.
• Destiny Brewton had 10 points for Arkansas Pine Bluff while Harris pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds.

The Tigers will play their final non-conference game of the year when they close out the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic by taking on Radford on Friday, Dec. 22 at 3 p.m. (EST).