CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Towson University men's basketball team opened Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) competition by dropping a 73-62 decision to the College of Charleston at TD Bank Arena Saturday afternoon.
 
Senior forward Eddie Keith II led Towson with a career best 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting. He also had a team-high seven rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots. Zane Martin reached double digits in scoring for the 13th time this season with 14 points.
 
Records
Towson                       10-4 overall, 0-1 CAA
College of Charleston   10-3, 1-0
 
How It Happened

• After shooting 53.6 percent in the first half, the Tigers made 34.6 percent of their shots in the second half (9-of-26).
• Trailing 36-34 at intermission, the Tigers started the second half by making two of their first 12 shots as Charleston gradually expanded its lead.
• Justin Gorham sank a 3-pointer to bring Towson to within, 42-39, with 14 minutes, 11 seconds remaining.
• Towson had two stretches during the second half in which it went four minutes without a point.
• The Tigers were behind, 53-45, with less than six minutes remaining when a sequence went against them.
• Towson forced a turnover and couldn't convert the fastbreak opportunity. Charleston's Jarrell Brantley came down on the next possession and made a 3-pointer to stretch its lead to 56-45 with 5:58 remaining.
• Towson opened strong by scoring 11 consecutive points in the first half to grab a 13-5 lead over six minutes into the contest.
• Keith II also gave the Tigers a 22-14 lead when he buried a 3-pointer with 9:02 remaining in the first half.
• Making his first start of the season, Brantley, who missed the first 10 games, scored 24 points on 7-of-12 from the field and 4-of-6 from beyond the arc in his first start in the last three games back.
• Joe Chealey added 21 points and Grant Riller 16 for the Cougars, which won their 100th game at TD Bank since the venue opened in 2008.

 
Inside the Numbers

• Justin Gorham and Deshaun Morman had five rebounds each as TU won the battle of the boards, 30-28.
• Charleston's trio of Brantley, Riller, and Chealey attempted more foul shots (24) than Towson did as a team (15).
• This was Keith II's third game this season with at least two blocked shots.
• Keith II has pulled down at least five rebounds in six consecutive games.
• Keith II is the fourth Towson player this season to score at least 20 points in a game.
• Keith II also has seven games this season in which he finished with at least three assists.
• Martin has scored double figures in the second half in eight consecutive contests.
• Martin has scored 63.2 percent of his total points in the second half this season.
• Charleston is the second team to shoot at least 50 percent for a game against Towson.
• The Cougars made 51.2 percent of their shots (21-for-41).
• Charleston improved to 6-0 at home.

 
Up Next
Towson concludes its four-game road trip at Elon Tuesday evening. Tip-off from Alumni Gym is at 7 p.m.
 
Next Home Game
The Tigers return home to begin a three-game homestand against UNCW on Friday, Jan. 5 at 7:00 p.m. The Tigers will get a second shot at the Cougars on Sunday, Jan. 7 at SECU Arena.