TOWSON, Md. – There were tears of joy and sadness before, during, and after the Towson University men's basketball team defeated James Madison, 75-65, in a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) game in electrically-charged SECU Arena Saturday night.
 
Towson senior standouts Arnaud William Adala Moto and John Davis were recognized and celebrated before the game during an emotional ceremony in which both players received framed black uniforms of their familiar numbers 24 and 10, respectively. Both players shared a long and passionate hug with Skerry at center court as they were surrounded by family members and lots of cameras.
 
The victory was also significant for Davis. As part of the winningest four-year run in Towson's Division I era, Davis has experienced more Division I victories than any player in school history with 76.
 
Once the pre-game festivities ended, Towson thrilled the crowd with lots of fast break baskets, clutch shots and a dynamite dose of defensive execution bridging the first and second halves. Towson turned that defense into a devastating 22-4 run over a breathtaking 8 minute, 52 second stretch that gave Towson the separation needed to claim its sixth consecutive triumph and 11th in its last 12 games.
 
Mike Morsell led four Towson players in double figures with 19 points on an efficient 5-of-10 shooting. Dimitrije Cabarkapa led James Madison with 14 points.

Quotable
Davis reflecting on his Towson career
"It's been a long four years. I'm happy I could do it with these guys right here, always in my corner. I'm happy to be here. Very blessed to be here today standing with my teammates. They played really hard for me and Moto today, so it's definitely a good day."

Adala Moto on how he handled the emotion of the evening.
"Emotions were running high and I had to stay extra focused and concentrate. That was the biggest thing, but at the end of the day, it's still a basketball game. We rallied around John and I know he wants us to win for him. We're playing for each other and it's next man up for us. That's our mentality. We were happy to see the crowd show up tonight and support us. It helped."
 
Skerry on the seniors and the atmosphere
"The fans were loud and boisterous in showing their respect for William and John. Two guys who meant a tremendous amount to our program. Not just their talent but they are good teammates and they're hard workers. These guys… I can't say enough things. It's been an honor to coach them. We've got a lot more basketball left but you don't find, I've been doing this 25 years, these guys are two of the all-time greatest. Not just because they are good players but because of just everything else. They are good students, they are good guys, good teammates. It's been an honor to coach them."

 
How It Happened

• Towson played without sophomore Alex Thomas.
• Towson forced five JMU turnovers during its 22-4 run.
• With the game tied at 24-24 with 4:20 remaining, Morsell took control.
• Morsell scored 10 consecutive points.
• Morsell capped his personal run with consecutive 3-pointers that brought the crowd of its seats.
• Freshman Zane Martin, who came off the bench to add 16 points and three assists, drilled a 3-pointer with 0.7 seconds remaining in the first half that gave Towson a 37-26 halftime lead.
• Junior Deshaun Morman added 12 points, two steals, and two assists in 24 minutes.
• Morman had a steal and a layup that gave Towson its biggest lead of the game, 43-26, with 17:17 remaining.
• Twelve minutes later, JMU had sliced Towson's advantage to 59-54 with 5:51 remaining following Joey McLean's layup.
• Brian Starr and Martin sank huge shots to give the Tigers a 64-54 lead and the Tigers were able to close out the game.
• Adala Moto finished with 11 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
• Adala Moto was removed from his final home game with 12 seconds remaining to a thunderous ovation.
• Adala Moto hugged Skerry and then slapped hands with his teammates as he sat on the bench.

 
Inside the Numbers

• Towson has won 19 games for the second consecutive season and the sixth time as a Division I program.
• With 53 CAA wins, Towson has the most of any school since 2012-13.
• This is the fourth time in the last five years, Towson has won at least 18 games and 11 CAA games.
• The Tigers finished the season with a 12-3 home record.
• Towson ended the season with seven consecutive home victories.
• Towson held its fourth consecutive opponent below 70 points.
• Justin Gorham made his first career start and tied a career high with eight points.
• Gorham also finished with seven rebounds.
• This is the first time Martin has scored in double figures in consecutive games during his career.
• In two games this week, Martin averaged 14 points.
• Morsell has scored in double figures in five of Towson's six games in February.
• Morsell reached double digits in scoring for the 19^th time this season and the 52^nd time in his career.
• Morsell moved past Donald Leslie and into 23rd all-time on the Towson all-time scoring list. He has 1,047 career points.
• Towson won the rebounding battle, 32-29.
• Towson outscored James Madison, 12-0, on fastbreak points.
• The Tigers turned 13 JMU turnovers into 19 points.
• Towson shot 50 percent (26-for-52) for the game.

 
Up Next
Towson begins a season-ending two-game road trip at UNCW on Thursday night at Trask Coliseum. The game starts at 7 p.m. UNCW defeated Towson, 76-67, on New Year's Eve at SECU Arena. The Seahawks have won two straight against the Tigers.