TOWSON, Md. – Winners of six straight games and 11 of its last 12, the Towson University men's basketball team enters its final regular season road trip as the hottest team in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).
 
It's a good thing the Tigers are playing their best basketball of the season because they are visiting a pair of difficult environments and will be severely tested. UNCW and William & Mary are a combined 23-1 at home this season.
 
Towson's best will be needed to continue its winning roll. Towson received two votes in this week's Mid-Major Top 25 poll.
 

When:	Thursday, February 23, 2017
Where	Trask Coliseum-- Wilmington, N.C
Time:	7 p.m.
Records:	Towson (19-10, 11-5); UNCW (24-5, 13-3)
Radio:	CBS Radio
Series History:	UNCW leads 21-14
Last Meeting:	UNCW defeated Towson, 76-67 Dec. 31 at SECU Arena
Social Media Updates:	@Towson_MBB

Series Notes
 This will be the 36th all-time meeting … UNCW has won the last two meetings and five of the last six matchups … Towson has lost three straight at Trask Coliseum, last winning in 2013 … UNCW is 11-1 at home this season … RPIs entering the game: Towson (92) and UNCW (41) … Towson has out-rebounded 44 of its last 48 foes … TU leads the CAA and ranks 7th in Div. I in rebound margin (+8.0 rpg).
 
CAA Tournament Implications
Towson can finish anywhere from first to fifth as the final week of the season begins. This much is certain, if Towson wins one of its final two games or if Elon and William & Mary each lose one of its last two games, the Tigers will finish no worse than third. Towson trails UNCW by two games and Charleston by a game. Charleston hosts Delaware and Drexel while UNCW also hosts Northeastern in its regular season finale.
 
Getting Defensive
Towson has held its last four opponents under 70 points.
 
Player of the Week Honors
Mike Morsell was named CAA men's basketball player of the week after averaging 25.5 points and 4.0 rebounds last week. He's the second Towson men's player this season to receive the weekly conference honor. Arnaud William Adala Moto was CAA Player of the Week on Jan. 16.
 
Streaking
Towson's six-game winning streak is tied for the 17th-longest in the nation, while William & Mary's 12-game home court winning streak is tied for 14th in Division I.
 
A Look At UNCW
Ranked seventh in the latest Mid-Major Top 25 poll, UNCW (24-5) is one of 13 teams in Division I with at least 24 wins this season as of Feb. 20. UNCW's Chris Flemmings (24.0 ppg) and C.J. Bryce (20.5 ppg) led UNCW in two wins last week over Northeastern and Hofstra. The Seahawks set a school-record for regular-season wins. Flemmings was the top scorer in both games with 27 points at HU and 21 at NU. He has five 20-point efforts and has 13 double-figure outings in the past 15 games. Bryce averaged 20.5 ppg and 8.0 rpg last week, including 23 points and seven boards at HU. He's tallied double digits in 24 of his last 25 games and has 20+ points eight times. Denzel Ingram leads the CAA in 3's per game and assists, and ranks 12th in scoring. Devontae Cacok leads the nation in FG percentage (78.7%), ranks 2nd in the CAA with 9.9 rpg, and has 10 double-doubles. The Seahawks have four players averaging double figures: Bryce (17.0), Flemmings (16.0), Ingram (14.2) and Cacok (12.4, 9.9 rebounds per game). The Seahawks average 91.5 points at home.
 
Last Meeting Against UNCW
Senior forward John Davis scored 18 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for his 20th career double-double, but it wasn't enough as the Towson dropped a 76-67 decision to UNCW. In addition to Davis, also reaching double figures for Towson were junior guards Mike Morsell (14 points) and Deshaun Morman (11). Towson limited Flemmings, the CAA Preseason Player of the Year, to two points on 1-of-8 shooting. UNCW placed four players in double figures led by Ingram's 22 points. Cacok had 17 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots and Ambrose Mosley scored all 15 of his points in the second half for UNCW.
 
Last Time Out
Towson beat James Madison, 75-65 to extend its winning streak to six games Saturday. Mike Morsell scored 19 points to lead Towson, which played its final home game of the season. Zane Martin scored 16 points. Towson never trailed in the second half. Deshaun Morman (12 points) and Arnaud William Adala Moto (11) also reached double digits for the Tigers. Flemmings got the Seahawks off to a strong start for the second straight game and sophomore guard C.J. Bryce hit several big buckets down the stretch to propel UNCW past host Hofstra, 83-76.
 
Skerry Success In Last Five Years
Everyone knows Towson went 1-31 in coach Pat Skerry's first year. Since then, Towson has been consistently excellent. The Tigers have won 94 games (including two postseason contests), participated in two postseason tournaments and have the most CAA wins of any school.

CAA Wins Since 2012-13 Season
Since the start of the 2012-13 season, Towson has the most regular season Colonial Athletic Association victories.  The Tigers are 53-30 over that span.
 

School	Wins
Towson	53
William & Mary	50
Northeastern	49
James Madison	46
UNCW	47
Delaware	43
Hofstra	38
Drexel	32
College of Charleston	29
Elon	22

 
19 And Counting
This is the third time in the last five years, Towson has won at least 19 games. It's the sixth time since Towson has been a Division I program (first year was 1979-80) that it has won at least 19 games in a single season (1988-89, 1990-91, 1993-94, 2013-14, 2015-16 & 2016-17). The last three have been under Pat Skerry. With one more win, Towson will have 20 wins for the fourth time as a Division I program. It will also be the first time that Towson has posted consecutive 20-win seasons as a Division I program. Towson had consecutive 20 win seasons during its time as a Division II program in 1976-77 (27-3) and 1977-78 (26-4).
 
Marvelous Martin
Freshman Zane Martin hit 3-of-4 treys and tallied 16 points and three assists against James Madison and had 12 points in 15 minutes vs. Elon. Martin also sank a 3-pointer just before the first half expired against JMU. He's averaging 11.5 points per game over the last four games. He has scored at least nine points in each game during that span. The games against Elon and JMU marked the first time in Martin's career he has scored in double figures in consecutive games.
 
Up Next
Towson closes its regular season on the road Saturday afternoon at William & Mary at 2 p.m. The game from Kaplan Arena will be televised on Comcast Sportsnet.  Towson beat W&M, 82-80, after rallying from a 17-point second half deficit at SECU Arena on Feb 4.