TOWSON, Md. --- This one hurt.
 
There was no preparation for the traumatic ending.
 
With gruesome finality, Hofstra erased a 10-point deficit in the final five minutes and clipped host Towson, 76-73, as Jalen Ray made a 3-pointer from in front of his team's bench as time expired just before the red light on the backboard illuminated in a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) men's basketball game at stunned SECU Arena Thursday night.
 
After the referees reviewed the play, which only delayed the inevitable that Ray's shot was good, Towson players dropped to their knees. Breathless fans were in shock following the chaotic conclusion that saw Hofstra make a pair of 3-pointers in the final 20 seconds.
 
The tough setback ended Towson's 14-game home court winning streak and spoiled Justin Gorham's career-high 20 point performance. He was 7-for-7 from the field in 25 minutes. Zane Martin added 17 points and Eddie Keith II scored 10 points for the Tigers.
 
Records
Hofstra            10-7 overall, 3-2 CAA
Towson           12-6, 2-3
 
Quotable
Towson head coach Pat Skerry on the game.
"We didn't guard threes and didn't rebound the ball. We scored enough points and shot a high percentage. We didn't exactly get the shot we wanted at the end. We prefer to drive it. We didn't get over a couple of flairs and they made us pay. You kind of feel like somebody took your lunch money and ran out the door on you. We expect to win at home. It always hurts to lose a game like that at the buzzer and it's one we should've put away."
 
Hofstra head coach Joe Mihalich on Justin Foreman-Wright's pass at the end.
"It might be the best play Justin Wright-Foreman ever made. He made a game-tying 3 against James Madison. He made a game-tying 3 tonight. He's the best scorer in the country, maybe. But his composure and his poise on that play --- he got the outlet pass, he found the clock, he found his teammates, he pushed the ball up, at the exact right time he made the perfect pass to Jalen. Of course, Jalen did the rest and made an un-freshman-like shot, which he's done on more than one occasion this year."
 
How It Happened

• Hofstra outscored Towson, 19-6, over the final five minutes.
• The Pride made seven of its last nine shots, including four of its five second-half 3-pointers.
• Also, in the final five minutes, Towson had three turnovers, was 2-for-5 from the foul line and was outrebounded, 5-1.
• After Towson missed a shot that could've won the game in the final seconds, Hofstra's Hunter Sabety got the rebound and fired a pass to Justin Wright-Foreman, who found Ray for the winning basket.
• Brian Starr gave Towson a 73-70 lead with 26 seconds remaining following a pair of foul shots.
• Hofstra's Justin Wright-Forman tied the game at 73 six seconds later with a 3-pointer from the top of the key.
• Zane Martin gave the Tigers a 71-70 lead with 63 seconds remaining.
• Martin sank two foul shots to give Towson a 67-57 lead with 5:22 left.
• Gorham had two dunks in the second half.
• Towson led 43-38 at intermission after ending the first half on a 10-0 run.
• The Tigers held Hofstra scoreless for the final 2:41 of the first half.
• Towson shot 62.5 percent (15-for-24) in the first half.
• Foreman-Wright scored a game-high 35 points on 12-of-19 shooting.

 
Inside the Numbers

• Gorham became the fifth player this season to score at least 20 points in a single game for Towson.
• Gorham is also the third Tiger to finish a game 7-for-7 from the field, joining Brian Starr (Loyola) and Jordan McNeil (Oakland).
• Speaking of McNeil, he tied his career high with five rebounds.
• McNeil and Hofstra's Rokas Gustys, who entered the game sixth in the nation in rebounding, finished with the same amount of caroms.
• Keith II, who dished a season best five assists, has scored in double figures in every CAA contest.
• This was Martin's 12th consecutive game in double figures.
• With his fifth game of 30 points this season, Wright-Foreman extended his double digit streak to 39 straight.
• Hofstra improved to 7-2 in games decided by three points or less this season.
• Towson shot 54.3 percent (25-for-46).
• It was the third time in four games, Towson has shot at least 50 percent.
• The Tigers won the battle of the benches, 33-10.
• Towson allowed a season-high 13 3-pointers, the most it has permitted since Elon made 13 on March 6, 2015.
• The Tigers are 1-for-13 from 3-point distance in the second half of their last two games.
• After making its first two 3-point attempts in the opening three minutes, Towson missed its last nine attempts.
• Towson has scored at least 40 points in the first half in three consecutive games.
• The Tigers' 12-0 run that bridged the first and second halves was the 11th time this season, Towson has had a run of at least 10 straight points or more.

 
Up Next
Towson travels to William & Mary for a 4 p.m. contest on Saturday at Kaplan Arena. Both teams split last year's season series with each squad protecting home court. William & Mary rallied from a 20-point first-half deficit to beat James Madison, 89-82, in overtime.