BALTIMORE, Md. – A "Beltway Battle" ensued on Tuesday night at the UMBC Event Center between the Towson University women's basketball team and the UMBC Retrievers. Nicknamed for the shared highway of I-695 between the two schools, a battle it surely was as the Tigers pulled off the comeback to win 71-62.
 
Towson improves to 3-1 on the season while UMBC collects its first loss of the year, now 6-1.
 
How it Happened

• The opening five minutes were very slow as both teams appeared to be pacing themselves and figuring out their opponent. Redshirt sophomore Kionna Jeter scored the first points of the game and started the Tigers with a 2-0 lead, which was tied just over a minute later.
• In the first quarter the score was tied two times and the lead changed once as the Retrievers were shooting well and started off with a 15-11 lead.
• Period two started very similarly, but included no ties or lead changes, UMBC was owning its home court and went into the locker room with a two-point advantage.
• Towson outscored the home team in the second quarter, but the already established lead helped the Retrievers hold on.
• At the half, Jeter had six points, as Danielle Durjan was leading the team with 10, and Jalynn Holmes had seven.
• Without surprise the opening three minutes of the third quarter were slow-paced and had only missed shot attempts, two maid jumpers and one made free throw, and several turnovers.
• The Tigers finally regained the lead in the second half of the period, 35-32 after Ryan Holder connected with Nukiya Mayo following a steal and Mayo found the hoop for a good layup.
• War continued and the score differential was only one point heading into the fourth, but Towson was ahead.
• Jeter began to heat up and eventually enflame on the court, scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter alone on her way to another double-digit performance.
• Durjan led the fourth with a jumper, followed by two good free throws from Jeter with just under nine minutes to go.
• The Retrievers cut the lead to six points with just 2:02 left on the clock, as Holmes pulled up from the corner three and sunk the ball in to take a nine-point lead.
• UMBC would come within eight points tying the game with just 27 seconds left, but the Tigers held off with three made free throws to keep the game out of reach.

 
Beyond the Box

• Tuesday's win is the first time since the 2016-17 season that Towson has won at least three-straight games.
• It was the second consecutive game that three players finished in double digits for scoring, with Kionna Jeter's 24, 13 from Durjan and 12 from Holmes.
• The Tigers finished with 44 total rebounds including 21 offensive boards, leading to 18 second chance points.
• Towson saw 21 points scored from the bench and 13 from turnovers.
• The win is also the seventh-straight win over UMBC in program history, the longest stretch of wins in the series.
• Nukiya Mayo and Jeter both had seven rebounds apiece to lead the team, while Q. Murray had a team-high six assists and Ryan Holder had three steals.

 
Looking Ahead
Towson has three days off before traveling to play Mount St. Mary's on Saturday at 1 p.m.