TOWSON, Md. – The nonconference slate for the Towson University women's basketball team continues this weekend as the Tigers travel to Syracuse, New York to face the No. 12 Orange on Sunday afternoon.
Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. and the game will be streamed on ESPN+ and ACCN Extra online.
Long Time, No See
Sunday will be the second meeting ever between Towson and Syracuse, the first was in March of 1977 at the Manhattanville Invitational. The Tigers beat the Orange 72-66, and both programs never scheduled to meet again until this year.
Scouting the Orange
Syracuse is coming off a loss to No. 20 Minnesota in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Thursday night, currently 6-2 on the year. Ranked 12th in the AP Poll, the Orange won five straight in the last two weeks, including three wins at the Cancun Challenge. Syracuse's other loss came to No. 3 Oregon the second game of the season. Leading the Orange is Tiana Mangakahia averaging 16.3 points per game, the only player averaging double digits. Four different players are averaging 5.1 or more rebounds per game, while Mangakahia leads in assists with 6.1. Syracuse has two players shooting over 50 percent from the floor and two shooting over 40 percent from three. Three different members of the team are perfect from the free throw line so far, but have five or less attempts at foul shots. Mangakahia, on the other hand, has made 20 of 24 attempts, an 83.3 shooting percentage. The Orange are averaging 77 points per game, with a season high 92 against Princeton last week.
Scouting the Tigers
Towson enters the weekend 3-3, coming off a loss to George Washington in D.C. on Tuesday. Redshirt sophomore
Kionna Jeter continues to lead the offense, averaging 23.3 points per game, followed by
Nukiya Mayo who's averaging 11.6. Mayo leads the rebounding effort with 6.8 per game, while Jeter is averaging 6.5 and freshman
Aislinn Flynn is grabbing 5.5 per game.
Q. Murray is running the offense with 3.6 assists per game. The Tigers have three players shooting over 44 percent from the floor. Jeter is shooting 35.4 percent from three while
Jalynn Holmes is leading the team with a 40 percent three-point shooting percentage. Mayo and Jeter are both shooting over 80 percent from the free throw line.
Freshman Impact
Towson has five freshmen on this year's team and two are playing productive minutes already.
Aislinn Flynn and
Janeen Camp have both played in all six games, averaging 18.3 and 11.2 minutes, respectively. In 11.2 minutes per game, Camp is leading the team in blocks with 10 total, a 1.6 average, and posting 6.5 points with 4.5 rebounds. The Porstmouth, Virginia native is one of three players shooting above 40 percent from the field, with a 44.4 shooting percentage. Flynn earned her first collegiate start against GW and is third on the team in rebounds with 5.5 per game. She also has the third-most steals on the team and averages 3.2 points per game.
Still On Top
Kionna Jeter remains the scoring leader for the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) with her 23.3 points per game, and the leader in steals with 3.7 per game. The Tigers are also first in the conference in rebounding, averaging 44.3 per game.
Nukiya Mayo represents Towson in the top-10 rebounders, while her and Jeter are both in the top-10 of free throw shooting percentage. Jeter is fifth in the conference in field goal shooting percentage and third in three-point shooting.
Q. Murray holds the No. 8 spot in assists,
Janeen Camp is second in the league in blocked shots while
Ryan Holder is eighth. Holder is also fourth in the conference in steals, she averages 2.5 per game.
Keeping Up Nationally
Last week
Kionna Jeter reached a peak of seventh in the nation in scoring, currently she is No. 10 in points per game across the NCAA. She is also 13th in steals per game, 18th in total steals and 21st in field goals made.
Nukiya Mayo remains in the top-30 in offensive rebounds at No. 29, while Towson as a team is seventh in offensive rebounds.
Janeen Camp and
Ryan Holder are both in the top-100 nationally for blocked shots and steals respectively.
The Road to Holiday Vacation
December begins this weekend, bringing with it final exams, winter break and five basketball games for Towson. After Sunday's game the Tigers host Loyola on Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 11 a.m. for the annual STEM Day game. Towson will then play three road games, at Saint Joseph's, West Virginia and Marshall, before taking a break for the holidays.
Tigers in the Community
This week members of the women's basketball team visited elementary schools that are coming to Tuesday's STEM Day game. The student-athletes hosted pep rallies to play games with the students, tell them about basketball, teach them cheers and excite them for the upcoming game.
CAA In Sight
Conference play begins for the Tigers on Friday, Jan. 4 at 7 p.m. against Drexel. Towson was selected to finish eighth in the preseason poll and looks for an opportunity to enter CAA play strong, leading to a trip to the CAA Tournament in March.
