BOX SCORE TOWSON, Md. – Wednesday afternoon the Towson University women's basketball team hosted East Carolina and came out on top with an 89-81 victory.
The Tigers were led by redshirt-senior
Kionna Jeter with 27 points and 12 rebounds while junior
Shavonne Smith dropped 13 points and sophomore
Aleah Nelson scored 13 as well. Towson starts the season 1-0 for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The opening moments both teams traded baskets, until the Pirates went on a 10-2 run and took an eight-point lead with 2:22 to go in the first period.
- Towson saw scoring from four players in the first but trailed 22-16 at the end of 10 minutes.
- With some lineup changes to start the second quarter, freshman Allie Kubek scored early cutting the lead to six before Aleah Nelson and Kionna Jeter tallied in some free throws.
- Two and a half minutes into the quarter and the Tigers had cut the lead to three, trailing 26-23.
- As the Tigers worked to close the gap, the defense stepped up holding ECU scoreless through almost three minutes, tying it up on a free throw from Tess Borgosz.
- Points were traded again before Borgosz came up big with a three, putting the Tigers ahead with 5:36 to go in the half.
- Towson went on a furious scoring run in the next two minutes, taking a nine-point lead following a free throw from Kubek with 3:11 to go. With two minutes remaining in the period, the home team led by 12, 47-35.
- ECU started to catch up offensively and cut the lead to 10 before heading into the locker room. The Tigers led 50-40.
- Entering the second half, the Pirates scored first and earned a single-digit deficit and the battle ensued in the third quarter.
- Towson led by as much as 13, but the road team did not go away easily, cutting the lead to one point with 3:34 on the clock. The Tigers climbed back into a lead, up by four after a pair of free throws from Kubek, but at the end of the third, they led 64-62.
- The fourth period was much of the same as ECU tied it up with seven minutes to go.
- Spurred by early scoring from LaKaitlin Wright and Nelson, the Tigers took a six-point advantage with 4:12 on the clock, leading 77-71.
- ECU cut the lead to three points once more on a layup from Taniyah Thompson, just over three minutes remaining.
- A spurt of scoring from Jeter helped push the Tigers to a nine-point lead with 59 seconds to go. She made two free throws to put Towson up 87-81 before Smith put a layup in to seal the win.
BEYOND THE BOX
- Dating back to last season, this is Kionna Jeter's ninth consecutive game scoring in double figures. She now has tallied three career double-doubles and 29 games with 10 or more points scored.
- Freshman Allie Kubek had her collegiate debut and first career start today, finishing with seven points and one rebound, she played 31 minutes.
- Shavonne Smith's 13 points are her fourth career game in double figures and today was her second career start for Towson.
- Senior Wiebke Schwartau, known as "Tilly", had her first start for Towson today as well. Last season she appeared in 23 games.
- Today's victory marks the first season-opener win for head coach Diane Richardson.
LOOKING AHEAD
- Towson's schedule is subject to change. Currently the Tigers are scheduled to take on LaSalle on Monday afternoon at 4 p.m. in Philadelphia.
