TOWSON, Md. – During one sequence late in an eventual road victory over Elon last month, Dennis Tunstall swatted a shot halfway across the arena. A few seconds later, Tunstall denied another Elon potential scorer.
 
He didn't wag his finger like Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo. Nope, Tunstall slapped a few high-fives with his teammates and got back into his defensive position ready to attack again.
 
During his sterling career, Tunstall has been a bulwark for the Towson University men's basketball program, specializing in blocking shots, rebounding, defending with diligence and doing the all the dirty work for the Tigers that's contributed to the Tiger success during his career.
 
He is eighth all-time in Towson's history in blocked shots with 113. A shooters worse nightmare, Tunstall has had 34 games with multiple-blocked shots, including a career best five in a game against Charleston last season.
 
The affable 6 foot, 9 inch forward had four game-changing rejections in last week's 63-48 victory over James Madison.
 
"It's been a long journey," said Tunstall last week following practice. "It's been a long five years. It's bittersweet that this part of my life is coming to an end soon, but I am thankful for all the memories and opportunities. Being part of this program has meant a lot to me. I spent countless hours in the weight room and I feel like I grew as a man on and off the court. Everybody in this program treated me like a family."
 
Tunstall is the eldest member of Towson's senior trio that includes Brian Fobbs and Nakye Sanders. Tunstall's career is quickly coming to an end with four regular season games remaining and two home contests beginning Thursday against William & Mary in a big-time game at 7 p.m. Tunstall will be celebrated prior to the Tigers game against Elon Saturday at 2 p.m.
 
Tunstall earned his degree in environmental science this past December.
 
His goal is to become an environmental engineer, which is a professional engineering discipline that takes from broad scientific topics like chemistry, biology, ecology, geology, hydraulics, hydrology, microbiology, and mathematics to create solutions that will protect and also improve the health of living organisms and improve the quality of the environment.
 
During a highlight-film of a two-minute stretch late in the second half of Towson's 76-69 road win at Drexel on Feb. 8, Tunstall demonstrated his worth by taking a charge to keep the game tied, tip-in a missed shot to give Towson the advantage for good, set a screen to free up Fobbs for a lead-expanding five-point lead and then blocked a shot.
 
A neat Tunstall clip package to be savored.
 
"My mindset when I get on the floor is to do my job," Tunstall said following a game against Morgan State in his sophomore year when he blocked a pair of shots in regulation to help force overtime in a game the Tigers eventually won. "I love blocking shots. It's what I do."
 
Tunstall is currently tied for second in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in blocked shots with William & Mary's Andy Van Vliet (1.3). They both trail W&M's Nathan Knight, who leads the conference with 1.6 blocks per game.
 
Also ranked fourth in the CAA in offensive rebounding (2.4) and 10th in rebounding (5.9) Tunstall will battle both Van Vliet and Knight on Thursday night.
 
Last season, Tunstall earned a spot on the All-CAA Defensive Team after he was third in the conference in blocked shots, offensive rebounds per game (2.9), ninth in rebounding and 11th in defensive rebounds per game (4.8). In addition, Tunstall averaged 5.7 points per game while leading the Tigers in field goal percentage (55.4).
 
Tunstall has enjoyed a fantastic career, which also includes three double-doubles. After dropping the first three games of the conference schedule, the Tigers have rebounded by winning 10 of their last 12 games, setting them up perfectly for a memorable March.
 
His toughness, tenacity, and talent will be missed as he begins the next phase of his life. The sight of his parents, Dennis Jr. and Lisa, in attendance at all his games provided Tunstall comfort throughout his career. They have been his rock through tough times and great moments like last year when he finished with a career best 21 rebounds against Delaware.
 
"My parents inspire me," Tunstall said. "Growing up, I wanted to follow in their footsteps, and play sports at the collegiate level. All my life they made all the efforts they could to prepare me for my future, which allowed me to be in the position I am in today."