TOWSON, Md. -- After two weeks between games due to COVID-19 Protocols, the Towson University women's basketball team returns to SECU Arena this weekend for a pair of games against Hofstra University.
Tipoff on both Saturday and Sunday are slated for 2 p.m. Both games will be carried on FloHoops.com with an audio broadcast on the Towson Sports Network.
HEAD COACH UPDATE
Towson University women's basketball coach Diane Richardson will miss this weekend's games versus Hofstra due to COVID-19 protocols. The Tigers are scheduled to host the Pride in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play Saturday and Sunday at SECU Arena. Associate head coach Zach Kancher will lead the team in Richardson's absence.
LAST TIME OUT (Jan. 1, 2021)
Towson came out hot in the second quarter, out-scoring James Madison 34-20 in the frame, but ultimately fell 89-85 in a tight CAA opener. The lead changed eight times in the game, while it was tied four times. Kionna Jeter (25) led Towson's scoring with Shavonne Smith (21) and Aleah Nelson (11) close behind. Nelson dished out seven assists. JMU's Kiki Jefferson led the game with a 24-point, 11-rebound double-double.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Towson will look to restart its high-tempo offense after a two-week pause. The Tigers are second in the country in scoring average (91.5) and the CAA. Preseason Player of the Year Kionna Jeter leads Towson's offense with 24.6 points per game and ranks sixth in the country. Shavonne Smith (15.5), Aleah Nelson (13.4) and Allie Kubek (11.0) join Jeter in double figures. Rookie Allie Kubek leads the way on the boards with 6.6 per game, edging Jeter's 6.3. Towson's offense runs through Nelson, who averages 7.0 assists per game, which ranks fifth in the Division I. In assist-to-turnover ratio, Nelson (3.29) ranks 14 nationally.
THE HOFSTRA SERIES
(Towson Leads 37-35)
The Tigers lead the all-time series 37-35 thanks to five straight wins over the Pride. Under head coach Diane Richardson, the Tigers are 6-1, with the lone blemish coming in February 2018, her first season at the helm. During Towson's five-game winning streak, the Tigers average 76.8 points while limiting the Pride to 60.0 points per game. Towson won the last meeting 71-54 in Hempstead behind four players in double figure scoring.
SCOUTING THE PRIDE
The Pride enter the weekend series with a 4-8 overall mark and a 2-4 record in league play. JaKayla Brown (15.6) and Jaylen Hines (13.0) lead the way offensively. Hines (7.8) is also the top rebounder for Hofstra, with Jaala Henry (5.9) close behind. Jahsyni Knight runs the offense, averaging 4.3 assists per game. The Pride have dropped their last three games, falling to Delaware twice last week and splitting with Northeastern the weekend prior.
LAST TIME AGAINST HOFSTRA
After a halftime tie, the Tigers exploded for 41 points in the final 20 minutes to run out a 71-54 win on the road at Hofstra. Towson's defense stifled the Pride into just 24 second-half points. Nukiya Mayo dropped in 24 points while Kionna Jeter posted 17. Q. Murray (17) and LaKaitlin Wright (12) hit double figures as well. Half of Towson's points came inside the paint while capitalizing on Pride miscues with 17 points off turnovers. Ineza Sorelle led Hofstra with 18 points.
JETER MOVES TO SEVENTH
Senior guard Kionna Jeter has moved into seventh overall on the Towson University women's basketball scoring list. The Spartanburg, South Carolina product has 1,295 career points. Next on the list at sixth is Dominique Johnson at 1,345.
GOING FOR WIN 50
Head Coach Diane Richardson has won 48 games during her tenure at Towson University. She is 48-52 with a CAA Championship in her second season (2018-19). Richardson is lined up to be the second-fastest coach in program history to hit the 50-wins milestone.
Sheilah Collins - 83 Games
Ellen Fitzkee - 128 Games
Joe Matthews - 158 Games
Diane Richardson - 48-52 (100 Games)
