TOWSON, Md. — After a dominant win in its season opener, the Towson women's basketball team is set to compete in the WNIT Preseason Classic from Nov. 12-15. The Tigers will play three games over the span of four days, facing Florida on Nov. 12 (4:30 p.m.), Wofford on Nov. 14 (4:30) and NC State on Nov. 15 (7 p.m.).
BIG Season Opening Win
Towson defeated Frostburg State, 113-59, on Tuesday night for its first win of the 2021-22 season. The team's 113 points tied a program-high set last season against Salem (12/18/21). The score marks the third time the black & gold have reached triple digits under head coach Diane Richardson.
Anissa Rivera (21p, 14r) and Allie Kubek (17p, 10r) each secured double-doubles in the win. Four other Tigers also reached double figures in in Aleah Nelson (19), Ryann Evans (12), Tarriyonna Gary (10) and Skye Williams (12).
The reigning fastest team in the country stayed true to form, scoring 36 points on fast breaks against the Bobcats. They also forced an impressive 23 turnovers, converting into 30 points off 12 steals. Freshman Mariah Wilson and junior transfer Ryann Evans led the team with three takeaways apiece.
Nelson also earned nine of the team's 15 total assists. After just one game, she currently ranks ninth in the country and first in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) win the stat.
The Returners
Towson's lineup will feature six returners in addition to nine new faces. Starters Kubek and Nelson lead the way in addition to veterans Skye Williams, Narrie Dodson, Kiara Johnson and Tarriyonna Gary.
Transferring In
In the offseason, the Tigers welcomed five transfers for the start of the 2021-22 season in Ryann Evans (East Carolina), Kylie Kornegay-Lucas (Virginia), Jamey Napoleon (Central Connecticut State), Anissa Rivera (North Carolina Central) and Rayne Tucker (James Madison).
With the exception of Kornegay-Lucas who is a redshirt sophomore, all of the incoming transfers are juniors.
Fresh Faces
Towson also brought three rookies in to join the team with Ciara Bailey, Mariah Wilson and Quinzia Fulmore.
All-CAA Preseason Praise
Nelson, Tucker and Rivera all picked up Preseason CAA accolades late in the month of October. Nelson earned an All-CAA second-team selection as Tucker and Rivera were both named honorable mentions.
Nelson ranked second on the team in scoring, averaging 13.6 points per contest. The Baltimore native reached double digits in 16 contests and scored +15 points eight times.
Tucker averaged 10.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per contest during her sophomore campaign in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The junior transfer paced the Dukes in both total blocks (26) and blocks per game (1.2, third in CAA). She secured three double-doubles in the 2020-21 season, including a 26-point, 10 rebound performance against Delaware (2/20) which earned her CAA Player of the Week (2/22).
Rivera ended the regular season ranked at the top of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with averages of 16.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per contest. Nationally, Rivera ranked sixth out of all NCAA Division I players with 3.07 blocks per game at the end of the regular season. At the finish of the 2020-21 season, the forward earned the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year award in addition to being named a First Team All-MEAC and a BOXTOROW First Team All-American.
Predicted Order of Finish (CAA)
1. Delaware/Drexel (77)
3.James Madison (64)
4. Towson (58)
5. Hofstra (47)
6. Elon (38)
7. William and Mary (29)
8. UNCW (15)
9. Northeastern (12)
Staff Updates
Myles Jackson, Jasmine Allen and Aaron Thomas have all been elevated to new acting roles on the Towson women's basketball coaching staff.
After being promoted to Director of Basketball Operations in 2019, Jackson has been named the acting Assistant Coach. In turn, Allen has been elevated to the acting Director of Basketball Operations and Thomas has been brought on as the acting Assistant Director of Basketball Operations.
All three will be in an acting capacity until a full recruitment is conducted after the season.
Coming Home
Five of 14 student-athletes on Towson's roster represent their home state of Maryland. Nelson is the loan Baltimore native while Kubek (Elkton), Evans (Columbia), Tucker (New Carrollton) and Rivera (Capitol Heights) are also from close by.
WNIT Preseason Classic Format
Officials with the 2021 Preseason WNIT Classic have announced a modified field of eight teams that will compete in the event in November, with the typical format altered as the collegiate sports world moves past the complications of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For 2021, the Preseason WNIT Classic features two four-team pods and a three-game guarantee, with NC State and Kansas State as hosts. Joining the Wolfpack will be Florida, Towson and Wofford; the Wildcats will welcome North Carolina A&T, UT Martin and Western Kentucky. Each site plays a round-robin format, and the final game of the event will have Kansas State playing at NC State on Nov. 19. No champions will be crowned; each pod will have its own all-tournament team.
Third Time's The Charm
This will mark Towson's third all-time appearance in the WNIT Preseason tournament. The team made their debut to start the 2009-10 season, winning contests against Winthrop (56-46) and North Carolina A&T (74-69) but falling to West Virginia (42-79). The Tigers returned in 2014-15 campaign, getting a victory over Rider (53-51) but dropping contests to Penn State (64-71) and North Dakota (52-54).
Florida and North Carolina State will join Towson in making its third appearance in the event. Wofford will be the lone team attending for the first time.
A Clean Slate
Towson has little to no experience against the three teams it will face during the WNIT Preseason Classic. The Tigers faced NC State once in the past during the 2013-14 season, falling 46-69.
Richardson has not played against any of the three times while at Towson or as a head coach.
Looking for Gators
Florida went 12-14 (3-11 SEC) in the 2020-21 season, facing nine top-20 opponents. The team won their biggest game of the season in the conference tournament, eliminating No. 13 Auburn, 69-62, in the first round for their only win over a ranked opponent. They went on to drop the second round contest to No. 5 Kentucky (64-73). Florida did go onto the postseason with a WNIT berth, defeating Charlotte, 66-65, but falling to Villanova, 57-77.
The Gators won their first game of the 2021-22 campaign with an 84-70 win over Georgia State on Nov. 9. The victory was the first for interim head coach Kelly Rae Finley in her first season in the new role. She had previously served as the team's associate head coach from May 2019 to July 2021 before earning the promotion.
Graduate student Kiara Smith paced the team with 23 points while also adding six rebounds and four assists. Lavender Briggs led the team off the glass, grabbing seven rebounds in addition to collecting two steals and a pair of blocks.
Scouting the Terriers
Wofford is coming off a 13-11 (7-7 SOCON) mark in the 2020-21 season. The team did make a run in the conference tournament, advancing to the championship game where they lost to Mercer, 60-38.
The Terriers dropped their opening game of the 2021-22 season on Nov. 9 to CAA foe Charleston, 48-80. Returning senior forward Alexis Tomlin led the way for Wofford, securing a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double. Forward Lilly Hatton also found herself at the top of the stat sheet, scoring 12 and securing 10 boards.
Investigating the Wolfpack
No. 5 NC State is coming off an ACC Championship season after defeating No. 5 Louisville to win its sixth program conference title. They went on to the NCAA Tournament, falling in the Sweet 16 to No. 4-seed Indiana, 70-73. The team boasted a 22-3 (12-2 ACC) record with a tough schedule.
The Wolfpack dropped their season opener on Nov. 9 against the top-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks, 57-66. Jakia Brown-Turner and Raina Perez both amassed 18 points in the contest. Perez also went 2-of-2 from 3-point range and added two assists.
Looking Ahead
Following the WNIT Preseason Classic, Towson will play at home for the remainder of November, welcoming Millersville (11/23), Howard (11/27) and Delaware State (11/29).
Tigers in the Community
For the 7th consecutive year, the department exceeded 10,000 hours of community service to the Greater Baltimore region, finishing with 11,162 hours of community service in the 2018-19 academic season. Towson ranked #1 nationally for community service and won the 2018 National Championship for Community Service through the Helper Helper NCAA Team Works Competition. Towson had a 97% participation rate, attended 118 community service opportunities and volunteered with 19 organizations. The Tigers won the 2018 Volunteer of the Year Award from Susan G. Komen of Maryland.
