TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University men's basketball team nearly came back from down 22 in the second half with a vibrant Tiger crowd cheering them on, but the rally came up just short in a 79-71 defeat vs. reigning MAAC regular season Monmouth.
 
Towson (1-1) had a late 17-0 run to pull back with five late against Monmouth (1-1) in a physical game with 56 combined fouls in front of over 2,000 fans at SECU Arena, but the Tigers could not bridge the final gap.
 
Key Stats:

• Towson scored 26 points off turnovers, forcing eight steals on defense. 
• Cam Holden nearly had his second double-double of the year, finishing with 17 points and nine rebounds, adding three steals.  Nicolas Timberlake was the leading scorer for Towson with 18 points, including 6-for-7 from the free throw line.  Juwan Gray tallied up 12 points and five rebounds off the bench.
• For Monmouth, George Papas was 5-for-7 from three-point range and 7-for-8 from the free throw line for 22 points.

Postgame Quote:
Towson head coach Pat Skerry: "We dug a big hole but then we fought back, but credit to Monmouth for coming on the road and playing very well.  We had a very good crowd, appreciate all the people coming up.  We had some guys that played well down the stretch, but we need to be crisper on offense."
 
How It Happened:

• Towson had early trouble against the fast breaks of Monmouth.  The Hawks started the game on a 17-0 run through the opening six minutes of the game.
• Charles Thompson stopped the run by getting fouled on a layup attempt in the paint, hitting a free throw.  Monmouth added to its lead, scoring seven points in a row to lead 24-1.
• Towson attempted to claw back as Antonio Rizzuto got fouled and knocked down two free throws, then Nicolas Timberlake hit a driving layup while hammered in the paint.  Towson continued to draw fouls from Monmouth and getting to the free throw line, adding two more from Jason Gibson to make it 26-7 Monmouth halfway through the first.
• Towson got a big run together following a made Monmouth layup.  Cam Holden got a steal and a break to the basket, adding two free throws on the next possession.  Next chance, Juwan Gray buried a top-of-the-arc three to complete the run at 7-0.  After a Monmouth layup, Timberlake hit the kick-out three, then Gray put back a layup while fouled, hitting the free throw to pull Towson within eight at 28-20.
• Towson's pressure defense continued to pay dividends, forcing tough shots from Monmouth and leading to fast break attacks.  An 8-0 run, including a Gibson deep three, pulled Towson within two at 30-28 with 4:37 left in the 1^st.
• Following an exchange of baskets, Monmouth started to draw fouls and get to the line, rebuilding its lead.  The Hawks ended the half on a 10-0 run, capped by a fast break pull-up three by George Papas, to lead 43-31 at the break.
• Each side tried to go into the paint in the early going of the second half, with only one Monmouth basket getting on the board in the opening 3:30 of the period.
• Towson pulled back to within 12, but Monmouth went on an 8-0 run, by free throws and layups, to go up 59-39 with 12:18 to play.
• Rizzuto finished Monmouth's run with a wing three in transition as Towson looked to come back.  Back-and-forth the teams went with Monmouth holding the advantage.  Down 22, Towson started to get points off strong defense, beginning with a Timberlake layup and a steal and score from Holden.  The back court press forced turnovers and used the crowd's energy to get back in the game.  Using free throws and shots from downtown, the Tigers earned a 17-0 run to get within five at 68-63 with three minutes to play.
• Monmouth kept the lead and brought down the clock, getting back to nine.  Towson kept the pressure on and forced turnovers at the halfcourt getting a couple of late baskets from Gray.   The Tigers kept the game close but could not bridge the final gap, falling 79-71.

Inside the Numbers

• Cam Holden has earned double digit points in both games to start this season, averaging 16 points a contest.

Next Game:

• Towson comes back to SECU Arena on Tuesday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. against Hampton.  For ticket information, interested parties may contact the Towson Athletics ticket office by visiting www.towsontigers.com, calling 1-855-TU-TIGER or emailing dkogok@towson.edu.

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