The Game: Towson (8-4, 0-0 CAA) @ Navy (7-3, 0-0 Patriot League)
When: Wednesday, December 22 – 1 p.m.
Where: Alumni Hall - Annapolis, Md.
Broadcast: ESPN+ ($)
--Broadcasters: Pete Medhurst, Mike Heary
Radio/Online Broadcast: Towsontigers.com
--Broadcaster: Spiro Morekas
Series: Towson leads 8-5
 
TOWSON, Md. – Two of the top basketball teams in the state of Maryland will meet up in Annapolis as the Towson men's basketball team takes on Navy on Wednesday, December 22 at 1 p.m.

The game will be broadcast online on ESPN+, available via subscription, with Pete Medhurst and Mike Heary on the call. In addition, Spiro Morekas will have the radio call live from Alumni Hall in Annapolis on towsontigers.com.
 
This is the final non-conference game of the season for Towson, with Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play beginning on Dec. 31.
 
It will have been at least a week for both teams since their last game.  Towson, Colonial Athletic Association member, has won its last two games, the previous a 74-64 victory vs. UNCG on Dec. 14, to stand at 8-4 overall.  Out of the Patriot League, Navy, which won its last game at Marist 67-61 on Dec. 12 and is playing its first home game since Dec. 1, has a 7-3 overall record.
 
When the teams tip off, it will be seven years to the day since Towson and Navy last met.  Towson leads the all-time series vs. Navy 8-5.  Each side won its last game at home: Navy 61-56 in Annapolis on Dec. 22, 2014 and the Tigers 72-45 in Towson on Nov. 8, 2013.
 
This is the final non-conference game this season for both teams.  As of Dec. 20, Towson stands 79 in the NCAA Net Rankings while Navy is at 66.  Towson and Navy have the highest NCAA Net Rankings of all teams in the state of Maryland.

Visit Navy's athletic website here for COVID protocol with attendance and parking.
 
STANDOUT DEFENSE
Through the first 12 games, Towson stands with the second-ranked scoring defense among CAA programs, allowing 65.6 points per game.  Towson has allowed 64 points or fewer in eight games.
 
Towson in second in the CAA in field goal % defense at 41.3% and is third in three-point field goal % defense at 33.0%.
 
The Tigers also have the top rebounding margin in the CAA at +7.9, 29th in all of Division I.  Before the 2020-21 season, Towson finished the year having led the league in rebounding margin the previous seven seasons, finishing third at +2.2 last year.
   
DOUBLING UP
Towson has been able to rely on a trio of scorers thus far this year, who each have at least eight games in double figure scoring.
--Cam Holden: 10 (3 with 20+ points)
--Nicolas Timberlake: 9 (2 with 20+ points)
--Terry Nolan Jr.: 8 (7 games with 5+ assists)
 
FOR THREE!
Towson has had strong success from downtown, including four players shooting above 41% from beyond the arc thus far.
 
Jason Gibson, who stands top-5 in the CAA in threes per game with 2.6, is 46% from three-point range.  Cam Holden (41.9%), Juwan Gray (41.7%) and Antonio Rizzuto (41.5%) all are above 41%.
 
Towson netted a program record 16 three-pointers in its road victory over Coppin State, including Jason Gibson tying a single game record with eight threes.  The Tigers had at least 10 three-point field goals in their last four games.
   
TOWSON PREDICTED TO FINISH EIGHTH IN CAA
Towson was predicted to get eighth in the CAA in the league's preseason poll, voted on by the conference's head coaches, SIDs and media.
 
This past year, Towson finished the year at 4-14 overall and 3-9 in the CAA, plus had three pauses due to COVID-19.
 
Delaware is predicted to finish first in the preseason poll with 19 out of 36 possible first-place votes, followed by Northeastern at second with seven.  Reigning league champion Drexel is third followed by James Madison, Hofstra, Elon, Charleston, Towson, UNCW and William & Mary.
 
SKERRY - 155 WINS AT TOWSON
Pat Skerry earned his 150th victory as head coach of the Tigers on Nov. 23, 2021 with Towson's 76-61 win over Penn.  Currently, Skerry has amassed 155 victories at Towson, including six years of at least 18 wins since the 2012-13 season.
 
Skerry is the third Towson men's basketball head coach with at least 150 wins.  Vince Angotti won 229 games as Towson's head coach from 1966-83 while Terry Truax notched 202 wins with the Tigers from 1983-97.  Skerry is also the third longest-tenured coach in Towson history.
 
Including two seasons leading Curry from 1996-98, Skerry has 177 wins as a head coach.  His teams have won double digit victories in 11 out of 13 seasons as a head coach.
 
In June, Skerry served as a court coach for the 2021 USA Basketball Men's U19 World Cup training camp on the campus of Texas Christian University (TCU).  He was one of three coaches across the country selected for this role, working with some of the top up-and-coming talent in the country.  That team went on to win the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup in July.
 
REPPING THE HOME STATE
Towson's represents its home of the Old Line State well, having eight players from Maryland on the roster.
 
Baltimore-native Terry Nolan Jr. is back home after graduating from Bradley, having spent two years with the Braves and two more at George Washington.
 
From Severna Park comes Jason Gibson, who earned All-CAA Rookie Team honors in 2019-20.  Charles Thompson, from Fort Washington, earned a spot on the CAA All-Defensive Team last season.  Joining the team is Mount Airy-native Chase Paar after two years at George Washington.
 
Five more Tigers call Maryland home: Chris Caliguiran from Accokeek, Brandon Held from Marriottsville, Curtis Holland III from Churchton and two Bowie natives: Olugbemi Joseph and Justin Patterson.
 
TU.....TRANSFER U.....
    Towson has six players who have come to Towson from other NCAA Division I programs.
--#0 Antonio Rizzuto, transfer from UAlbany (2018-21)
--#1 Terry Nolan Jr., transfer from Bradley (2019-21) and GW (2017-19)
--#5 Curtis Holland III, transfer from High Point (2018-20)
--#12 Juwan Gray, transfer from San Diego (2016-18)
--#13 Chase Paar, transfer from GW (2019-21)
--#55 Cam Holden, transfer from UT Martin (2020-21)
 
......BIG TIME TRANSFERS
Three of Towson's incoming transfers earned a league award with their respective teams last season.
 
Cam Holden was the second-ever UT Martin player to earn all-league honors, being Second Team All-OVC with 14.9 points and 8.3 rebounds a contest.
 
Antonio Rizzuto was Second Team All-America East last year at UAlbany with 12.5 points a game in 2020-21.
 
Terry Nolan Jr. picked up an MVC Scholar-Athlete Team selection with 11.2 points and 3.3 assists a game last year.
 
SECU ARENA - TRUE HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
Since SECU Arena opened in 2013, Towson has defended home court well with a 74-38 record in home games.
 
Of the first eight years, Towson has won at least two-thirds of its home games in five seasons. The 2013-14, the opening year of SECU, Towson went 15-1.
 
NATIONALLY TELEVISED TIGERS
Towson will have several opportunities to shine on the national stage this year with multiple appearances on national television. (all times ET)
--Nov. 19, 6 p.m. at Pittsburgh - ACC Network
--Nov. 25, 9:30 p.m. vs. San Francisco - FS1
--Nov. 26, 2nd game Vegas Invitational - FS1/FS2
--Dec. 8, 9 p.m. at Ohio State - ESPNU
--Jan. 3, 8 p.m. at Drexel - CBS Sports Network
--Jan. 11, 5 p.m. vs. Hofstra - CBS Sports Network
 
In addition, Towson may have other chances to be on the CBS Sports Network as part of the CAA TV package with the channel.  Other CAA regular season games plus the CAA Tournament semifinal and championship contests will air nationally.
 
ALUMNI PLAYING IN THE PROS
Towson currently has several alumni playing in the professional ranks across the world.
 
Mike Morsell signed a contract with the Memphis Hustle in the NBA G League before the 2021-22 season.  He is now playing for Spišskí Rytieri in Slovakia.
 
Dennis Tunstall '20, who signed with Basketball Academic Limburg in the Netherlands for the 2021-22 campaign.  Brian Fobbs '20 got his first professional contract for the 2021-22 season, going to Finland to play for the Vilpas Vikings.  Zane Martin and Alex Gavrilovic are playing in Sweden and Romania respectively.
 
Several of Towson players under Skerry have played professionally.  Signing contracts since 2020 include Tunstall, Nakye Sanders, Brian Fobbs, Alex Gavrilovic, Zane Martin, Timajh Parker-Rivera, Arnaud William Adala Moto and Brian Starr.  Many other players under Skerry have played professionally: Jerrelle Benimon, Mike Burwell, Marcus Damas, John Davis, Bilal Dixon, Four McGlynn and Mike Morsell.
 
CHANGES TO THE COACHING STAFF
11th-year head coach Pat Skerry announced a couple of changes on his coaching staff this season.  Pat O'Connell has been elevated to associate head coach in his sixth year with the program while Parfait Bitee, also in year six with Towson, moves up from director of player development to assistant coach.  Chris Conway joins the team as the new director of player development from Millersville.
 
Returning as well for the 2021-22 season is associate head coach Kevin Clark for his 11th year and director of operations Jordan Malkin for his second season.
 
Skerry, in year 11 with Towson, is the second-longest tenured coach among current CAA head coaches, only behind Bill Cohn of Northeastern, who is in his 16th year with the Huskies.
 
THOMPSON - 2020-21 CAA ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Charles Thompson was selected to the 2020-21 CAA All-Defensive Team last year, making it the third year in a row where Towson had a representative on the CAA All-Defensive Team.  Thompson finished second in the CAA in total blocks with 28, including 26 against league competition, the best mark in league-only play.  He also finished eighth in the league with 6.4 rebounds a contest.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT:
Navy ranks 16th in Division I in scoring defense, allowing just 57.9 points per game.  Senior guard John Carter Jr. is the team's top scorer, averaging 14.9 points per game, shooting 40.3% from three-point range.  Senior guard Greg Summers shoots 54.2% from 9.3 points and 5.4 rebounds a game.
 
CAM OFF TO A STRONG START
In his first year with the program after transferring from UT Martin, Cam Holden is having a very strong start.
 
Earning five double-doubles this year, Holden thus far is averaging 14.3 points and 9.6 rebounds a contest through the opening 12 games, each team-highs.  He currently ranks 22nd in all of Division I in rebounding and 20th in double-doubles.
 
ALL HOME GAMES TO AIR ON FLOSPORTS
For the 2021-22 season, all Towson men's and women's basketball home games will be broadcast online on FloSports, the exclusive online broadcast partner of the Colonial Athletic Association. Nearly all CAA conference games will be broadcast on FloSports.
 
Spiro Morekas, the voice of the Towson Tigers, is in his 31st season calling games for the men's basketball team.
 
FOUR TIGERS EARN CAA ACADEMIC HONOR ROLL
Four Towson men's basketball players were selected to the CAA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll for Spring 2021 for maintaining a 3.0 GPA through that semester.
 
Chris Biekeu, Chris Caliguiran, Jason Gibson and Justin Patterson all earned this honor after the Spring 2021 semester.