PRINCETON, N.J. — Following a successful opening weekend of Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) competition, the Towson University women's basketball team will travel to Princeton on Jan. 12 to play its final nonconference contest of the season. The game will be played in Jadwin Gymnasium at 6 p.m.
The Towson Tigers (11-1, 2-0) have won their last eight games to get out to one of the best starts in program history. The Princeton Tigers (9-4, 2-0 IVY) started out the season strong, but have fallen in three of their last six outings.
Princeton leads the all-time series between the teams, 1-2. All three of the two programs' meetings came between 1980-1990 at various tournaments.
Princeton COVID-19 Attendance Policy
Princeton has announced it will be limiting spectators at indoor athletic events to Princeton students, faculty, and staff who are fully compliant with the University's COVID-19 protocols. This attendance restriction will begin immediately and extend through January 31.
Princeton Athletics will continue to work closely with University health and safety administrators to revisit welcoming back full spectator attendance for all winter events as soon as appropriate.
Guests who have previously purchased tickets to events scheduled from January 7-31 will automatically receive a refund for their purchase based on their original form of payment. If an event during this time is rescheduled for a later date, tickets for the original event will be honored accordingly. Questions can be directed to the Athletic Ticket Office at 609-258-4849 or via email athticket@princeton.edu.
Princeton students, faculty, and staff who are fully compliant with the University's COVID-19 protocols may show their Princeton ID at the door to gain admission to athletics events from now through January 31. All seats will be general admission.
Last Time Out
Towson played strong on both sides of the ball to come out with the dominant 36-point win over William & Mary, 91-55, on Sunday afternoon. The team also defeated Elon, 66-54, on Friday to remain a perfect 2-0 in the CAA.
Aleah Nelson led a group of five Tigers in double-digits with 25 points, five assists and three steals. Rayne Tucker also dropped her first double-double in the black & gold, securing 15 points and 11 rebounds to set new season highs in both categories. Allie Kubek (14), Kylie Kornegay-Lucas (12) and Anissa Rivera (11) also had strong offensive performances in the win.
The team hit 12 three-point baskets, just two shy of the program record. Nelson (5-for-7) and Kubek (4-for-7) led the Tigers from beyond the arc. Kubek's effort also marked a new career-high for the sophomore.
Towson continued to keep up the defensive pressure, forcing 26 William & Mary turnovers, in turn generating 32 points. In addition, the team secured 12 steals for their second consecutive game with 10+ takeaways. Nelson and Kornegay-Lucas each grabbed three steals to pace the team while Rivera landed three of the squad's eight blocks.
Comin' In Hot
With two wins over the weekend, the Tigers improve to 11-1 on the 2021-22 season. The hot start is the best since the 1976-77 season and is among the best in program history.
The black & gold have also won eight consecutive contests, their best run since the 2007-08 slate when the team won nine-in-a-row midway through the season.
In The CAA
One game into league play, Towson sits atop the CAA standings with a 2-0 mark, along with three other teams (Drexel, Northeastern and James Madison). Delaware (1-0) is also undefeated in the conference.
With a 9-1 nonconference record, the Tigers have the best winning percentage in the conference (.917).
D-FENSE!
The black & gold have held eight opponents to under 35.5 percent shooting in a game this season. Towson kept Frostburg State (32.8 percent, 19-of-58), Florida (35.2 percent, 25-of-71), Wofford (30.2 percent, 19-of-63), Millersville (19.1 percent, 9-of-47), Howard (25.4 percent, 18-of-71), Delaware State (32.7 percent, 18-of-55), East Carolina (25.3 percent, 19-of-75) and UMass Lowell (29.3 percent, 17-of-58) all below the mark.
The team has also held its opponents to less than 10 points in a quarter seven times this season.
The Tigers have kept pressure on the ball, registering six double-digit steal games, led by a season-high 18 takeaway performance against Millersville. Nelson leads the squad with 21 total steals through 12 games.
Towson has generated 258 total points this season off turnovers, for 21.5 points per game.
First Half Team
When leading at halftime, the Tigers own an 11-0 record. The team has led by 20+ points at the half three times this season, against Millersville (24) Howard (23) and William & Mary (24). In all three games, Towson scored over 40 points through the first two quarters.
Making Some Noise
Towson has moved up to No. 18 in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll, released Jan. 4. The team had previously spent three weeks at No. 19.
Missouri State remains at the top of the standings with a 10-2 record while BYU (10-1), FGCU (11-1), California Baptist (10-2) and Gonzaga (9-3) complete the top-5.
The Tigers are the lone CAA team represented in the poll, as Drexel and James Madison are just receiving votes.
Coming Home
Five of 14 student-athletes on Towson's roster represent their home state of Maryland. Aleah Nelson is the lone Baltimore native while Allie Kubek (Elkton), Ryann Evans (Columbia), Rayne Tucker (New Carrollton) and Anissa Rivera (Capitol Heights) are also from close by.
In The Rankings
With most of the nonconference schedule behind the team, Towson continues to be well represented in the NCAA rankings, sitting top-20 in six categories and first in seven CAA stats. The Tigers are still among the best rebounding teams in the country, ranked 11th in rebounds per game (44.83), 13th in offensive boards per game (16.0) and 23rd in rebound margin (9.2). The team also currently sits at 10th in scoring margin (21.3) and 14th in field goal percentage defense (34.3). Nelson continues to perform well, as she is ranked sixth in the nation and second in the league with 6.2 assists per game.
Scouting The Tigers
Princeton got out to a strong start, hitting two three-game win streaks earlier in the season. The highlight of the team's nonconference slate was a win over then No. 22 Florida Gulf Coast, 58-55. From there, however, the Tigers dropped three of their next four games including a 70-53 loss to then No. 12 Texas. The Tigers are currently ranked No. 6 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll.
Abby Meyers leads the team averaging 18.6 points. Elle Mitchell paces the team off the boards with 10.1 rebounds per game in addition to collecting a team-high 30 steals.
Next Up
Following their final nonconference contest of the 2021-22 campaign, the Tigers will prepare to play four CAA games in just eight days. The team will host James Madison on Jan. 16 at 2 p.m. before hitting the road for a quick turnaround to play a rescheduled game at Drexel, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. Towson will then travel to the Carolinas for a pair of road contests against Charleston (Jan. 21, 7 p.m.) and UNCW (Jan. 23, 1 p.m.).
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.
