TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University women's basketball team earned its eighth consecutive victory with a 91-55 win over Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) foe, William & Mary on Sunday afternoon.
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.
Records
How it Happened
- Towson jumped out to an early 5-0 lead less than two minutes into action thanks to a three-pointer from Kubek. The points mark the second consecutive game Kubek scored the first bucket of the game from beyond the arc.
- The Tigers came out strong on defense, forcing four turnovers in the opening 5:00 of the contest. The team ended the opening quarter forcing eight Tribe turns and collecting five takeaways.
- Kubek and Nelson hit a pair of three-pointers to open the second and force a William & Mary timeout just 2:19 into play. At the timeout, the Tigers owned the 14-point lead, 29-15.
- Through the halfway point of the second quarter, Towson shot 7-of-7 from the field while keeping the Tribe scoreless. The Tigers also kept the pressure on, forcing three turns in the span.
- Rivera, Kornegay-Lucas and Nelson would go on to each hit three-pointers to give the team the 24-point edge at the half, 50-26. The team went a collective 5-for-7 from beyond the arc in the second quarter.
- To start the third, Towson stayed consistent on both sides of the ball, forcing five turns and allowing only four points from William & Mary at the 5:00 mark.
- The black & gold continued to find the rim in the final minutes of the third period, netting 12 unanswered points.
- The Tigers did not let up in the final 10:00 as they went on their biggest scoring run of the day, netting 13 consecutive points. The stretch put the team up by 41 points, their biggest margin of the game.
- W&M rallied in the final minutes of the quarter, hitting four-of-five from the field, but it wasn't enough as Towson emerged with the 36-point win to remain undefeated in the CAA.
Inside the Numbers
- The 11-1 start is the best since the 1976-77 season and among the top starts in program history. The Tigers have also won eight straight games.
- As five Tigers reached double-digit scoring against the Tribe, at least three players have cracked double figures in eleven of twelve games so far this season. Nelson and Kubek have now also scored 10+ points in eleven of twelve contests.
- With 15 steals against Elon on Friday and 12 against William & Mary on Sunday, Towson has registered double-digit steals in six contests so far this slate.
- As Towson owned the 50-26 edge at the half, the team remains undefeated when leading at halftime.
- The black & gold netted 20+ points in all four quarters on Sunday, holding W&M to just 13 points for the first three quarters.
Next Game
The Tigers will play their final nonconference game of the season as they travel to New Jersey to take on Princeton for a midweek matchup on Wednesday Jan. 12 at 6 p.m.
