TOWSON, Md. – Towson University men's basketball fought off a pesky UAlbany side in a 67-62 win to open the 2022-23 season on Monday night.
Towson (1-0) picked up big contributions from newcomers Sekou Sylla (19 points, 9 rebounds) and Nygal Russell (12 points, 5 rebounds) in the win. The Tigers forced 15 turnovers and scored 38 points in the paint.
Key Stats:
- Towson outscored the Great Danes 38-18 in the paint and got 24 points off turnovers.
- Sekou Sylla led the Tigers with 19 points and nine rebounds.
- Charles Thompson and Nygal Russell ended with double digits with 13 and 12 points respectively.
How It Happened:
- The game opened back and forth. Nicolas Timberlake got a steal in the defensive end that lead to a run out for Nygal Russell to give Towson the lead.
- Newcomer Sekou Sylla came off the bench and scored four quick points to extend the lead to eight.
- That sparked a streak of five out of seven buckets to give Towson a 15-9 lead at the under 12 timeout.
- The Tigers used a 6-0 spurt to take a 10-point lead, forcing a UAlbany timeout.
- Russell started to heat up from there. He would drain a corner triple to make it a 13-point advantage.
- The Tigers would take a 38-28 lead into the break behind 12 points from Russell and Sylla. The Tigers shot 45 percent from the floor in the opening 20 minutes.
- The Great Danes opened the second half with a flurry, going on a 6-0 run to cut into the Tiger lead.
- UAlbany fought all the way back to take the lead with four minutes left. The Tigers would mount a comeback in the final three minutes.
- Charles Thompson hit a big one to give Towson the lead.
- Towson would outscore the Great Danes 10-3 down the stretch to take a 67-62 win on Monday night.
Inside The Numbers:
- This is the second straight season the Tigers opened the season with a win. The Tigers defeated the Great Danes last season in New York.
- Towson has won their last six games at SECU Arena dating back to last season.
Next Game:
The Tigers will embark on a three-game road swing, starting at Massachusetts on Thursday, Nov. 10. Tip-off with the Minutemen is set for 7 p.m.