HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – In a battle of two of the top-four teams in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) standings, the Towson University men's basketball team shot nearly 70% in the first half en route to a 78-68 victory at Hofstra, its third straight win.
 
Towson (17-6, 8-2 CAA) built a 10-point lead at the half as Hofstra (13-9, 5-4 CAA) rallied to tie early in the second period.  The Tigers earned a 12-0 run and held the advantage the rest of the game for its second victory over Hofstra this season.
 
With the win, Towson stands just one game out of first place in the CAA.
 
Key Stats:

• Towson shot 61% in the game off 25-for-41 from the field, including 69.6% in the first half.  The Tigers were also 53.3% from three (8-for-15) and earned a 31-21 rebounding margin.  Towson earned assists on 21 of 25 field goals.
• Nicolas Timberlake earned a new career-high with 26 points, nearly having a triple double with eight rebounds and six assists plus being 8-for-11 from the field.  He hit all four three-point field goals attempted in the first half.
• Reigning CAA Player of the Week Charles Thompson was 8-for-9 on shots for 16 points, also tallying six boards and four assists.  Cam Holden was the leading rebounder with 10 boards, also getting seven points and four assists.  Juwan Gray was a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line, amassing 11 points.
• For Hofstra, Aaron Estrada was 8-for-13 on field goal attempts, getting 22 points, seven assists and three steals.  Jalen Ray finished with 17 points off the bench, scoring five three-point attempts.

How It Happened:

• Towson passed all around the arc in the opening possession and found Antonio Rizzuto in the corner for the knockdown three.  Hofstra hit layups on its first three offensive possessions to take a lead.  Towson countered back with a 7-0 run, started by a Nicolas Timberlake kick-out three to go up 11-6 just over five minutes through.
• Hofstra switched up its offense and went for outside shots, hitting a pair of threes to retake the lead.  Cam Holden scored on a 15-foot jumper to send Towson back in front 13-12 with 12:44 left in the first.  Hofstra kept up the three-point attack, netting three in succession to go ahead 21-13.
• Towson unleashed its own three-point shooters to strike back, starting with Timberlake and Jason Gibson hitting threes.  Charles Thompson hit a one-hand floater to tie the game, then a thunderous one-hand dunk sent the Tigers ahead 23-21, completing a 10-0 run, with 8:40 to go in the 1^st.
• After Hofstra tied the game with free throws, another pair of threes from Rizzuto and Timberlake sent Towson back ahead.  After a Hofstra jumper, Chase Paar added a two-hand dunk, followed by a Timberlake pull-up jumper, to push Towson up eight at 33-25 with 5:37 to go in the opening period.
• The teams went back-and-forth on scoring, then neither team scored for a period of nearly 2:30.  Timberlake knocked down a corner three for his fourth make in as many attempts in the final minute, followed by a Hofstra layup.  Towson led 43-33 at the break.
• Towson picked up where it left off on the opening possession with Thompson flying to the hoop for the layup.  But, Hofstra went on a 12-0 run to tie the game at 45 a couple minutes into the second half.
• Juwan Gray knocked down a pair of free throws to end the Hofstra run and get Towson back ahead.  After another Hofstra basket, again Gray came through, drawing contact on a made layup and hitting the resulting free throw.  Timberlake added a couple of driving layups, then free throws from Gray and Gibson completed a 12-0 sprint to make it 59-47 Towson with just over 10 minutes left.
• Towson's defense stopped any long run by Hofstra for several minutes as the teams went back and forth.  A pair of baskets in a row for Thompson sent Towson's lead back to 12 at 69-57 with 4:30 left.
• Hofstra intensified the defensive pressure and started to chip away, pulling to within two possessions after a steal and score from Caleb Burgess.  Towson led 70-64 with 1:28 to play.
• Towson started beating the backcourt pressure and held its lead.  A Gray dunk in the final seconds sealed the game as Towson took the win 78-68.

Inside the Numbers

• Towson continues its best-ever start in Division I history.  Towson has won at least 17 games in seven seasons under head coach Pat Skerry.
• 61% from the field is the most in a game since Towson shot 64.4% against William & Mary on Jan. 13, 2018.  In that game, the Tigers were 67.7% from the field in the second half and won 99-73.
• Towson is now 4-0 against New York-based teams this season, including two wins over Hofstra and a victory against each LIU and UAlbany.
• Towson handed Hofstra its only defeat at home this season.
• Towson has won its last four road games and its last seven games ending in regulation.
• Nicolas Timberlake's previous career-high was 25 points vs. New Mexico on Nov. 26, 2021.  It is his fourth career 20+ point game and 40^th in double figures.
• Charles Thompson has scored in double figures each of his last four games.  In his last three games, he is 26-for-33 from the field (78.7%).

Next Game:

• Towson travels to Boston for its next game, playing at Northeastern on Saturday, Feb. 5 at 2 p.m.

- TowsonTigers.com –