CHARLESTON, S.C. – Towson men's basketball battled nationally ranked Houston on Thursday night, outscoring the Cougars 32-28 in the second half, but ultimately fell 65-49 on Thursday night to open the Shriners Children's Charleston Classic. Sophomore Christian May led the Tigers with 10 points.

Towson (2-2) had eight score in the contest led by May as the lone Tiger in double figures.

Key Stats:

• Charles Thompson chipped in eight points and nine rebounds with three assists.
• Messiah Jones chipped in nine points on a perfect 3-3 (2-2 3FG) shooting night. Mekhi Lowery added seven points and five rebounds.
• Towson shot 38 percent from the floor including 50 percent in the second half. The Tigers had ten assists on 16 made field goals.

How It Happened:

• Towson came out strong defensively, but the Cougars jumped out to an early 5-0 lead.
• Christian May would respond with a three at the top of the key to cut the deficit to two. After a Houston and one, Tomiwa Sulaiman would hit a nifty up and under to cut the deficit to 8-5 at the under 16 timeout.
• The Tigers would go cold from the floor, going scoreless over a four-minute stretch as the Cougars extended their lead to nine.
• The Cougars would lead by as many as 17 midway through the half but a pair of driving layups from Christian May cut the deficit down to 13, but Houston would hit a three at the end of the half to take a 37-17 lead. May led the Tigers with seven points.
• Christian May would end an early drought for the Tigers with a three coming off a screen to cut the deficit to 20, part of a 5-0 run with a Messiah Jones layup.
• Both teams would find their rhythm with the Tigers going on a stretch of four for five with a Tyler Tejada driving finish and Chase Paar dunk.
• The Tiger offense would continue to battle back in the second half getting the deficit down to 16, ultimately falling 65-49 on Thursday night.

Inside The Numbers:

• Mekhi Lowery tied his career high with seven points and had a season-best five rebounds.
• Messiah Jones made a career-high two three pointers, breaking his previous mark of one set most recently at Colorado.
• Dylan Williamson had a team-high four assists. He has led the Tigers in assists in every game this season.

Next Game:

• The Tigers will play the loser of the final quarterfinal between Utah and Wake Forest on Friday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. The game will air on ESPNU.