When: Monday, November 6, 2023
Where: TU Arena | Towson, Md.
Time: Monday- 7 p.m.
Team Records: UMBC (0-0) vs. Towson (0-0)
Stream: FloHoops ($)
Series: Towson Leads 39-14

TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University women's basketball team starts the 2023-24 season by hosting rival UMBC for the first time since 2017 in the first game of the Charm City Hoops Classic.
 
Towson, Morgan, UMBC Create Charm City Hoops Classic
Towson, Morgan State, and UMBC have agreed to play each other every year in both men's and women's basketball in what is being billed as the Charm City Hoops Classic. The three schools participated in the Battle of Baltimore series for six seasons from 1997-98 through 2002-03.
 
Schedule:
Monday, Nov. 6 – UMBC at Towson (7 PM)
Wednesday, Nov. 29 – Morgan at Towson (7 PM)
Saturday, Dec. 9 – UMBC at Morgan (2 PM)
 
Preseason POY
Kylie Kornegay-Lucas was named as the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Preseason of the Year and earned All-CAA First Team honors. Kornegay-Lucas was the 2022-23 CAA Defensive Player of the Year after leading the conference in steals (79) and ranking 26th in the nation. The redshirt senior guard averaged a team-high 14.1 points on 39.7% shooting and 32.9% 3pt shooting, while averaging 7.3 rebounds. The Camden, Del. native led the Tigers in assists and blocks with 132 assists and 27 blocks. She finished with the second highest free throw percentage in program history at 84.2%.
 
Atop the Chart
The CAA announced its annual Preseason Poll to start the season. The Tigers were picked to finish in first place after receiving nine first-place votes. Stony Brook was picked to finish in second with Northeastern in third place. 
 
Running It Back
The Tigers return four of their five starters from last year. Towson brings back 73.8% of the last year's scoring, including the top three scorers. The Tigers return 76.7% of the rebounds, including two of the top seven rebounders last year in the CAA. The Black & Gold had nobody leave due to the transfer portal.
 
Receiving Votes
The Tigers were voted No. 19 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Preseason Poll. The last time the Tigers were in the poll was at the end the 2021-22 season as the No. 18 team. Towson reached as high as No. 15 that same season. The Tigers are the highest ranked CAA team in the poll.
 
TU Fortress
The Tigers hold an 82-58 (.586) home record since TU Arena was built, including a 32-17 (.681) record against non-conference opponents. Towson holds a 50-41 (.549) against CAA foes. The Tigers finished with an 8-1 home record in conference play last year. Towson had won its last ten games in TU, tying a program record before losing to Monmouth in the championship.
 
Fresh Faces
Towson welcomes six newcomers this season: Semaya Turner (Saint Francis U), Kayla Morris (CSU Bakersfield), Anaiah Jankins, Caydence Hadley, Aminata Diakite (Salt Lake CC) and Anasia Staton (CCBC Essex).
 
Last Season Recap
The Tigers had a phenomenal season last year, finishing with a 21-12 record and a 13-5 CAA record that earned Towson a share of the regular season title. In non-conference play the Tigers picked up a win over DePaul at the Fort Myers Tip-Off. In CAA play, the Tigers had the second-best defense holding opponents to 60.5 points per game. Towson won six of its final seven games to earn the No.1 seed in the CAA Tournament after holding tiebreakers over Drexel and Northeastern. The Tigers advanced past Hampton and William & Mary in the quarter and semifinals. Towson fell against Monmouth in the championship, which sent the Tigers to Cambridge for a first-round matchup against Harvard in the WNIT First Round.
 
Stepping Into the Spotlight
Quinzia Fulmore thrived after stepping into the starting lineup last season. She started in 31 of the 33 games last season, including all four postseason games. The junior forward from Greensboro, North Carolina averaged 10.3 points per game to rank second on the team. Fulmore finished with a field goal percentage of 52.7% in 33 games. She pulled down 7.3 rebounds a game to rank fifth in the CAA and tied for first for the Tigers. Fulmore had registered eight double-doubles to rank second in the conference.
 
The Climb to the 1,000 Club
Redshirt senior guard Kylie Kornegay-Lucas is nearing 1,000 career points in career and Towson. The Camden, Delaware native has accumulated 796 points during her collegiate career. Kornegay-Lucas has totaled 649 points at Towson, including 466 last season.
 
Scouting UMBC
The Retrievers enter the 2023-24 season after reaching the America East semifinals last season. UMBC was picked to finish in sixth place in the America East preseason poll. The Retrievers brought in four graduate transfers, including Jaliena Sanchez, who averaged 8.4 points for UMass Lowell and led the conference in average minutes per game with 37.
 
Last Time Out  
The Tigers traveled to Cambridge to take Harvard in the first round of the WNIT. The Tigers came out of the gates firing away, shooting 60% from the field to have an 18-12 lead led by Kylie Kornegay-Lucas's seven points. The Crimson shot 37-of-57 (63.1%) for the remaining three quarters while Towson shot 31% as the Tigers fell 103-63.
 
Next Up
The Tigers will take on WNIT Finalist Columbia at the Levien Gymnasium in New York City on November 16th at 7 p.m.