When                         Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 6 p.m.
Where                        Charles E. Smith Center | Washington, D.C.
Team Records        Towson (0-4) @ George Washington (2-2)
Series                        George Washington leads the all-time series, 10-3
TV/Streaming          Monumental Sports Network/ ESPN+
 
TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University women's basketball team concludes its season-opening five-game road trip with a matchup against George Washington on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Charles E. Smith Center in Washington, D.C.
 
Last Time Out
Towson faced #11 Maryland on Sunday in its second top 25 matchup of the non-conference slate at the Xfinity Center in College Park, Md. The Terrapins topped the Tigers, 98-63.
 
Leading the Way
Junior guard India Johnston put up a season-high 22 points against #11 Maryland, two points short of matching her career high 24 against George Washington last season. She's averaging a team-leading 12.5 points/game and 1.5 assists/game, which is tied for third.
 
Impact Freshmen
The two Tiger freshmen have become impactful rotation players quickly in the 2024-25 season. Forward Khady Leye is second on the team 9.3 points/game, first with 7.0 rebounds/game, first with 2.0 assists/game and third with 1.0 steal/game. Guard Shariah Baynes is fourth on the team with 6.3 points/game, second with 1.8 assists/game, first with 1.5 steals/game and sixth with 1.3 rebounds/game
 
Fresh Faces
The Tigers welcome five newcomers to the team this season, highlighted by CAA transfer Deja Bristol from Northeastern, who averaged 10.4 points and 5.8 rebounds/game for the Huskies last season. Other transfers include junior guard Masyn Marchbanks from Samford, who averaged 8.4 points and 2.6 assists in 22.5 minutes per game for the Bulldogs last season, and graduate guard Jordan Wakefield, who most recently played for George Mason in the 2021-22 season. Tiger freshmen include 6'2" forward Khady Leye from Louga, Senegal and guard Shariah Baynes.
 
CAA Preseason Poll
In the 2024-25 Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Women's Basketball Preseason Poll, Towson was selected to finish third with one first-place vote. N.C. A&T led the way with 11 first-place votes. Drexel finished second with two first-place votes. Charleston and William & Mary finished in a tie for fourth, while Delaware and Elon completed the top half of the table. Campbell, Stony Brook, Monmouth, UNCW, Hofstra, Northeastern and Hampton rounded out the group.
 
Returning Percentages
Towson returns eight players from last year's 20-11 team, including 2023-24 All-CAA Second Team selection Patricia Anumgba. Other returners include junior guard India Johnston and forwards Kayla Morris and Anasia Staton. The Tigers return 48.5% of their scoring alongside 46.1% of their rebounding from a season ago.
 
Scouting George Washington
George Washington enters Wednesday's matchup at 2-2 overall, with wins over Delaware and Virginia University of Lynchburg. The Revolutionaries have losses against Howard and Ohio. The Revs were picked to finish 12th among 15 teams in the 2024 Atlantic 10 Preseason Poll.
 
Last Matchup vs. the Revs
Towson faced George Washington last season in its STEM Day game. The Tigers topped the Revolutionaries, 68-60, last December.
 
Welcoming Coaches
The Tigers welcome two new assistant coaches to the staff ahead of the 2024-25 season. Eric Atkins, who most recently served as an assistant coach for the Wisconsin Herd, the National Basketball Association (NBA) G-League affiliate for the Milwaukee Bucks, joined the staff in July. Atkins played college basketball for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, where he graduated in 2014. He is the first three-year captain in the history of Notre Dame men's basketball. Also joining the staff is Lorie Khalil, who joins with 19 years of Division III coaching experience, including 10 seasons with Penn State Lehigh Valley most recently. She joins the staff with a 252-155 overall coaching record in 19 years across three D-III institutions.
 
League Honors
Patricia Anumgba was named an All-CAA First Team selection after leading the Tigers with 14.4 points/game last season. The senior guard posted 3.2 rebounds/game, adding 2.2 assists. Anumgba is also the team's leading returner with 44 steals from a season ago. She was one of four unanimous first team selections in the preseason poll.
 
Last Season's Recap
Towson finished the regular season 20-11 last season with an 11-7 mark in conference play, earning the sixth seed to the CAA Tournament in Washington, D.C. The Tigers defeated the 11-seed Northeastern Huskies before securing a spot in the CAA Tournament Semifinals with a win over 3-seed Charleston. In the semis vs. Drexel, the Black & Gold fell 68-69, finishing two points shy of securing a spot in the CAA Championship game for the second year in a row.
 
TU Fortress
The Tigers hold a 91-62 (.594) home record since TU Arena was built, including a 35-18 (.660) record against non-conference opponents. Towson holds a 56-43 (.566) against CAA foes. The Tigers finished with a 9-4 record at home and had an 8-1 home record in conference play last year.
 
Next Up
The Tigers will face Liberty in their home opener on Sunday, Nov. 24, at 1 p.m. The game will be streamed on FloCollege and be simulcast on Monumental Sports Network.