When                     Friday, Nov. 29 at 2 p.m. (ET) vs. UTSA
                               Saturday, Nov. 30 at 1:30 p.m. (ET) vs. Youngstown State  
Where                    Juan Aubín Cruz Abreu Coliseum | Manatí, Puerto Rico
Team Records       Towson (0-6) vs. UTSA (4-1)
                               Towson vs. Youngstown State (4-2)
Series                    First meeting vs. UTSA
                               First meeting vs. Youngstown State
Streaming              Puertoricocollegesportstours.com
 
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO – The Towson University women's basketball team has embarked on a trip to Puerto Rico to face UTSA and Youngstown State in the Puerto Rico Clásico for the Tigers' final non-conference road games of the 2024-25 season.
 
The game will stream live on puertoricocollegesportstours.com.
 
Last Time Out
Towson hosted Liberty in its home opener last Sunday. After a halftime deficit, the Tigers outscored Liberty, 38-33, in the second half. The Tigers tied the game in the fourth quarter at 55 before the Lady Flames prevailed, 64-57, at TU Arena in Towson, Md.
 
Scouting the Tigers
The Tigers began the 2024-25 season facing two AP top 25 teams along with three formidable foes, all on the road. Towson lost its first game of the season at No. 16 West Virginia. It's next two came against George Mason and Morgan State. In the final minutes against the Lady Bears, the Tigers had opportunities to take a lead but couldn't connect to fall, 64-63. The Black & Gold then visited College Park to face No. 11 Maryland, the alma mater of Head Coach Laura Harper. The Tigers hung around early, only trailing by 14 at the half, before the Terps pulled away in the second half for the victory. In their last game of the five-game road stand against George Washington, the Revolutionaries outlasted the Tigers for the victory in the nation's capital.
 
Scouting the Roadrunners
UTSA enters Friday's matchup at 4-1 to open the season in the non-conference slate. The Roadrunners were picked to finish fifth in the American Athletic Association (AAC) Preseason Poll. They boast one preseason all-conference selection in redshirt-senior forward Jordyn Jenkins, a transfer from USC.
 
Scouting the Penguins
Youngstown State enters the weekend at 4-2 overall with a matchup against Southern Indiana on Friday before facing the Tigers. The Penguins were picked to finish fifth in the Horizon League Preseason Poll.
 
Leading the Way
Junior guard India Johnston put up a season-high 22 points against #11 Maryland earlier this season, finishing just two points shy of matching her career high of 24 against George Washington last year. She's averaging 13.0 points per game and 2.5 assists per game, which both lead the team for the Tigers.
 
Impact Freshmen
The two Tiger freshmen have become impactful rotation players quickly in the 2024-25 season. Forward Khady Leye ranks third on the team with 8.3 PPG, first with 7.8 rebounds per game, third with 1.7 APG and tied for second with 1.3 steals per game. Guard Shariah Baynes is tied with Johnston for the team lead with 2.5 APG and stands fourth in scoring with 7.0 PPG. Baynes is adding  a team-high 1.5 steals per 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.
 
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 91-63 (.591) home record since TU Arena was built, including a 35-19 (.648) record against non-conference opponents. Towson holds a 56-44 (.560) 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 return to TU Arena to face UMBC for their annual STEM Day game on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 11 a.m. The final three games of the non-conference slate will all be played at the Tigers' home arena.