When                     Sunday, Dec. 29 at 1 p.m.
Where                    TU Arena | Towson, Md.
Team Records       Towson (2-8) vs. Columbia (8-4)
Series History        Columbia leads the all-time series, 1-0
Streaming              FloCollege | Monumental Sports Network
Live Stats/Radio    TowsonTigers.com
 
 
TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University women's basketball team is hosting Columbia in its final
game of the 2024-25 non-conference slate on Sunday at 1 p.m. for Golden Ager Day.
 
The game will stream live on FloCollege and be simulcast on Monumental Sports Network. Live stats and the radio broadcast will be available on TowsonTigers.com.
 
Last Time Out
The Tigers hosted American on Dec. 7 in the third of four non-conference home games at TU Arena this season. The Black & Gold held a 23-point lead at the half and topped the Eagles, 89-62. Freshman forward Khady Leye recorded her second double-double of the season, totaling 18 points with ten rebounds. Aminata Diakite registered her first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Scouting the Tigers
The Tigers began the 2024-25 season with a five-game road stand, including two matchups against Associated Press (AP) Top 25 teams. After dropping contests to No. 16 West Virginia and George Mason to begin the campaign, the Tigers faced Morgan State. Towson had a chance to take the lead in the closing minutes but couldn't connect on the necessary bucket to fall, 64-63. The Tigers concluded the road trip with visits to No. 11 Maryland and George Washington, two tight contests where they were outlasted in the second halves. In their home opener, the Tigers hosted Liberty. After trailing most of the game, Towson tied it up at 55 with less than two minutes to go. The Lady Flames got to the free throw line six times in the closing minutes to win, 64-57. In the Puerto Rico Clásico the Tigers faced UTSA and Youngstown State. After falling to the Roadrunners in the first game, the Tigers made a second half push against the Penguins to win, 68-57. Hosting UMBC in the team's annual STEM Day game, the Tigers cut an 11-point halftime deficit to one with 2:38 left in regulation, but were forced to foul late, ultimately falling 65-60.
 
Scouting the Lions
Columbia enters the matchup at 8-4 overall. The Lions have faced one common opponent of the Tigers, Stony Brook, who the Black & Gold will face in CAA play. The Lions topped the Seawolves 87-47 in their season opener. Columbia was picked to finish second in the Ivy League Preseason Poll with five first-place votes, behind only Princeton. Cecilia Collins and Kitty Henderson, 2023-24 Second Team All-Ivy honorees returned for the Lions this season.
 
League Honors
Khady Leye was named the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Rookie of the Week on Dec. 2 after averaging 12.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in the Tigers' two games of the Puerto Rico Clásico, adding one block. In Towson's win over Youngstown State, the freshman forward had a career-high 19 points off the bench on .692 (9-13) shooting.
 
Leye earned her second CAA Rookie of the Week honor in as many weeks after averaging 17.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in the Tigers' 1-1 week vs. UMBC and American. The freshman shot a combined 61.5% (16-26) from the field, recording her second double-double of the season vs. American.
 
Leading the Way
Junior guard India Johnston put up a season-high 22 points against #11 Maryland earlier this year, finishing two points shy of matching her career high of 24 from a season ago. She's averaging a team-leading 12.7 points and 2.4 assists per game, which both stand second. She recorded her first career double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds against Youngstown State in the final game of the Puerto Rico Clásico.
 
Impact Freshmen
Two Tiger freshmen have become impactful rotation players quickly in the 2024-25 season. Forward Khady Leye ranks second on the team with 11.0 PPG, first with 7.6 rebounds per game, tied for fifth with 1.0 APG and fourth with 1.0 steals per game. Guard Shariah Baynes leads the team with 2.8 APG and 1.2 SPG. The Philadelphia native stands fourth in scoring, averaging 6.7 PPG.
 
Setting Records
In the team's annual STEM Day game on Dec. 4, the Tigers set a program record with 3,590 fans in attendance at TU Arena. The second-highest attendance in Towson women's basketball history is 3,423 on Dec. 4, 2018 vs. Loyola.
 
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.
 
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.
 
Protect this House
The Tigers hold a 92-64 (.590) home record since TU Arena was built, including a 37-20 (.649) 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.
Note: The total number of wins is one short of the combined home and road records due to last season's regular season finale that Northeastern forfeited. The game was declared a no contest at the NCAA level but the Tigers were awarded a CAA victory in the conference slate.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
Next Up
The Tigers will begin CAA play with a visit to Charleston to face the Cougars on Friday, Jan. 3.