The Game: Towson Tigers (14-10, 7-4 CAA) vs. Elon Phoenix (10-14, 3-8 CAA)
When: Monday, February 12 – 9:00 p.m.
Where: TU Arena – Towson, Md.
Broadcast: Broadcast on CBS Sports Network (John Fanta & John Giannini), audio broadcast on TowsonTigers.com (Spiro Morekas)
Series: Towson leads 11-6
TOWSON, Md. – Towson men's basketball welcomes Elon to TU Arena on Monday for Pajama Jam that will air nationally on CBS Sports Network. The Tigers are coming off a 74-62 loss against Delaware on Thursday.
Charles Thompson led the Tigers with 18 points and 11 rebounds with
Nendah Tarke and
Tyler Tejada also reaching double figures with 13 and 12 respectively in front of 3,505 fans.
The game will be a Pajama Jam and fans are encouraged to wear pajamas to the game. There will be a free "nightcap" beanie giveaway and free pancakes to all students in attendance. The game will also have $1 beers all game.
The game against the Phoenix will air nationally on CBS Sports Network with John Fanta and John Giannini on the call. Spiro Morekas will have the audio call on TowsonTigers.com.
This will be the 18
th all-time meeting between the two with the Tigers leading the series 11-6. Towson has won five of the last six matchups including the last two in Towson. Last year the Tigers won the only meeting of the year 66-62 in North Carolina.
LEADER OF THE PACK:
The reigning Skip Prosser Man of the Year,
Pat Skerry enters his 13
th season on the sidelines leading the Tigers. Skerry and the Tigers are coming off another 20-win season that saw Towson reach the Coast Athletic Association (CAA) Semifinals, finishing third in the standings during the regular season.
The Massachusetts native has rebuilt the Tiger program, which has the highest Graduation Success Rate (GSR) in the CAA. Over the last ten seasons, Towson has won 18+ games seven times. He is currently second all-time in wins with 207 at Towson.
Skerry has used his platform as a head coach to start Autism Awareness in college basketball. What started as two guys with an idea has turned into a national event where hundreds of coaches wear the prominent blue puzzle piece pin. The effort put forth by Skerry was recognized as he was honored with the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Guardians of the Game Service Award.
CHARLES IN CHARGE:
The big man in the middle for the Tigers,
Charles Thompson, is back for his fifth season at Towson and is looking to cap his prolific career by leading the Tigers to a CAA championship. Thompson is coming off another strong campaign that saw him earn CAA All-Defensive Team and All-CAA Second Team honors last season after averaging 12.2 ppg and 8.0 rpg shooting 56.5 percent from the floor.
Thompson ranks in the top 10 in program history in six different categories. He is the all-time leader in games played and is currently third in field goal percentage (.550), fourth in blocked shots (186), fourth in rebounds (915), third in minutes played (3,587), fourth in starts (107) and is 18th in scoring (1,251).
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE:
Towson has had a major home court advantage over the last nine years at TU Arena. Since moving into the arena from the Towson Center in 2013, the Tigers have gone 102-42. Towson has had a winning record in home games in seven of the nine seasons, including winning the 2022 CAA regular season title against Delaware at home.
The Tigers broke the school record for consecutive home wins at TU Arena against Stony Brook on January 11 when Towson won their 15
th straight home game dating back to the 2022-23 season.
NATIONAL EXPOSURE:
The Tigers will play eight total regular season games in front of a national television audience including four Coastal Athletic Association games in January and February. The Tigers will play Elon (February 12, 9 p.m.) and Charleston (February 24, 12 p.m.) on CBS Sports Network at TU Arena and will be on the road on CBS Sports Network against Delaware (January 27, 2 p.m.) and Hofstra (February 3, 6 p.m.).
In addition to the CBS Sports Network games, Towson will open the season on Pac 12 Network against Colorado and will have all three games at the Charleston Classic air on the ESPN family of networks.
The Tigers will also air on local linear television with seven home games on Monumental Sports Network (formerly NBC Sports Washington) as well as their game against UMBC on MASN. Towson also announced on December 14 that three games (Jan. 25 vs. Drexel, Feb. 8 vs. Delaware, Feb. 22 vs. Monmouth) will also air on MeTV, a digital subchannel of WBAL.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT:
Elon comes into the Monday night matchup at 10-14, 3-8 CAA after losing their most recent matchup against Stony Brook on Thursday, 79-64. The Phoenix are 6-5 at home compared to 2-9 on the road this season. Four Elon players are averaging double figures led by Max Mackinnon at 12.0 ppg. He is tied for the team lead in rebounds at 4.6 per game, tie with Sam Sherry who is also averaging 10.0 ppg. TK Simpkins and Rob Higgins are also in double figures at 11.6 and 10.9 ppg respectively.
UP NEXT:
The Tigers will hit the road for a pair of contests later this week against William & Mary and Hampton this Thursday and Saturday. Both games will air on FloHoops with Spiro Morekas having the audio call on TowsonTigers.com.
