TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University women's basketball team hosted Lehigh on Saturday afternoon at SECU Arena.
 
Towson (6-5) used a 13-point first quarter advantage to go up big on Lehigh (4-7) to begin the game. The Mountain Hawks answered on a 14-0 run over the final minutes of the second quarter and the beginning of the third. The Tigers never wavered, holding on for the 75-67 wire-to-wire victory over the Mountain Hawks in the team's penultimate non-conference game of the season.
 
Key Stats

• Towson secured 11 offensive rebounds in the game compared to Lehigh's three. The Tigers scored 11 second chance points off those offensive boards.
• The Black & Gold got 21 bench points in the game, including 17 from India Johnston in her second consecutive game coming off the bench.
• TU scored 34 points in the paint compared to Lehigh's 26.

 
How it Happened

• Towson opened the game on an 11-3 run through the first 4:18 of the game. Semaya Turner led the Tigers with four points in the run.
• A Lehigh layup with just over three minutes left in the quarter cut Towson's lead down to seven.
• Moments later, the Tigers went on a 5-0 run, led by Thalia Shepard with three.
• The Mountain Hawks hit five free throws on six chances over the final 96 seconds of the quarter. Shepard and Zoli Khalil each hit a three in the final minute to give the Tigers a 27-14 lead after the first period.
• A Lehigh three with 5:07 left in the half cut the Towson lead to 11.
• Johnston and Sjökvist's made threes on consecutive possessions pushed the lead back to 15.
• The Mountain Hawks closed the half on an 11-0 run to cut the deficit down to four at 38-34.
• Lehigh got the deficit down to one before two Shepard layups and a Khalil three re-extended the lead to eight.
• In the final minute of the third quarter, Lehigh scored six straight points to cut the TU edge down to five.
• The Tigers led by three with just over six and a half minutes to go in regulation before a 6-0 run pushed the lead to nine.
• The Mountain Hawks cut the deficit to four with 42 seconds remaining on a pair of free throws.
• Towson hit seven free throws on eight chances in the final minute to win 75-67.

 
Inside the Numbers

• Thalia Shepard finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals. The seven assists mark a new career high for the junior.
• India Johnston went for 17 points in 15 minutes off the bench. She's combined for 43 over the last two games, both coming off the bench.
• Semaya Turner posted eight points and eight rebounds in her first start of the season.

 
Next Game
The Tigers host local foe, Morgan State, at SECU Arena on Dec. 30 at 3 p.m.