When: Sunday, March 9, 2025
Where: CareFirst Arena | Washington, D.C.
Time: Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
Team Records: No. 8 Drexel (18-14, 9-9 CAA) vs. No. 1 Towson (21-10, 16-2 CAA)
Broadcast: FloCollege, audio broadcast on TowsonTigers.com (Spiro Morekas)
Series: Drexel Leads 51-31                                                                                               
TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University men's basketball team heads to the nation's capital to compete in the CAA Tournament starting with Drexel/Elon in the CAA quarterfinals on Sunday afternoon.
 
Recapping CAA Play
The Tigers made history in CAA play, finishing in first place in the conference with a 16-2 record, the best in the CAA in program history. Towson got off to its best start ever in conference play in program history. The Black & Gold won its first outright CAA regular season title in program history defeating William & Mary 88-73. Towson ranked second in conference play in scoring defense, allowing opponents to score only 65.8 points per game. The Tigers were tied for the second most three-pointers during conference play averaging 8.6 per game while shooting at the second highest percentage behind the arc with a 36.3% clip. Towson ranked third in conference play in rebounds per game, grabbing 37.2 per game during conference play, while having the third-best rebounding margin grabbing 4.1 more per game. Towson was first in conference play in offensive rebounds per game, grabbing 12.9 per game.
 
Postseason Awards
The Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) released its end-of-year honors. Tyler Tejada was voted CAA Player of the Year while being named to the First Team All-CAA. Head coach Pat Skerry was named CAA Coach of the Year and Nendah Tarke was voted CAA Sixth Man of the Year. Dylan Williamson earned All-CAA Second Team honors.
 
Tejada is the first Towson player to be named CAA Player of the Year since Jerrelle Benimon won the award in 2013 & 2014. The Teaneck, N.J. native ranks sixth in the conference in scoring with 16. 8 points per game, shooting 43.4% from the floor, which is the ninth-highest mark in the conference. The sophomore guard/forward is the first sophomore since 1999 when George Mason's George Mason won the honor.
 
Skerry has been named CAA Coach of the Year for the second time with the previous time occurring in 2012-2013 season. He helped the Tigers win the outright CAA regular season title for the first time in program history. Skerry led Towson to its fourth consecutive 20+ win season for the first time in program history.
 
Tarke is the first Towson player since Nicolas Timberlake to be named CAA Sixth Man of the Year since the 2019-20 season. The Gaithersburg, Md. native averaged 11.3 points, which ranks third on the team while grabbing 4.6 rebounds per game, the second highest total on the team. During CAA play he averaged 12.4 points on 47.7% shooting and 42.6% from behind the arc.
 
Williamson was named to the All-CAA Second Team for the first time with the Tigers. He ranked second on the team in scoring with 13.8 points per game on 42.7% shooting. The Upper Marlboro, Md. native led the team in three-point shooting, knocking down 41.7% of his threes.
 
Hot Streak
The Tigers have been playing well winning 15 of their last 16 games. Towson is averaging 73.5 points per game and holding opponents to 65.4 in that time. Dylan Williamson is averaging 15.5 points a game during that streak, adding a team-high 48 assists and shooting 47.2% from the field and 45.7% from three. Williamson has scored in double figures in 15 of the 16 games. Nendah Tarke is shooting 47.6% from the floor and 44.0% from three in that span, averaging 13.3 points per game and 4.7 rebounds, a team-best. Tyler Tejada has also been strong in that stretch, averaging a team-best 16.3 points and 3.8 rebounds a game in those 16 contests, shooting 44.1% from the field and has scored in double figures in all 16 games.
 
In the Ranks
The Tigers are top-50 in the nation in multiple categories this season. Towson ranks 11th in the nation in turnovers per game, having only 9.5 turnovers per game, which leads the CAA. The Tigers are 36th in the nation in offensive rebounds per game, grabbing 12.9, as well as scoring defense, allowing just 65.9 points per contest to rank 32nd in the country. Dylan Williamson ranks 27th in the nation in three-point percentage with a 41.7% clip.
 
Defense!
The Tigers led the CAA in scoring defense, holding opponents to 63.6 ppg, while ranking second in the conference in rebounding, grabbing 39.3 per game. Towson held opponents to under 60 points, 12 times last season.
 
Towson has continued where they left off last season, holding opponents to only 65.9 points per game. The Tigers rank 32nd in the nation and second in the CAA. Towson has held 16 of its 31 opponents to 66 points or fewer.
 
Star Sophomores
Dylan Williamson and Tyler Tejada have had stellar sophomore seasons. Williamson ranks second on the team in points per game, averaging 13.8. The redshirt sophomore guard earned a career-high 27 points off 11-of-19 shooting in the victory at Delaware. He previously scored 26 points against Drexel, matching the 26-point performance at Nicholls State. Williamson has finished in double figures in 24 of the 31 games this season.
 
Tejada leads the Tigers in points per game, averaging 16.8, which ranks sixth in the CAA. He has finished in double figures in 24 of his 25 games. The sophomore guard tied a career-high with 30 points earlier this season against Robert Morris. He made a career-high 12 field goals and went 3-of-3 from behind the arc.
 
Mr. Do It All
Redshirt senior guard Nendah Tarke does it all for the Tigers this season. Tarke has continued where he left off last season, averaging 11.1 points per game, which ranks third on the team. Tarke grabs 4.6 rebounds per game which ranks second on the team. He leads the Tigers in steals per game with 1.2. Tarke has finished in double figures in 17 of his 31 games, including 12 of the last 16 games.
 
Home Court Advantage
Towson has had a major home court advantage over the last 12 years at TU Arena. Since moving into the arena from the Towson Center in 2013, the Tigers have gone 116-44. Towson has had a winning record in home games in seven of the nine seasons. The Tigers currently have an 12-1 mark at TU Arena this season.
 
The Tigers broke the school record for consecutive home wins at TU Arena against Stony Brook on January 11 when Towson won their 18th straight home game dating back to the 2022-23 season.
 
Climbing up the Ranks
Redshirt sophomore guard Dylan Williamson is moving up the record book. He currently has 78 three-pointers which is tied for fifth most in a season in program history. Williamson is two triples away from being tenth all-time in program history in three-pointers made. He currently ranks sixth all-time in three-point percentage with a 38.2% mark.
 
The Best in Maryland
In the last three years, the Tigers have a 87-45 (65.9%) record, the best in the DC-Maryland-Virginia area. Skerry is 26-2 (92.9%) against UMBC, Morgan State, Loyola (MD) and Coppin State since 2013.
 
Hugh Durham & Skip Prosser Finalist
Head coach Pat Skerry was named a finalist for the 2024-25 Hugh Durham and Skip Prosser Man of the Year award, Collegeinsider.com announced. The Hugh Durham award is presented annually to the top mid-major head coach in college basketball. He is one of 25 coaches to be selected as a finalist. The Skip Prosser Man of the Year award is presented annually the division I coach who wins with integrity on and off the court. Skerry previously won the award in 2023.
 
Sweeping the Weekly Awards
Redshirt senior guard Nendah Tarke was named CAA Player of the Week while freshman forward Caleb Embeya was named CAA Rookie of the Week. The last time Towson won both awards was January 29th, 2024 when Christian May won player of the week and Dylan Williamson won rookie of the week.
 
Tarke averaged a team-best 22.0 points per game while shooting 14-of-25 (56.0%) from the field and 6-of-10 (60.0%) from three. He also averaged 5.5 rebounds last week as the Tigers went 2-0. He started the week by tying a team-high 17 points and grabbing seven rebounds in Towson's win against Northeastern. The redshirt senior guard then followed up with 27 points, tying a career-high, with 24 coming in the second half and overtime against Drexel. He went 9-of-14 (64.3%) from the floor and knocked down a season-high four triple, going 66.7% from behind the arc in Towson's overtime victory against the Dragons.
 
Embeya averaged 11.0 points per game, five rebounds and 2.5 blocks off the bench. He went 9-of-10 (90%) from the floor. He started the week by scoring nine points, five rebounds and two blocks while shooting 80% from the floor in Towson's victory over Northeastern. The freshman forward then followed up with a career-high 13 points on 5-of-5 shooting while grabbing five rebounds and adding three blocks in Towson's overtime victory against Drexel.
 
Tigers on TV
Towson will play 12 games on national and linear television this season with ten happening at TU Arena.
 
The Tigers will play four games on CBS Sports Network, which include Hofstra (Jan. 16), at Northeastern (Jan. 27), Drexel (Feb. 1) and at Monmouth (Feb. 8). The Tigers are 4-0 on CBS Sports Network this season.
 
Towson will have six games on Monumental Sports Network: James Madison (Nov. 16), UMBC (Dec. 7), Bryant (Dec. 22), Northeastern (Jan. 9), Stony Brook (Jan. 18) and Delaware (Feb. 13). The Tigers will have two games on MeTV on Feb. 27th against William & Mary and March 1st versus Hampton.
 
Running It Back
The Tigers return four of their five starters from last year. Towson brings back 80% of the last year's scoring, including the top three scorers. The Tigers return 71% of the rebounds, including two of the top seven rebounders last year in the CAA. Towson returns reigning CAA Rookie of the Year Tyler Tejada and CAA All- Rookie guard Dylan Williamson who ranked second on the team in scoring last season (10.2) and led the Tigers in assists (2.9).
 
Fresh Faces
Towson welcomes five newcomers this season: Abdou Samb (IUPUI), Chike Ndefo, Caleb Embeya, Mandela Tarke and Ryan Skerry.
 
Scouting Drexel
The Dragons finished the season as the No. 8 seed and defeated the No. 9 seed Elon 91-74 earlier today. Drexel's Kobe MaGee was named Third Team All-CAA after leading the Dragons in scoring, averaging 14.0. Cole Hargrove earned CAA All-Defensive team honors after ranking third in the conference in blocks and sixth in rebounding. The Tigers went 2-0 this season against Drexel picking up a 93-82 overtime win in Philly and a 55-54 win at TU Arena.
 
Next Up
If the Tigers win on Sunday, they will play in the CAA semi-finals on Monday, March 10th at 6 p.m. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.