Unlike their opponents Saturday, Towson?s men?s basketball team didn?t have to worry about building its NCAA tournament resume. The Tigers? focus was to end the regular season on a high note heading into the Colonial Athletic Association tournament.
Despite holding the emotional advantage of senior day, and playing in front of the largest crowd of the season, the Tigers? lost to Drexel, 77-68. A late charge got Towson within two points with three minutes to go, but the comeback fell short.
“A loss is a loss. A close lass or a blowout by 40 points, it?s still a loss,” Towson senior guard Gary Neal said after his final game at the Towson Center. “It?s disappointing at times, but its not over. We could make a four-game run [in the CAA tournament] ? and people could say Towson has finally arrived.”
The seventh-seeded Tigers (14-16 overall, 8-10 CAA) will square off with ten-seed UNC Wilmington (7-21, 4-14) Friday at 6 p.m. at the Richmond Coliseum. Should Towson win, it would play No. 2 seed Old Dominion (23-7, 15-3) Saturday at 6 p.m.
“It?s a whole new season now,” Towson coach Pat Kennedy said. “We?ve just got to have two good practices Monday and Tuesday ? but this team is extremely capable to step right up and win some basketball games.”
A talented, balanced Drexel team erased Towson?s emotional edge and handed the Tigers their third straight loss ? the longest such streak of the season. The streak couldn?t come at a worse time.
“I want to win every game, but I?d definitely say Senior Day had a huge impact [on how much we wanted a win],” senior forward Dennard Abraham said.
A crowd of 3,218 ? the largest of the season ? was on hand to honor six Towson seniors.
“We knew it was senior night, and with Gary [Neal], they?re always dangerous,” Drexel coach James “Bruiser” Flint said. “Towson can score, man.”
Neal scored 30 points ? the tenth time he?s done so this season ? on 11-of-17 shooting from the floor. But aside from Abraham?s 14 points, no other Tigers reached double-digits.
Tigers notes
» Towson seniors Dennard Abraham, Trevan Jackson, Gary Neal, Holden Plack, Marc Pratt and Winstonn Tubbs played their final games at the Towson Center.
» The Towson swimming team was recognized in the second half, including coach Pat Meade, and individual standouts Liz Lebherz, Aly Hunt, Robin Glazer, Hillary Reiveley and Eric Pino.
