Towson coach Pat Kennedy wouldn?t claim his team is ready for next month?s Colonial Athletic Association Tournament after a 73-72 win over High Point at Towson Center on Saturday.
But he acknowledged it?s getting close.
“I thought that was a great confidence builder for us at this time of the year,” he said. “We don?t win that game a year ago. It was important the way we won it.”
Trailing by one with 3.7 seconds left, Towson senior guard C.C Williams was fouled before the ball was inbounded and sank a pair of free throws to give his team a one-point lead. A desperation heavewent wide by the Panthers (14-13), and a put-back at the buzzer bounced off the back of the rim to seal a game in which Towson (11-16, 6-10) rallied from a seven-point deficit with fewer than eight minutes remaining.
“I knew I was going to hit those free throws,” Williams, who had a team-high 19 points, said. “There was no doubt in my mind.”
Kennedy is hoping the team?s confidence from the win in the ESPNU BracketBuster game will continue Wednesday night at 7:30 when the Tigers play at Georgia State (8-19, 4-12). Towson concludes its regular season with Senior Day on Saturday afternoon at 4 at Towson Center against Delaware (12-15, 8-8).
Towson beat the Panthers, 58-57, at Towson Center on Jan. 23 when Williams (8.2 ppg, 4.7 apg) scored a layup with four seconds remaining.
The Tigers are struggling rebounding, as they?ve been outrebounded seven times in their past 10 games and are minus-4.6 in rebounding margin this season. But they are having one of the best years shooting behind the arc in school history. Towson shoots a mediocre 33 percent from beyond the arc, but with 10 three-pointers on Saturday, set a school mark with 192 this season.
The Tigers have six players with 14 or more three-pointers this season, led by sophomore guard Josh Thornton?s 56 in 18 games. Towson should have success from long range against Georgia State, as the Panthers allow opponents to make 35.7 percent of their shots from beyond the arc.
“I am asenior and have two [regular season] games left,” Williams said. “I?ve been looking for my shot a bit more now.”
