Towson?s Pat Kennedy said mental toughness and scoring have been the overriding qualities for every good team he has coached, which explains why the Tigers are fading fast in the Colonial Athletic Association.
Towson has proven to be anything but tough during its three-game losing streak as it went 11 minutes without a field goal in a loss at James Madison and 14 minutes without a field goal in a loss at Drexel last week. The Tigers (9-14, 5-8 Colonial Athletic Association) have lost 11 straight on the road and enter tonight?s game at 9 against George Mason in eighth place in the 12-team league.
“I can?t point out why these droughts have happened,” Kennedy said. “The inconsistencies come from a lack of mental toughness.”
Fortunately for Kennedy, Towson gets George Mason in the friendlier confines of Towson Center, where the Tigers have won the past four games and are 8-3 this season.
Junior Hairston, a transfer from the College of Charleston, continues to lead Towson in scoring (12.6 ppg) and rebounding (9.9), with Georgetown transfer Josh Thornton is third on the Tigers at 11.5 points per game since becoming eligible in December.
George Mason, which is looking to win its first CAA title since 2001, is ready to make the same late-season push that vaulted it into the NCAA Tournament in 2006, when it gained national attention by reaching the Final Four.
George Mason (17-7, 9-4) is in second place in the league despite having its three-game winning streak snapped at Old Dominion, 72-64, on Saturday. The Patriots also defeated the Tigers once this season, 72-63, on Jan. 5. George Mason has won 11 straight against Towson and leads the overall series, 23-8.
Baltimore native Will Thomas, a former standout at Mount St. Joseph, is George Mason?s leading scorer (16.1 ppg) and rebounder (10.3). But the Patriots? most dangerous player the past week has been senior point guard Folarin Campbell, who averaged 26.5 points per game against Drexel and Old Dominion, raising his scoring average to 14.8 points per game.
“Towson is a scary team,” George Mason coach Jim Larranaga said. “They have two transfers [Hairston and Thornton] who are a great inside-outside combination. Towson also plays better at home than on the road. Our players know they are getting ready to play their third straight road game and have to be prepared to face Towson at its best.”
