Towson?s men?s basketball team nearly hit rock-bottom three weeks ago. The Tigers were four games under .500 and next to last in the Colonial Athletic Association after losing for the fourth time in six games.
That?s when Coach Pat Kennedy decided his team needed to relax.
“The day before each game we have had practices for 30 minutes, one practice was about 18 minutes, yesterday we played some tag games,” Kennedy said. “You learn it with each team that you have. The day before each game we have been cutting way back and having shooting drills and fun and relaxing. Then game day, we do all our preparations.”
And his players have noticed a significant difference.
“One day we came in and we went through a normal routine and coach just got us hyped and pumped and got us ready to go before the Drexel win,” senior guard C.C. Williams said. “After that, we were ready to go.”
Since the change, the Tigers (9-11, 5-5) are 4-2, winning three straight conference games against Georgia State, James Madison and Hofstra. The winning streak puts Towson at 5-5 in the CAA for only the second time after 10 games since the Tigers joined the league in 2001. But for Towson to earn its best start in conference play, it will need to beat league-leading Virginia Commonwealth (15-5, 8-2) and recent history tonight at 7:30 at Siegel Center in Richmond, Va.
The Tigers are 1-12 all-time against the Rams, and have never won in Richmond, losing all six games. And it doesn?t get any easierthis year, as Virginia Commonwealth is 9-0 at home this season and the Tigers are 1-8 on the road, and haven?t won away from Towson Center since a win at Samford, 73-66, on Nov. 20.
But the Tigers played the defending conference champions tough twice last year, losing in overtime, 84-80, at Towson Center, and losing in Virginia 10 days later, 85-77. The key for Towson to pick up its first win over the Rams since 2006 hinges with its defense. During its three-game winning streak, the Tigers are allowing opponents to shoot just 37.5 percent from the field ? 27.2 percent from beyond the arc ? and have forced 46 turnovers.
Towson has to shut down Rams junior guard Eric Maynor (18 ppg, 5 apg) who was voted the conference?s preseason Player of the Year. Maynor earned national recognition last March for his game-winning jumper against Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
“The guys are confident, we really felt like at George Mason, at Wilmington, at William & Mary, we were right there,” Kennedy said. “We are learning how to win, time of game, score, making plays, that’s all part of it.”
