Strong Shooting Performance Not Enough as Dragons Fall to Towson, 77-70

Thursday, January 28

Daskalakis Athletic Center

7:00

Drexel University

3-17 (1-8CAA)

Towson

15-7 (6-3CAA)

TOWSON

DREXEL

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Strong Shooting Performance Not Enough as Dragons Fall to Towson, 77-70

1/28/2016 8:31:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA – Drexel men's basketball shot a season-best 56 percent from the floor but could not come away with the victory Thursday night at the Daskalakis Athletic Center against Towson, 77-70.

The Dragons (3-17, 1-8 CAA) shot 7-for-11 from deep and 25-for-45 overall, led by Sammy Mojica's 17 points. Towson countered with a strong 22-for-44 (50 percent) performance and went 9-for-16 from three.

Trailing by one at halftime, Drexel came out of the locker room swinging. Kazembe Abif converted on an and-one in the lane for three of his 12 points. Then after a Towson turnover, Rodney Williams, who had 15 points of his own, found Rashann London on the wing from the low block for a three. The six-point swing gave the Dragons a five-point advantage at the 18:14.

Drexel would build the lead up to six points after one of Mojica three threes 90 seconds later. However, Towson found its counterpunch from beyond the arc, getting threes from Arnaud William Adala Moto then Byron Hawkins on back-to-back possessions. When the Dragons looked up at the scoreboard with 13:44 to play, the lead had vanished and the score was tied 46-46. Adala Moto, who came into the game 8-for-32 from deep, shot 3-for-4 from three and finished with 16 points and seven boards. Hawkins led the game's scoring with 23 points on 6-for-10 shooting, and added six rebounds and five assists.

Neither team could grow a lead beyond a basket's reach until there was 5:15 left in the game. The Dragons held a 62-59 lead after Terrell Allen hit a three from the left corner, but an 11-2 Towson run to the 2:23 mark proved to be the ultimate turning point. As hot as the Dragons shot all night, they could muster only one made shot in their final seven attempts. Towson hit on five of its last seven and came away with the 77-70 win.

Drexel jumped on the Tigers from the opening tip, holding a lead as large at 10 six minutes into the game. Towson did not back down, though, going on a 15-3 run to take two-point lead over a four-minute stretch. The teams traded shots the rest of the half before Towson took a 36-35 lead to the locker room.

Towson came in leading the Colonial Athletic Association in rebounding margin, outrebounding opponents by more than seven rebounds per game. The Dragons matched the Tigers in the first half on the glass, 13-13. After the half, Towson showed why it leads the league in the category, however, outrebounding Drexel 16-5 in the final 20 minutes.

The free throw line would also prove to be a difference in the game. While the Dragons shot strong percentage-wise, going 13-for-16 for an 81.3 percent clip, the Tigers went 24-for-32 (75 percent).

Drexel had four scorers in double figures on the night. In addition to Mojica, Williams and Abif, Terrell Allen tallied 12 points and seven assists. Tavon Allen, the Dragons' leading scorer at 12.7 points per game, was held to nine points. Towson got big nights from Adala Moto and Hawkins, as well as Mike Morsell, who had 16 points.

Drexel (3-17, 1-8 CAA) will continue its four-game homestand when it welcomes Hofstra to the DAC on Saturday at 4 p.m. on Homecoming.