Dragons Open CAA Play with Victory Against Towson

Monday, January 3

Philadelphia, Pa.

6 p.m.

Drexel University

6-5,1-0CAA

Towson

9-5,0-1CAA

Towson

Drexel

Photo by: Gavin Baker / Sideline Photos LLC

Dragons Open CAA Play with Victory Against Towson

1/3/2022 9:08:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA – Tre Brown made a pair of free throws with eight seconds to play to propel Drexel to a 65-61 victory in the Colonial Athletic Association opener against Towson at the Daskalakis Athletic Center. Towson (9-5, 0-1) had a chance to win the game in the final seconds, but Terry Nolan, Jr.'s up-and-under attempt after driving the length of the court bounced off the rim as Drexel (6-5, 1-0) remained unbeaten at home.

The game was close throughout as neither team was able to get a lead of more than eight points all night. Drexel opened the second half with seven straight points, all by Camren Wynter to take a 36-29 lead. The lead increased to eight before Towson answered with a run of its own. The Tigers trailed 43-37 with just under 13 minutes to play, but scored the next 11 points, including a 3-pointer by Nolan, Jr., to take a five-point lead. The contest went back and forth down the stretch and when Nolan hit another trey with 1:42 to play, Towson led 61-58. Those would be the last points of the night for the visitors. On the next Drexel possession, Melik Martin drove the lane for two of his 11 points, cutting the deficit to just one. Towson then missed a pair of 3-pointers and Drexel's Brown came up with a rebound with 25 seconds to play. Brown got the ball back in his hands and drove to the bucket, where he was fouled by Nolan, Jr. The graduate student then sank the free throws that won the game. Drexel made the final margin four points by sinking three of four free throws after Towson tried to foul in the last second. Lamar Oden, Jr. made the first two, which were awarded due to a technical foul, and then one out of two from the original foul.

The teams showed a bit of rust in the first half. Drexel was able to shoot well from deep, knocking down six 3-pointers, including a pair from Mate Okros. Overall, each team shot less than 40 percent in the first half as the score was tied at 29 at intermission. Drexel held the Tigers without a 3-point field goal in the first half, but the Tigers were able to score 26 of their points in the paint. The other three came from the free throw line.

Okros led the Dragons with 15 points, with all of his points coming on 3-pointers. The junior was 5-for-6 from long range. Wynter scored all 13 of his points in the second half and handed out seven assists. Okros, Martin and Wynter all secured five rebounds as the Dragons were forced to play small down the stretch. Drexel was without the services of Amari Williams and James Butler was forced to leave the game early in the second half. The Dragons tied a season-high with 11 3-pointers and finished the night shooting 52 percent from deep.

Towson's Charles Thompson led everyone with 18 points. Cameron Holden and Nolan, Jr., each added 14 points. The Tigers outrebounded the Dragons by 10 and came up with 17 offensive boards in the game.

Drexel was scheduled to play James Madison on Wednesday, but that game was postponed and moved to Feb. 7. The Dragons will now have the rest of the week off before returning to the court on Jan. 11 against the University of Delaware at the DAC.