TOWSON, Md. (Interstat) — Towson used a dominant first half to build a cushion and held off a second-half push from the College of Charleston for a 61-52 men’s basketball victory Thursday night at SECU Arena. The Tigers led 34-17 at halftime before the Cougars rallied after the break. Charleston cut the deficit to four points late, but Towson secured the win at the free-throw line. Connor Hickman led all scorers with 20 points for Charleston. Tyler Coleman paced Towson with 13 points. A crowd of 1,850 saw Towson improve to 10-9 overall. Charleston fell to 11-7. Both teams are members of the Colonial Athletic Association.

TOWSON, Md. (Interstat) — In a rugged Colonial Athletic Association clash defined more by defensive pressure and offensive inefficiency than fluid scoring, the Towson Tigers grinded out a 61-52 victory over the College of Charleston Cougars on Thursday night at SECU Arena. A crowd of 1,850 watched as Towson improved to 10-9 overall, while Charleston dropped to 11-7. The game’s combined point total of 113 fell well below the pregame over/under line of 141.5, a testament to the struggle both teams endured to generate consistent offense. The most critical phase of the contest was its opening act. Towson established a commanding early lead that Charleston spent the entire night trying to overcome. The Tigers, leveraging their physicality and forcing a flurry of Cougar turnovers, raced to a 17-point advantage in the first half. Charleston managed only 17 points before intermission, shooting a frigid 6 of 31 from the field and committing nine turnovers against a swarming Towson defense. The Tigers took a 34-17 lead into the locker room, a deficit from which the Cougars could never fully recover. Charleston emerged from halftime with renewed energy, opening the second period on a 12-3 run to cut the Towson lead to eight points. The Cougars’ defense tightened, and Connor Hickman, who led all scorers with 20 points, found his rhythm. A three-pointer by Hickman with 9:23 remaining brought Charleston within six points at 44-38, marking the closest they had been since the game’s opening minutes. However, Towson consistently answered each Charleston push with a critical basket or defensive stop. Following Hickman’s three, the Tigers responded with a 6-0 spurt, keyed by a Caleb Embeya layup and a Chike Ndefo alley-oop, to rebuild a 12-point cushion. Every time the Cougars threatened to make it a one-possession game in the final ten minutes, Towson executed in the half-court or capitalized on Charleston’s mistakes. The statistical sheet illustrated the nature of the struggle. Both teams shot identically poor percentages from the field, with each making 21 of 62 attempts. The difference came at the free-throw line, where Towson was nearly perfect, converting 15 of 17, while Charleston attempted only nine, making six. Towson also won the turnover battle decisively, forcing 15 Cougar giveaways while committing only nine, leading to a 10-5 advantage in steals. Beyond Hickman’s scoring for Charleston, Jlynn Counter contributed 10 points and six assists, and 7-foot freshman Chol Machot added 10 points and three blocks. For Towson, the scoring was balanced. Tyler Coleman led the way with 13 points, Tyler Tejada added 11, and Caleb Embeya chipped in nine points. Towson’s interior defense, led by 7-foot-1 Mor Seck’s three blocks, altered countless shots and helped limit Charleston’s opportunities in the paint. The game was a significant departure from recent form for both teams. Charleston entered having won five of its last six games, including a 74-70 victory over Hampton last Saturday. Towson, meanwhile, had split its last two conference games, falling to Hofstra before defeating Northeastern. According to National Statistical’s ELO system, Charleston entered with a narrow 51.2% probability to win, but Towson closed as a 2.5-point favorite. The Tigers covered that spread with their 9-point victory. Both teams return to CAA action on Saturday. College of Charleston travels to face Stony Brook, while Towson remains at home to host Drexel.

TOWSON, Md. (Interstat) — A surging College of Charleston squad will look to extend its winning streak when it visits a Towson team seeking consistency in a Colonial Athletic Association men’s basketball matchup Thursday night at SECU Arena. The Cougars (11-6, 4-0 CAA) have won six straight games, most recently a 74-70 home victory over Hampton on Saturday. They are led by dynamic guard Jlynn Counter, who is averaging 21.4 points, 6.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds over his last seven contests. Counter posted 19 points and seven assists against Hampton, following a 29-point effort in a win over Drexel on Dec. 29. The Tigers (9-9, 1-4) halted a four-game skid with an 87-78 road win at Northeastern on Saturday. Guard Dylan Williamson, who scored 22 points in that victory, paces Towson. His production has fluctuated, however, with four points in a loss to Hofstra preceding the Northeastern game. Charleston’s streak has been marked by efficient offense, scoring 85 or more points in four of the six wins. Forward Colby Duggan added 22 points in the Hampton game, while Chol Machot provided a defensive presence with six blocks. Towson has struggled defensively in conference play, allowing an average of 78.2 points in its four CAA losses. The Tigers will need to contain Counter’s penetration and playmaking to disrupt the Cougars’ rhythm. Forward Tyler Coleman, who had 15 points and seven rebounds against Northeastern, is a key interior contributor. The Cougars have dominated the recent series, winning the last five meetings. In their only matchup last season, Charleston won 76-58 on its home floor. Thursday’s game tips off a challenging two-game road swing for Charleston, which plays at Stony Brook on Saturday. Towson remains home to host Drexel on Saturday.