Towson University Basketball Aiming For NCAA Tournament
Jan 05, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Towson Tigers forward Jerrelle Benimon (20) is defended by Drexel Dragons forward Dartaye Ruffin (35) during the first half at the Daskalakis Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
The Towson University basketball team has put together a solid season and will be taking a shot this weekend at getting an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament with a Colonial Athletic Association tournament win. The Tigers are the #2 seed; Delaware is #1.
The tournament is being played at the Baltimore Arena, giving Towson at least a bit of a home team advantage. Their opening game will be at 6:00 tonight against the #7 seed James Madison. They would then play the winner of the Charleston vs. William and Mary (#3 seed) game. If making it to the finals, that game will be at 7:00 on Monday.
The Tigers have been playing well, having won six in a row and 10 of the last 11. Their record of 22-9 (13-3 CAA) is the most wins for the program since the 1970s. The Tigers have twice this season beaten JMU (11-19 / 6-10) – the tournament winner just last year. However, Towson needed to come back from a 3-point halftime deficit on February 17th to win 69-66.
The Towson University basketball team is led by 6-9 senior forward Jerrelle Benimon, who is the leading rebounder in the nation. He has had 20 double-doubles this year, and in fact, he averages a double-double with 18.9 points and 11.7 rebounds.
It is definitely a big challenge for Towson to win this tournament. The Blue Hens are tough, though the two schools split during the season, with each winning at home.