FEDORA (using DDSCB2020)

[PointGuard 70]

Game #9—We poured it on against Abilene Christian Wildcats (4-2), going ahead by 20 with 10 minutes left in the first half.  We led 38-21 at the half.  We basically held the Wildcats at arms-length in the 2^nd half and put a 70-56 game in the win column.  So-so offense but good defense and rebounding. [7-2]

SG Dominick Collins scored 23 plus had a 4 steals and a block, C Donny Flint scored 10, and PF/C Calvin Williams had 8 points and 9 boards.

[PointGuard 70]

Game #10—We got off to a 13-5 start but then let the Seton Hall Pirates (7-3) go on an 8-0 run and then overtake us.  We fell behind by 5 but came back late to get with a single point at the break at 33-32.  The Pirates made 7 more points at the line, otherwise we would have led.  SG Dominick Collins poured in 12 points for us, hitting all 5 of his shots including two 3’s.  We gave it all we could in the 2^nd half, but Seton Hall was just a little better than us tonight and we lost 76-68.  The 8 more points that the Pirates scored on free throws was the difference in this game. [7-3]

Topping our scoring was SG Dominick Collins with 16 points.  PF Kevin Holmes followed with 13 and PG Jon Spann had 11.  Seton Hall’s C/PF Antoine Adel scored 20 and had 9 boards.

[PointGuard 70]

Game #11—The Vermont Catamounts (9-3) couldn’t keep pace with our offense in the first half and we were on top 46-33 after the first 20 minutes.  Then we struggled offensively in the 2^nd half, but our defense held off the Catamounts.  We came away with a 73-62 victory by holding Vermont’s shooting to 35% and out-rebounding them 44-30. [8-3, RPI-29th]

SG Dominick Collins continued to score well for us, finishing with 24 points.  C Donny Flint had a big double-double with 12 points and 17 rebounds.  SF Mac McCaffery hit for 12 points and PG Jon Spann added 11 points plus dished out 7 assists.

Dominick Collins was named the CAA Player of the Week.

[PointGuard 70]

After the completion of pre-conference play, here’s our statistical leaders:

PPG: SG Dominick White, 16.4; PF/C Donyell Porter, 11.3; C Donny Flint, 11.0; PG Jon Spann, 9.6; PF Kevin Holmes, 7.5; SF Mac McCaffery, 7.4

RPG: C Donny Flint, 10.3; PF/C Donyell Porter, 5.4; PF Kevin Holmes, 5.0; SF Mac McCaffery, 4.5; SG Dominick Collins, 4.5

APG: PG Jon Spann, 5.3; SG Dominick Collins, 3.5; SF Mac McCaffery, 2.0; C Donny Flint, 2.0

[PointGuard 70]

Game #12—The question as we prepared to take on the James Madison Dukes (6-5, 0-0) was: Can we control SG Nick Calhoun who had been scoring 19.5 ppg and hitting 53% of this shots?

We fell behind early, came back to forge ahead and then let the Dukes gain a 41-35 halftime advantage.  The refs called 10 fouls on James Madison and 14 against us with the Dukes going to the line 9 more times than us.  We scored 6 points in the first minute in the 2^nd half to draw up into a tie.  The game remained close for the remainder of the game but we came up short 87-84.  [8-4, 0-1]

Leading our scoring was SG Dominick Collins with 23 points plus he had 8 rebounds and 7 assists.  PF Kevin Holmes hit for 15 points and grabbed 8 boards, PF/C Donyell Porter scored 14, and PG Jon Spann added 13. 

For James Madison, PF Rowan Besecker scored 21 points.  Guess we asked the wrong question.

 

[PointGuard 70]

Game #13—On the road to take on Charleston Cougars (3-9, 0-1), but having lost our first conference game, we need to turn things around and win tonight.

We double-teamed SF B.J. Warren and he still hit three 3’s, a deuce, and a free throw in less than 5 minutes to score Charleston’s first 12 points and put us behind by 6.  Charleston held the lead until we finally were able to wrest it away from them with 4 minutes left in the first half.  We ended the half with a slim 44-43 lead.  We scored the first 11 points of the 2^nd half and were up by 12 with 17:56 left in the game.  But then the Cougars stuck back to go on a 15-1 run. We then gradually took more and more control of the game to grind out an 87-76 victory.  We knocked down 54% of our FG attempts and hit 6 of 9 our 3’s plus held a 39-29 rebounding advantage.  [9-4, 1-1]

Great scoring throughout our lineup led by C Donny Flints 15 points (and 13 boards) and SG Dominick Collins 19 points.  PF/C Donyell Porter had 11 points, PG Jon Spann scored 10 and had 12 assists, SF Mac McCaffery hit for 9 points, PG Weldon Walters added 8, and PF Kevin Holmes, SG Copley Dwiggins and SF Freddie Jackson each scored 5 points.  Charleston’s SF B.J. Warren scored 22 points.

[PointGuard 70]

Game #14—The object of this game is to win and knock the Hofstra Pride (7-6, 2-0) out of the ranks of undefeated teams in CAA play.

Solid defense by us throughout the first half limited Hofstra to just 32% shooting and forced them to make 12 turnovers. We forged a 43-27 halftime advantage.          We continued to outplay Hofstra in the 2^nd half, played the long end of our bench late in the game, and crushed the Pride 85-70.  [10-4, 2-1, tied with 3 others for 2^nd place in CAA]

Top scorers for us were PF/C Donyell Porter with 20 points, SG Dominick Collins with 16, and SF Mac McCaffery with 15.  SF Freddie Jackson came off the bench to score 8 and pull down 8 rebounds.

Donny Flint: “I had my worst game ever for Towson.  I had just had a horrible argument with my girlfriend (or maybe ex-girlfriend now) before the game and was totally out of it during the game. I felt like a liability to the team on the court.  This sucks!  Time to refocus.”

[PointGuard 70]

Matt Barnes, 2^nd Assistant (Recruiting) Coach

Mid-January and we’re basically out of funds for more recruiting and we still have an unfilled scholarship.  We’ve got an offer on the table to a recruit.  He’s interested but we’re still not on the top of his list, so it’s going to be tough.  Even if we get him, he’s not the big interior player we were trying to get.  But he’s a SF who’s a good rebounder d inside shoother who likely can play PF for us.

I want to be optimistic but it’s difficult to be.  When I spoke to Coach Aura yesterday on the phone he said that we can’t expect to find gold every season.  But deep down I know I should have done better and feel like I’ve let him down.  I’m sure he wishes he would have been here to participate in recruiting since he excels at it.

[PointGuard 70]

Game #15—The Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens (8-6, 2-1) simply crushed us in the first half opening as much as a 24 point lead.  The half finally mercilessly ended…with us down by a 47-30 score.  Delaware hit 52% of their shots, we could only manage to sink 27% of ours.  We could get no closer than 10 points in the 2^nd half and finished by being stomped 84-69. [10-5, 2-2]

C Donny Flint had a double-double (14 points and 11 rebounds), PF Kevin Holmes scored 12 points, PF/C Donyell Porter and SF Mac McCaffery both scored 10 points.

[PointGuard 70]

Tigers Blog

What’s up with the Tigers?  They’re now 2-2 in conference play so they’re tied for 5^th place. And their losses have been embarrassing.  First a close loss to James Madison…but it was a HOME GAME!  No excuses for losing that one.  Then in their last game, they were never in the game against Delaware.  And while that was an away game, they were outplayed in every aspect of the game and got buried by a so-so team.  Kenyon Haynes’ coaching in that game came up short as well.  Rather than protecting Dominick Collins and Mac McCaffery, who both got into early foul trouble, he left both on the court after they were saddled with 4 fouls.  Both fouled out midway through the 2^nd half and thus weren’t available to try to close the gap late in the game.  Other players were left playing when it was obvious they were dog-tired.  Haynes is a guy who tried to get a head coaching job last spring.  It’s becoming obvious why he was unable to do so.  It’s time for the Tigers to up their game and roll off a long winning streak.  If they don’t, its going to be a long season.

Tie this together with what has turned out to be a terrible recruiting effort, which at best gets a grade of a D-.  Coach Fred Aura’s absence from the team has become a crisis on the court and in preparing for next season when they will have lost their 3 leading scorers and two top rebounders (Flint, Collins and Porter).  There is concern in Tigerdom that last season was the team’s peak and they’ve begun a downward spiral.

[PointGuard 70]

Game #16—In our game against the NC-Wilmington Seahawks (5-10, 1-3), we didn’t shoot well, hitting just 32% of our shots.  But no matter.  Our defense was rock solid throughout the entire game.  We held the Seahawks to 20 points in the first half, while scoring 27 ourselves.  We never let up in the 2^nd half and went on to post a convincing 58-43 victory.  NC-Wilmington’s could only manage to score on 24% of their shots and we forced them to turn the ball over 17 times.  None of their players scored in double figures.  [11-5, 3-2]

SG Dominick Collins hit for 17 points, PG Jon Spann contributed 10 points, C Donny Flint had 8 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks, and Kevin Holmes had 11 boards.

But SG Dominick Collins suffered a strained abdominal late in the game.  While he may be able to play, his efforts are likely to be limited for the next week.

[PointGuard 70]

Game #17—Elon Phoenix (6-10, 1-4) might not have been expected to be much of a challenge, any road game presents problems.  While we led most of the game, we also struggled the entire game.  We somehow managed to gain a 34-30 halftime lead.  We led the rest of the way, but not by much and eked out a 76-74 road win.  [12-5, 4-2]

PF Kevin Holmes and PF/C Donyell Porter both scored 12, SG Copley Dwiggins and SG Dominick Collins each hit for 11, and C Donny Flint scored 8, grabbed 13 boards, and had 1 steal and 3 blocks.

The day after this game, Coach Aura was able to get back to Towson and work with our team in practice sessions.  He made sure the guys knew it was time to dig deep and begin playing with passion.

[PointGuard 70]

Game #18—If we can beat the William & Mary Tribe (10-7, 5-1), we’ll move into a tie with them for 2^nd place, a game behind Delaware.  Even though he has to get back to help with his folks, Coach Aura was able to stay on so he lead the team for this game.

Our guys responded and we spurted to 10-0 and 13-1 leads.  But the Tribe got back into the game and midway through the first half took a 27-25 lead.  We fought back to take a 45-39 lead to the locker room.  We simply refused to let William & Mary overtake us in the 2^nd half and ground the Tribe down late in the half to come away with an 82-68 win.  We knocked down 50% of our shots and held a 21-13 turnover advantage. [13-5, 5-2]

C Donny Flint had a big game with 21 points, 13 boards, 1 steal and 3 blocks.  PF/C Donyell Porter scored 17, and PG Jon Spann hit for 9 points plus had 11 assists.

With Coach Aura departing again, that puts 1^st Assistant Coach Haynes in charge again.

[PointGuard 70]

Game #19—Our trip to Philadelphia to take on the Drexel Dragons (7-11, 2-5) was successful.  We pulled off a 76-71 victory by hitting 50% of our shots for the second straight game.  The win catapulted us into a 3-way tie with Delaware and William & Marry for 1^st place in the Colonial Athletic Association.  [14-5, 6-2]

PF/C Donyell Porter poured in 26 points plus pulling down 5 rebounds.  Drexel’s SF Aaron Dupay scored 21 points.

But the victory came ended up leaving a bitter taste in our mouths.  C Donny Flint sustained an injury during the game that has been diagnosed as a torn ACL.  Since he’s a senior that was his last collegiate game. This throws a huge monkey wrench in the works for our repeating as conference champs. We’re likely to take a big hit defensively and on the boards.

[PointGuard 70]

Game #20—Donyell Porter replaces Donny Flint as our starting center.  We outshot the Northeastern Huskies (8-11, 5-3) 56% to 35% and took a 40-26 halftime lead.  We continued to shoot extremely well in the 2^nd half and continued to pull away, finishing with an 85-61 thrashing of the Huskies.  The win kept us tied for 1^st place in the CAA.  [15-5, 7-2]

SG Copley Dwiggins came off the bench to score 15 points, while SG Dominick Collins and SF Mac McCaffery both scored 14 and C Donyell Porter had 9 points and 9 rebounds. 

[PointGuard 70]

Donny Flint:

I’m totally bummed.  To tear my ACL meant not only the end of my collegiate career, but also will keep me off the court for nearly a year.  That means no chance to get drafted this year.  I know it was a long-shot, but I’ve played pretty well all 3-1/2 seasons here at Towson.  Averaged 12.7 ppg and 10.2 rpg plus 1.6 apg, 1.2 spg and 1.7 bpg.  My bests for individual games were: 30 points, 19 rebounds, 5 assists, 7 steals, and 6 blocks.  And while the CAA isn’t a strong conference, I was 1^st Team All-Conference 3 years, Freshman of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Player of the Year.  I figured I had on track to get another 1^st Team All-Conference, and possibly repeat at Defensive Player of the Year and Player of the Year this season.  It seems all that should have garnered some attention by pro scouts.

I also hit 41% of my 3’s so while my height doesn’t work to be a C in the pros, I figured I had a chance at PF.  I imagine it would take some time in Development League, but I was willing to work hard to prove I could be an asset to a pro team.  Hell, I’d even have been willing to play in Europe a year or two, figuring that would help me develop into NBA material.  Now all of that is at best postponed, and possible lost all together depending on how well and how soon I mend and can rebuild my proficiency and endurance. 

Now I’ll continue keeping together with the team, trying to encourage the guys.  Since my future is in doubt, I know I better also focus on my studies.

[PointGuard 70]

Game #21—The lead shifted back and forth between us and James Madison Dukes (9-11, 3-6) throughout most of the 1^st half, but we let them pull away late to gain a 44-38 halftime advantage.  Our centers, Donyell Porter and Calvin Williams were each saddled with 3 fouls in the half.  We kept within a few points throughout the 2^nd half but could never gain the lead.  With 2 minutes left we trailed 70-69.  But the Dukes hit 4 3-pointers in the next 90 seconds and we fell to an 82-73 defeat.  James Madison outshot us 52% to 39% and hit 10 of 17 three-pointers compared to our 4 for 15. The loss dropped us into a tie for 2^nd place in the CAA.  [15-6, 7-3]

SG Dominick Collins scored 18, C Donyell Porter hit for 14, and PF Kevin Holmes added 12. The Dukes’ SG Del Sowers poured in 20 points.

[PointGuard 70]

Game #22—It took us 5 minutes to get untracked, but we then pulled away from the Charleston Cougars (4-17, 1-9) to lead 40-27 at the half.  We continued to stretch our lead throughout the entire 2^nd half and came away with a 91-61 drubbing of the Cougars.  We hit 54% of our shots.  [16-6, 8-3]

SF Mac McCaffery and SG Dominick Porter both scored 13 points, PF Kevin Holmes had 10 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 steals, SG Copley Dwiggins scored 12, and SF Freddie Jackson hit for 10.

 

Game #23—We took on the Hofstra Pride (12-10, 7-4) on the road.  And we picked up another road loss by the final score of 86-79.  We led by 7 at the end of the first half but our defense was extremely porous in the 2^nd half when we let the Pride score 54 points. [16-7, 8-4]

Our entire starting five scored in double figures: SF Mac MacCaffery-15, C Donyell Porter-13, PG Jon Spann-12, SG Dominick Collins-12, and PF Kevin Holmes-10.  But Hofstra’s SG A.J. Wall and SF Travis Smith both scored 21 points.

 

Game #24—Coach Aura returned to lead the team in this game.  We needed to win to stay a game behind William & Mary.  A victory over the Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens (15-8, 9-3) would move us back into a tie for 2^nd place with Delaware.  Our guys responded by scoring 56 points in the first half to give us a 14 point lead.  In the locker room at the half, Coach Aura congratulated the team for their impressive offense.  But then he challenged them to do an equal job on defense the remainder of the game.  The team was able to tighten its defense in the 2^nd half to cut Delaware into bits and achieve a 100-71 flogging of the Fightin’ Blue Hens.  We totally out-played Delaware, hitting 52% of our shots, controlling the boards 38-27 and holding a 15-8 turnover advantage. [17-7, 9-4]

PF Kevin Holmes had a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds, C Donyell Porter scored 19, SF Mac MacCaffery dropped in 13 points, SG Dominick Collins hit for 12 points, and PG Jon Spann had 8 points and 12 assists.

[PointGuard 70]

Game #25—Needing a road win against the NC-Wilmington Seahawks (9-15, 5-8) since both William & Mary and Delaware won their games, we played well for 35 minutes. We took a 44-33 halftime lead and went ahead by as much as 21 points before letting the Seahawks close strongly to narrow the final margin to 74-67.  Our primary advantage was that we out-shot NC-Wilmington 42% to 32%. We therefore remained in a tie with Delaware for 2^nd place, each one game behind William & Mary.  1^st Assistant Coach Haynes, back in charge of the team, said, “I was proud that our team was able to hold of the charge of the Seahawks late in the game.  A win on the road is always tough to get, so they guys did a good job tonight.” [18-7, 10-4]

PG Jon Spann had 13 points, SG Dominick Collins and C Donyell Porter both scored 12 points, SG Copley Dwiggins hit for 11 points, and SF Mac MacCaffery added 10 points.

 

Game #26—The Elon Phoenix (10-15, 5-9) throttled us in the first half and put us in a 42-26 halftime hole.  We turned the tables on the Phoenix in the 2^nd half to pull even with them at the end of regulation time at 72-72.  In the OT, our offense clicked as we opened a 10 point lead and settled for a 90-83 victory.  The biggest difference in the game was that we made just 12 turnovers compared to 22 by Elon.  TH win was big since both William & Mary and Delaware lost to move us into a tie for 1^st place with William & Mary, a game ahead of Delaware.  [19-7, 11-4]

C Donyell Porter lead our scoring with 17 points, followed by both PG Jon Spann and SG Dominick Collins who each had 15 points, and SF Mac MacCaffery with 13 points.  Elon’s SF Charles Barnes hit for 22 points while C Del Garren had a double-double (11 points and 12 rebounds).

[PointGuard 70]

Game #27—Big Game!  We travel to take on William & Mary (16-10, 11-4) for uncontested control of 1^st place in the CAA.  We beat the Tribe 58-43 earlier this season, but they now have the advantage of hosting us.  They’ve played consistently well all season and have four players averaging in double figures.  Coach Aura flew to Virginia to join the team for this game.  The lead shifted 5 times in the early going of the first half, but our defense then began to stifle William & Mary, silencing the home crowd, and we gradually opened a 40-29 advantage at the break. We didn’t let up in the 2^nd half and ground out a very satisfying 79-63 victory that catapulted us into the sole lead in conference play with 2 games to play.  We outshot the Tribe 50% to 35% and controlled the boards 44-32 to offset our 18 turnovers compared to William & Mary’s 9. [20-7, 12-4]

SG Dominick Collins topped our scoring with 17 points.  PG Jon Spann scored 14 and PF Kevin Holmes and SG Copley Dwiggins each scored 11 while C Donyell Porter had 11 rebounds.

[PointGuard 70]

Game #28—Returning home to face the Drexel Dragons (11-16, 6-10), we were lifeless in the first half, falling behind by as much as 9 points and trailing at the end of the half 31-28.  Coach Haynes kicked butt during the half.  While not playing great, the team improved its performance in the 2^nd half and ever so slowly overtook the Dragons and then expanded the lead to finish with an unimpressive and sloppy 66-54 win.  We made 20 turnovers and Drexel had 18 turnovers.  But we outshot the Dragons 47% to 32%. [21-7, 13-4]

PG Jon Spann with 15 points and SG Dominick Collins with 12 points were our only players to score in double figures.

 

Game #29—We hit the road for our final game of the regular season against the Northeastern Huskies (14-14, 11-6).  Both teams have 5 game win streaks on the line.  The first half was fiercely fought with neither team being able to gain control.  But when the half ended we trailed 46-42. Trailing 71-69, we went on a 10-0 run.  Northeastern fought back to reduce our lead to 82-81 with 2 minutes to go.  We led 84-83 with 28 seconds to go.  Northeastern missed a shot and we got the rebound.  The Huskies fouled Copley Dwiggins with 13 seconds on the clock.  Dwiggins sunk both free throws to put us ahead by 3.  We pressed and as time was running out, the Huskies 3 point shot banged off the front rim.  We had escaped with an 86-83 victory to lock in 1^st place in the Colonial Athletic Association. [22-7, 14-4]

C Donyell Porter scored 13 points and pulled down 8 boards.  SG Dominick Collins and SF Freddie Jackson both scored 12, SF Mac MacCaffery dropped in 11 points, and both PF Kevin Holmes and SG Copley Dwiggins scored 10.

COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION FINAL STANDINGS

[PointGuard 70]

Colonial Athletic Association Tournament

Coach Aura returned to lead the team during its defense for the CAA Championship.

Play In Games:

#10 seed Charleston-85, #7 seed Elon-62

#9 seed James Madison-101, #8 seed NC-Wilmington-96

Quarterfinals:

#4 seed Hofstra-85, #5 seed Northeastern-67

#6 seed Drexel-76, #3 seed Delaware-58

#2 seed William & Mary-79, #10 seed Charleston-66

#1 seed Towson-92, #9 seed James Madison-70 (We led the entire game.  C Donyell Porter-26 points and 7 rebounds, SG Dominick Collins-19 points, SF Mac MacCaffery-13 points and 7 rebounds, PG Jon Spann-8 points and 10 assists)

Semifinals:

#6 seed Drexel-76, #2 seed William & Mary-72

#1 seed Towson-86, #4 seed Hofstra-78 (First half was close and finished with us on top 46-40.  We held Hofstra off in the 2^nd half for a solid win.  SG Dominick Collins-20 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals, C Donyell Porter-18 points, and SF Mac MacCaffery had 11 points.)

Championship:

#1 seed Towson-73, #4 Drexel-55 (We took control early and held a 41-29 halftime lead.  We padded our lead throughout the 2^nd half.  SG Dominick Collins-15 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists, PG Jon Spann-12 points, SF Mac Mac Caffery-10 points, C Donyell Porter-8 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks.)

Coach Aura said, “Our team played extremely well in all 3 games as we marched toward the Championship.  I’m very proud of the team which finished atop the CAA standings and has now won the CAA Tournament…and they did that without having Donny Flint available to play due to a serious injury.”

Edited March 31, 2021 by PointGuard

[PointGuard 70]

Team and Player Stats for Towson Tigers in the 2024-2025 Season:

[PointGuard 70]

Post-Season Tournaments Selections

NCAA:

#1 seeds: Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Alabama, Arizona

Towson is the #11 seed in the South Region and will take on #6 seed Mississippi.

NIT:

William & Mary is the #7 seed in the West Region and will play #2 seed Temple.

CIT:

Delaware is the #1 seed in the Midwest Region and will play #8 seed Coastal Carolina.

Hofstra is the #8 seed in the South Region and will play #1 seed Eastern Michigan.

[PointGuard 70]

Tournament Results:

CIT:

Round 1:

Delaware-81, Coastal Carolina-67

Eastern Michigan-71, Hofstra-62

Round 2:

Delaware-73, Merrimack-65

Round 3:

Delaware-94, Northern Colorado-82

Semifinal:

Iowa State-76, Delaware-43

NIT:

Round 1:

William & Mary-77, Temple-70

Round 2:

William & Mary-85, West Virginia-67

Round 3:

Air Force-76, William & Mary-52

NCAA:

Round 1:

#11 seed Towson Tigers (25-7) vs #6 seed Mississippi Rebels (20-13):  We’re back to the Big Dance for the 4^th straight year and are, as usual, the underdog.  We were keeping up with Ole Miss, but then they hit four straight 3’s putting us down by 13.  Mississippi kept hitting shots and we didn’t (28% shooting in the first half), so we never recovered and trailed 47-26 at the half.  Mississippi scored the first 7 points of the 2^nd half.  We just didn’t have it in us to make a serious comeback and got blown out by a final score of 85-64.

SG Dominick Collins had a big 2^nd half to finish with 25 points and SF Mac MacCaffery scored 14.

Tournament Champs:

CIT: Iowa State

CBI: New Orleans

NIT: Oklahoma

NCAA: Alabama