TOWSON, Md. (AP)—Gary Neal scored 33 points, Lawrence Hamm added 19 and 12 rebounds and Towson ended a four-game losing streak with a 84-80 triumph over Drexel on Saturday.
Tim Crossin had 11 assists for the Tigers (10-12, 6-7 Colonial Athletic Association), who handed the Dragons (12-12, 6-7) their third straight loss.
Bashir Mason led Drexel with 21 points and Frank Elegar had 18. Kenell Sanchez had 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Dragons, who chipped away at Towson’s 30-point second-half lead and got within a basket with nine seconds left in regulation.
Dominick Mejia, whose led the Dragons with 15.7 points per game, was held to nine points on 3-for-14 shooting from the field. Mejia, the conference’s leading 3-point scorer, was 3-for-10 from beyond the arc, all three 3-pointers coming in the final 1:12.
After Hamm’s transition layup put Towson up 61-31 with 16:31 remaining, the Tigers scored only once from the field in the next 13:47. Towson fell apart under Drexel’s press, committing 10 second-half turnovers.
Drexel hit nine 3-pointers in the second half, four of them by Mason. Mejia got hot late, and his left-wing 3-pointer cut Towson’s lead to 82-78 with nine seconds left. The Dragons stole the ensuing inbound pass and Sanchez scored get Drexel within two points.
But Neal hit two free throws with five seconds remaining to seal the win.
Neal converted his first four 3-point attempts, finished with 20 first-half points and helped Towson led 48-25 at halftime.
