TOWSON, Md. - The Towson Tigers are looking for their second straight home win when they meet the hottest team in the Colonial Athletic Association, Drexel (18-5, 10-2 CAA), at 7 p.m. on Saturday at the Towson Center.
Since defeating Towson by 60-27 on Jan. 4, the Dragons have won nine straight games. The defensive-minded Dragons forced the Tigers to shoot just 22% in that game at the Daskalakis Athletic Center in Philadelphia.
The Dragons, who were voted as the preseason CAA favorite, are tied with three other teams (Old Dominion, George Mason, VCU) for first place in the league. A big reason for the Dragons' success is defense and rebounding. Drexel leads the league in scoring defense (54.3 ppg), rebounding margin (+9.3 rpg), and ranks third in field goal percentage defense (39.2%).
Offensively, the Dragons are second in the CAA in field goal shooting (43.4%), first in three-point shooting (36.5%) and first in free throw shooting (73.4%).
The Dragons lead the all-time series, 45-13, and have won the last six meetings. Last year, the Dragons posted a 75-69 verdict in the regular season finale at the Towson Center. The Tigers' last win over Drexel in Philadelphia came back in 2002 when they defeated the Dragons by an 81-65 count.
Drexel has three players in double figures led by sophomore Frantz Massenat (6-4, 185), who runs the point and is one of the league's most improved players. After averaging 5.5 points per game last season as a freshman, he is leads the team with a 12.5 scoring average. He also leads the team with 98 assists (just 54 turnovers) and is tied for the team lead with 22 steals. Massenat shoots 42% from the floor, including 47% (38-81) from beyond the arc.
Freshman Damion Lee (6-6, 200), a former Towson signee in the Fall of 2009, has given the Dragons a scorer who can shoot it from deep or run the break. The Baltimore native and Calvert Hall College H.S. graduate decided to go to prep school at St. Thomas More (Conn.) to re-open his recruitment.
Lee decided on Drexel and has become one of the top freshmen in the CAA. He averages 12.4 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest while shooting 45% from the field and 37% (41-111) from beyond the arc.
Junior Derrick Thomas (6-4, 195) is a tough defender who makes big shots and takes care of the ball. Thomas averages 7.9 points per game while shooting 39% from the field and 35% (24-69) from beyond the arc.
Up front, senior forward Samme Givens (6-5, 220) is one of the top power forwards in the league. He averages 12.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game while shooting 54% from the floor and 75% from the line. He also has a team-high 26 blocks, which is impressive considering his lack of height for the position.
The other post player who starts alongside Givens is burly junior Darryl McCoy (6-9, 270), who is second on the team in rebounds with a 7.0 average. He averages 4.1 points per outing and shoots 49% from the floor but just 55% from the line.
One of the team's most explosive scorers comes off the bench. Junior guard Chris Fouch (6-2, 178) has been hampered by injuries for most of his career, but when Fouch is healthy, he can really fill it up. He averages 21.8 minutes per game and 9.2 points per game. A streaky shooter, Fouch shoots 32% from the floor and 30% (26-87) from beyond the arc.
Another key player off the bench is sophomore Dartaye Ruffin (6-8, 250), who averages 5.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game while shooting 49% from the field.
Saturday's game can be heard on WNST-AM 1570 and a live in-game blog will be available on TowsonTigers.com.
