AD Blog - March 11, 2008
A 20-win basketball season is the goal of every team at the start of the campaign. It seems so achievable then. But 20-win seasons are hard to come by. It’s been true of the Towson women’s basketball program. In fact, this year’s women’s record of 20 wins and nine losses is the first 20-win campaign in the 40-year history of the program.
It’s been a great ride. When head coach Joe Mathews arrived at Towson in 2001, he inherited a program that won just three games in 2000-01. His tenure coincided with the program’s move from America East to the more powerful CAA. Success was slow – just five wins in the first two years – combined. Then, nine wins in 2003-04 was followed by a breakout year – 16-14 in 2004-05, including a 9-9 league mark. The win total dropped the following year as injuries crippled the team. Last season, 17 regular-season wins set a Towson record. And this year, the team has put together its 20-9 mark with an impressive 12-6 league record.
After a quality showing in the New Mexico Tournament, the team put together a 10-game win streak that included the first six CAA games. It’s a young team, but is led by senior guards – Jamell Beasley, Holly Mahan and Alis Freeman. The Tigers play a scrappy defense that challenges the best teams in this league. Even with three starting players on the sidelines, Towson played a respectable game against 16-time CAA Champion Old Dominion during the regular season before bowing, 71-63. Since that loss, the Tigers have won four of its last five games.
But the climb for this young, athletic team is not complete. This Thursday’s tournament game gives the team another chance for a first and another chance for Towson fans to join the bandwagon. The CAA Tournament tips off at the Bob Carpenter Center on the University of Delaware campus. It’s a short ride up I-95 for Towson fans to follow this team. There is a fan bus leaving from campus. Get a dose of March Madness. Get behind this team on Thursday night as the Tigers face Hofstra, working to win the program’s first CAA tournament contest.
You might be tempted to wait until Friday to follow this team. You might be tempted to wait until next year when the outstanding freshmen and sophomores on the team turn into upper classmen. Don’t wait! These opportunities don’t come along every day in sports. Plus, next year, the women’s tournament will move to James Madison, a little further away. And, we’ll be hoping for 20 wins. This year, we’re sure. It’s a 20-win team. The team is counting on you to be there to cheer on the Tigers on Thursday! See you there.
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