Facing the most prolific three-point shooting team in the Colonial Athletic Association, Towson yesterday showed enough range of its own to break a season-worst four-game losing streak.
The Tigers made 11 three-pointers - one off a season high - and broke open a close game early in the second half in a 64-52 win over William and Mary before an announced 2,348 at the Towson Center.
"I think when we caught the ball tonight we were ready to shoot," forward Junior Hairston said. "We knew what we were doing, and there weren't any second thoughts about it. We shot it with confidence."
The win helped Towson (10-15, 6-9) avert its longest losing streak in three years while avenging a 10-point loss to the Tribe earlier this season.
It came on a day when William and Mary (13-12, 9-6), which entered the day leading the CAA in three-pointers made, hit just seven of 23 from beyond the arc against Towson's man-to-man defense but still broke its single-season school record with 201.
"They can shoot the heck out of the ball, so we definitely had to move up on the three-point line and make sure that we took away their open looks," Tigers guard Josh Thornton said.
On this day, however, it was the Tigers who found the mark on offense.
Hairston finished with a game-high 21 points and 11 rebounds for his first double double in 12 games, and Thornton added 14 points.
Trailing by a point early in the second half, Towson took control with a 12-0 run, including back-to-back three-pointers by Thornton and Jonathan Pease (11 points). The Tigers extended their lead to double digits during the same stretch after the Tribe's John Sexton was called for intentionally fouling Towson's Sean Raboin at the end of a fast break.
Raboin hit both free throws, then scored on a layup on the ensuing position to extend the Tigers' lead to 45-34.
Towson, which entered the game shooting 31 percent from beyond the three-point line, made 11 of 23 three-point attempts yesterday.
"We've got some guys who can shoot the ball," Tigers coach Pat Kennedy said. "We had some great looks at the threes late in the game, and those guys knocked them down."
WILLIAM AND MARY-Stein 3-11 0-0 6, Sumner 3-7 1-3 7, Schneider 4-7 2-2 13, Mann 2-11 0-0 6, Kisielius 2-9 0-0 5, Sexton 0-2 0-0 0, Carrabine 0-1 0-0 0, Darnell 3-5 0-0 7, Kitts 4-6 0-0 8. Totals 21-59 3-5 52. TOWSON-Hairston 8-16 2-3 21, Pease 3-8 2-2 11, Durant 3-6 0-0 6, Williams 0-1 2-5 2, Thornton 5-10 0-0 14, Crossin 1-2 0-0 3, Coleman 0-2 0-0 0, Carr 0-2 0-0 0, Raboin 2-4 3-4 7. Totals 22-51 9-14 64. Half-Towson 28-27. 3-point goals-William & Mary 7-23 (Schneider 3-5, Mann 2-7, Darnell 1-2, Kisielius 1-4, Stein 0-1, Carrabine 0-1, Sumner 0-1, Sexton 0-2), Towson 11-23 (Thornton 4-7, Hairston 3-5, Pease 3-6, Crossin 1-2, Carr 0-1, Williams 0-1, Coleman 0-1). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-William & Mary 33 (Schneider 6), Towson 36 (Hairston 11). Assists-William & Mary 17 (Kisielius, Stein 4), Towson 19 (Williams 9). Total fouls-William & Mary 16, Towson 15. A-2,348.