Towson 76, Drexel 69: Stats, highlights, and reaction from the Dragons’ loss

The game started to slip away for Drexel. James Butler was in foul trouble, Towson’s offense suddenly caught fire, and the Dragons offense went cold in the Daskalakis Athletic Center.

Sophomore guard Camren Wynter rejuvenated the Drexel offense just in time for a dramatic ending. Trailing by two with a little more than 1 minute remaining, Drexel needed one stop. Matey Juric was tightly guarding Towson’s leading-scorer, Brian Fobbs. As the shot clock buzzer sounded, Fobbs launched a three-pointer over Juric’s outstretched arms and delivered the knockout blow.

Towson defeated Drexel, 76-69, in a Colonial Athletic Association contest.

The Dragons led, 40-33, at the half despite Wynter being quiet until the final minute. Wynter dominated in the second half, but the offense struggled midway though the period. Towson went on a 13-4 run over a 6-minute stretch. Wynter scored 16 of Drexel’s 29 second-half points.

Wynter led Drexel (13-12, 6-6 CAA) with 24 points and four assists. Zach Walton added 17 points, and Butler scored 13 to go with eight rebounds.

Drexel outscored Towson by three points in a two-minute stretch without Butler or Wynter in the game. Walton’s 12 first-half points was a big reason for that. Walton, Butler, and Wynter combined for 54 of the Dragons’ 69 points.

Former Roman Catholic player and Philly native Allen Betrand led Towson (14-11, 8-5 ) with a career-high 31 points. His previous career high was 23, and it also came against Drexel this season. Fobbs added 19 points for the Tigers.

“The seven [turnovers] we had in the second half were big,” Drexel coach Zach Spiker said. “They hurt us a little bit on the glass, and we weren’t able to get to the line.”

“Cam [Wynter] is really important to what we do, and we need him to do a lot,” Spiker said. “He’s a very good decision-maker, and he’s done a very good job of taking care of the ball.”

“[Betrand] is a good basketball player. It doesn’t matter if he’s from Philly or Mars,” Spiker said. “Philly or Seattle. There’s no life on Mars.”

Butler played 31 minutes, but he usually tops 35 minutes in tight games. The junior forward’s absence was a big reason why Drexel had a long scoring drought and why it was outrebounded, 39-33.

Wynter topped 300 career assists, moving him into the top 15 on Drexel’s all-time list.

It was Drexel’s third consecutive loss to the Tigers and ended its five-game winning streak at home.