TOWSON, Md. (Interstat) — In a rugged Colonial Athletic Association clash defined more by defensive pressure and offensive inefficiency than fluid scoring, the Towson Tigers grinded out a 61-52 victory over the College of Charleston Cougars on Thursday night at SECU Arena.

A crowd of 1,850 watched as Towson improved to 10-9 overall, while Charleston dropped to 11-7. The game’s combined point total of 113 fell well below the pregame over/under line of 141.5, a testament to the struggle both teams endured to generate consistent offense.

The most critical phase of the contest was its opening act. Towson established a commanding early lead that Charleston spent the entire night trying to overcome. The Tigers, leveraging their physicality and forcing a flurry of Cougar turnovers, raced to a 17-point advantage in the first half. Charleston managed only 17 points before intermission, shooting a frigid 6 of 31 from the field and committing nine turnovers against a swarming Towson defense. The Tigers took a 34-17 lead into the locker room, a deficit from which the Cougars could never fully recover.

Charleston emerged from halftime with renewed energy, opening the second period on a 12-3 run to cut the Towson lead to eight points. The Cougars’ defense tightened, and Connor Hickman, who led all scorers with 20 points, found his rhythm. A three-pointer by Hickman with 9:23 remaining brought Charleston within six points at 44-38, marking the closest they had been since the game’s opening minutes.

However, Towson consistently answered each Charleston push with a critical basket or defensive stop. Following Hickman’s three, the Tigers responded with a 6-0 spurt, keyed by a Caleb Embeya layup and a Chike Ndefo alley-oop, to rebuild a 12-point cushion. Every time the Cougars threatened to make it a one-possession game in the final ten minutes, Towson executed in the half-court or capitalized on Charleston’s mistakes.

The statistical sheet illustrated the nature of the struggle. Both teams shot identically poor percentages from the field, with each making 21 of 62 attempts. The difference came at the free-throw line, where Towson was nearly perfect, converting 15 of 17, while Charleston attempted only nine, making six. Towson also won the turnover battle decisively, forcing 15 Cougar giveaways while committing only nine, leading to a 10-5 advantage in steals.

Beyond Hickman’s scoring for Charleston, Jlynn Counter contributed 10 points and six assists, and 7-foot freshman Chol Machot added 10 points and three blocks. For Towson, the scoring was balanced. Tyler Coleman led the way with 13 points, Tyler Tejada added 11, and Caleb Embeya chipped in nine points. Towson’s interior defense, led by 7-foot-1 Mor Seck’s three blocks, altered countless shots and helped limit Charleston’s opportunities in the paint.

The game was a significant departure from recent form for both teams. Charleston entered having won five of its last six games, including a 74-70 victory over Hampton last Saturday. Towson, meanwhile, had split its last two conference games, falling to Hofstra before defeating Northeastern.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, Charleston entered with a narrow 51.2% probability to win, but Towson closed as a 2.5-point favorite. The Tigers covered that spread with their 9-point victory.

Both teams return to CAA action on Saturday. College of Charleston travels to face Stony Brook, while Towson remains at home to host Drexel.