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William & Mary 75, Towson 71
Alan is an expert gambling writer who works as one of the chief editors for Basketball Insiders. He has been covering online gambling and sports betting for over 8 years, having written for the likes of Sportlens, Compare.bet, The Sports Daily, 90min, and TopRatedCasinos.co.uk. His particular specialisms include US online casinos and gambling regulations, and soccer and basketball betting. Based in London, Alan holds an MA in English Literature and is a passionate supporter of Chelsea FC.
All posts by Alan DraperUpdated6 hours ago on April 19, 2024
Junior guard Marcus Thornton scored 21 points to help third-seeded William & Mary knock off second-seeded Towson 75-71 in the semifinals of the Colonial Athletic Association tournament Sunday at Baltimore Arena in Baltimore.
The Tribe (20-11) avenged two regular-season losses to the Tigers, earning a place in Monday’s championship game against top-seeded Delaware. The Blue Hens (24-9) beat Northeastern 87-74 in the other semifinal.
William & Mary senior guard Brandon Britt scored 16 points. Senior forward Kyle Gaillard added 12 for the Tribe, and senior forward Tim Rusthoven scored 10.
Senior forward Jerrelle Benimon scored 18 points for Towson, which had won seven in a row and 11 of 12. Tigers senior guard Mike Burwell added 17 points, and senior guard Rafriel Guthrie had 13.
The teams traded leads several times throughout the first half. Burwell made a 3-pointer to give Towson a 17-13 edge with 11:04 to play in the opening period, but Thornton answered from long distance moments later to put William & Mary up 20-17 with 9:14 to go. The Tigers (23-10) mounted a 6-0 run to take a 35-29 lead with 2:28 to play, but the Tribe closed the half on a 7-1 run to tie the score at 36.
William & Mary went up by eight on a layup by Britt with 15:46 to play in the second half, but Towson outscored the Tribe 14-8 to cut the deficit to two when sophomore guard Four McGlynn made a 3-pointer with 10:06 remaining.
The Tigers got within one on a couple of occasions over the final 7:14, but the Tribe responded with big baskets each time. Thornton made two free throws with four seconds left to secure the victory.
