Towson's 76-67 road win over Campbell earns the Tigers a share of the regular season title

Buies Creek, NC- March is just 6 days away. The CAA standings race is coming to a close, so every single win can give a big boost in seeding for the conference tournament in Washington D.C. The top four seeds in the CAA Tournament earn a double-bye, which the eventual champion has earned in the past two tournaments. Towson has held its position at the top of the conference standings all season, and Campbell has played their way into position to earn one of those four spots. Combine this pressure with recent road losses for both teams just two days prior, and you've got a crucial conference battle on your hands. With these stakes, Saturday's matchup delivered.

Towson's Christian May started his hot scoring night from the jump with the game's first basket. With the defensive ability of these two teams, I thought it would take some time for the offenses to get going. I was incorrect. It was a back-and-forth first frame that saw Towson lead 7-6.

The rest of the first half was much of the same, with neither team leading by more than 5 at any point in the first half. The Camels were down three with 47 seconds remaining but a Nolan Dorsey three with 2 seconds on the clock tied the game at 38 heading into the break.

Towson and Campbell exchanged scores on four straight possessions to tie the game back up at 42 apiece. The game slowed down some after that exchange. Towson would go on a 9-2 run over a 4:50 span to give them a 53-44 lead, which was their largest lead of the night at 9.

Towson would control the half until 7:43 when Campbell tied it up on two Caleb Zurliene free throws. Colby Duggan was not his usual self, and it's a credit to Towson's defense. Towson Head Coach Pat Skerry was pleased with the execution of the game plan to try to neutralize Duggan:

"He's really good, and the goal was to try to make him take tough shots. I thought we did that...a gutsy victory today."

Towson would be fueled down the stretch by its Player of the Year candidate Tyler Tejada. He scored 8 points in the final 8 minutes to propel Towson to a 76-67 road victory. Nolan Dorsey poured in 16 points for the Camels, while Christian May led the way with 21 points for the Tigers.

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This victory for Towson had two meaningful ramifications. With the win, they earned a share of the regular season title and win number 232 in Head Coach Pat Skerry's career at Towson, the most in program history. Under Skerry, the Tigers have competed near the top of the league numerous times and won the regular season in 2021-22. Awaiting them is the pressure of winning the CAA Tournament Championship and earning that coveted NCAA Tournament bid. This year, they have as good of a chance as they've ever had to get it done.

For Campbell, they are playing for a double-bye in the conference tournament. With UNC Wilmington coming to Buies Creek for senior night and a regular-season finale on the road at Charleston, the path to earning that double-bye will not come easy. Post-game, Campbell Head Coach Kevin McGeehan shared a nugget about the strength of the CAA contributing to the environment night in and night out:

"Every team we face is a really good team. That's the difference with being in the CAA. Every single game is one you would go pay to see"

The Camels have to put forth a great effort in their next two games to have a chance to secure their spot in the top four. It won't be easy, but this is an experienced group that has been battle-tested this year and believes they can get it done.

Campbell's next game is at home against their in-state rival UNC Wilmington on Thursday, February 27th, at 7 p.m. Towson is back home to take on William & Mary on Thursday, February 27th, at 7 p.m. Both games can be seen on FloCollege. Follow along on X (@TrevorEverette) for live game updates, and for more of my work on House of College Hoops and House Enterprise, head here.