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Tiger Tracks
Published exclusively for T iger Club members
by the News and Publications Services
Tuesday, February 24, 1976
TIGERS END REGULAR SEASON ON A WINNING NOTE
Towson's men's varsity basketball team wrapped up the regular season on the winning side,
ripping Mason-Dixon foe Maryland-Baltimore County, 63-48, at the Retrievers gym last Saturday
night. The victory gave our Tigers an 8-6 league record, good for at least a share of third place
behind the University of Baltimore and Mount St. Mary's. George Mason has a shot at a tie with
Towson, and needed a win in last night's game at Salisbury State to finish at 8-6. In fact, the
first two and last two places are the only definite ones in the conference standings, with the
middle four up for grabs and dependent on a pair of games last Monday night.
The Tigers now must prepare for the Mason-Dixon Tournament this weekend (Thursday,
Friday, and Saturday) at U.M.B.C. Seedings will be determined sometime this week, and the
Tigers will most likely draw Catholic University or Loyola College in the opening round Thursday
night. The only definite pairings are Baltimore U.-U.M.B.C. and Mount St. Mary's-Salisbury State.
Although Towson was only 8-6 in the league, the Tigers were 17-9 overall on the 1975-76 campaign,
best in the Mason-Dixon.
Since Towson's big loss to Baltimore U. back on Feb. 7, the Tigers split six games*
finishing the season with two consecutive wins. Following the loss to the Bees we suffered
a letdown, dropping two in a row and three out of the next four. First on the list was a 64-60
defeat at the hands of Catholic U. In that game Bobby Washington's 24 points was not enough
as the Cardinals gained a measure of revenge from the Tigers' earlier 73-64 win. George Mason
University also reversed the scales from an early season Towson win, tripping our Tigers, 96-76,
on Feb. 12. Pat McKinley paced the Tiger attack with 27 points and 16 rebounds but defense was
non-existent as the Patriots hit the high point total for Towson opponents in the 75-76 season.
Squeezed among the losses was a 59-57 win over non-conference foe Randolph-Macon, a team
the Tigers topped twice this season. McKinley again paced Towson with 21 points and 10 rebounds,
and senior Francis Clay chipped in with four assists. Earlier Towson had nipped the Yellow Jackets,
80-74 in overtime at Burdick Hall. Mount St. Mary's became the third team within a week
to avenge earlier losses by topping the Tigers, 78-68 despite McKinley's 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Bobby Washington and Brian Matthews both fouled out in the contest as the Tigers were unable to
duplicate a 70-63 win back on Feb. 5. But our Tigers closed out the season with a nail-biter and
a breather with wins over Salisbury and U.M.B.C. In the battle with the Sea Gulls at Burdick
Hail last Thursday, the teams were tied at 75-75 until Francis Clay stole the ball and hit a lay-up
with four seconds remaining in regulation time to give the Tigers a 77-75 advantage. Ray Tannahill
stole the subsequent in-bounds pass and the Tigers ran out the clock and the fans ran out on the
court to congratulate their heroes on the home season finale. McKinley again was high-scorer with
24 points, while Washington added 18. Both shared the rebound lead with 12 each for the contest.
But it was Clay's crucial steal and basket that was the clincher on People's Homecoming Night, an
event that was ironically planned out by Clay in his role as a Student Government Association
official.
The Tigers' win at U.M.B.C. was highlighted by Sky Sharp's 14 points and Matthews' 15 re¬
bounds. It gave Towson a sweep over the Retrievers on the season, with Towson winning earlier
80-64. The Tigers also swept two from Salisbury, and split with George Mason, Catholic U., The
Mount, and Loyola. As a brief summary, the Tigers were 7-3 at home and 10-6 away. We
averaged 72.5 points per game, and allowed 67.5. Pat McKinley was high scorer and rebound
leader with 18.0 and 10.8 per game, with Washington second with 15.2 and 9.5, respectively. Mike
Jeffers finished first in assists with 120, with Matthews tops in both field goal and free throw per¬
centage. Towson's high game was 109 (vs. St. Mary's) and the opposition high was 96.
