Turnovers have increasingly become an issue for the Towson men’s basketball team, as the Tigers have piled up 76 turnovers during a five-game losing streak that dates back to early December as they adjust to not having veteran point guard Jason Gibson available to play.
Gibson hurt his back while warming up for Towson’s game at UNC Greensboro on Nov. 17. Head coach Pat Skerry said after the Tigers’ win against Coppin State on Nov. 22 that his point guard was day-to-day, but Gibson hasn’t played in close to two months. Gibson had back surgery after the 2020-21 season but played in 30 of Towson’s 34 games last year.
With Gibson sidelined, Skerry has turned to redshirt freshman Ryan Conway and sophomore Rahdir Hicks at the point guard spot, with Conway starting the past eight games. Conway, a Seton Hall transfer, is averaging 16 minutes and 5.9 points per contest. Veterans Cam Holden and Nicolas Timberlake initiate the offense as well.
Gibson’s timetable for a return is unclear.
“We haven’t had Jason for a while. We don’t know if we’re going to have him. That’s an excuse. We’re capable of playing better,” Skerry said after the Tigers’ 76-74 overtime loss to the College of Charleston on Dec. 31. “We had four good days of practice. I think right now the difference in our team last year and this year is we’re not taking care of the ball. … Right now, we’re playing through guys that are definitely good players and competitive, but we can’t commit live-ball turnovers.”
Towson’s issues taking care of the ball came to a head against Charleston, with the Tigers turning the ball over 19 times in their CAA opener. Those turnovers resulted in just 11 points for the Cougars but made it difficult for Towson to find a rhythm offensively, particularly in the first half when the Tigers scored just 25 points on 8-of-27 shooting as the Cougars hounded top vets Holden and Timberlake.
However, the Tigers showed in the second half what they’re capable of when they take care of the ball: 44 points on 16-of-29 shooting and just five turnovers. Timberlake also got more involved, pouring in nine points after a three-point first half.
“I thought that they did a really good job of locking on to Nic in the first half, and then we talked at halftime that we’ve got to get him some shots,” Skerry said. “I thought that was better in the second half, but if you’re a really good player — and I certainly think we have some of those — and you have the ball, you’re still responsible for the ball. And right now our responsibility, our ball security is not where it needs to be.”
Holden and Timberlake combined for 10 turnovers against Charleston. Both players hardly leave the floor and are asked to contribute in every way. It stands to reason that Skerry is going to need others to step up to lighten the load on Holden and Timberlake.
Skerry might have gotten news on that front against Charleston. Christian May, a freshman out of Bishop O’Connell High School, scored a season-high 10 points, all in the second half. May and Conway combined to hit four 3-pointers in the second half, something Towson needs without Gibson (38.7 percent career shooter from deep) available.
Skerry said the 6-foot-5, 205-pound May “had some swagger” and “came out of his shell” against Charleston.
“Look, Nic and Cam are really who we’re going to go with. They’re great players. They’re leaders. They’re competitive,” Skerry said. “… Christian I think is going to be a good guy to come in and spell those two guys. He has the same type of size, body type that we need. That was kind of like a big-boy game physically out there, and obviously it showed.”
Towson sits at 8-6 overall and 0-1 in the CAA heading into its matchup against Drexel on Jan. 5, which can be seen on CBS Sports Network beginning at 7 p.m. The Tigers entered the season as the favorites in the CAA but have hit a bump in the road. Now, they have to figure it out.
“Ultimately it’s about after 18 [league] games where you’re at,” Skerry said. “I do think what I realized is we can’t be overly worried. We’re not going to have three-hour practices. But we need to practice 30, 40 minutes hard, physical every day just because we have some guys that we’ve had to move around a little bit. We’ve got to get a little bit better at that.”
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