In a city with only two major professional sports teams, the period between the end of football season and baseball’s Opening Day has a tendency to feel a bit empty.
Thankfully, Maryland men’s basketball has been relevant enough this season to keep the collective attention of a large number of local sports fans. That’s good news for those of us who are in the business of also trying to keep the collective attention of a large number of local sports fans.
Some of those same Baltimore fans have had their attention on the Washington Capitals and Alex Ovechkin’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s career goals record. I have acknowledged many times that I will never be interested in what’s going on with Washington pro sports teams, but I acknowledge the pursuit of the record must be exciting for fans of the D.C. teams.
But I’d implore all of you to share a little focus over the next couple of weeks for another historic chase, one for an actual Baltimore sports institution.
With their Feb. 22 win at Campbell, Towson men’s basketball clinched at least a share of the CAA regular-season title for just the second time. The Tigers will play two more games at home this week: Thursday night against William & Mary and Saturday afternoon against Hampton. With a win in either game, the Tigers will claim their first outright CAA regular-season title.
So if you’re looking for my family on Thursday night, you’ll find us at TU Arena.
I’ve said this a few times throughout the years. Being on the field as the Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII was a thrill in my career. But when I’m asked what my favorite moments have been from my career, the moments that are unique to Baltimore are the ones that stand out. Reggie Holmes’ Senior Night at Morgan State was one. I’ve been a part of standing-room-only crowds for Johns Hopkins-Maryland lacrosse games without any standing room. (Joe Walters’ six-goal explosion in 2006 stands out.) I was honored to call UMBC men’s soccer’s America East championship game win in 2014 that kick-started the Retrievers’ miraculous run to the Final Four.
The atmospheres for those games were as memorable to me as any Ravens or Orioles playoff games I’ve attended. Those weren’t places to be seen. Those were special moments where passionate local fans packed a venue to celebrate their team even if no one else in the country could understand why the event mattered.
I hope that’s what my family finds when we arrive at Towson Thursday night.
If you’re not familiar and willing to be persuaded, the Tigers have won 13 of their last 14 (and 15 of their last 17) games. That stretch included a 12-game winning streak, which was the longest streak in Towson’s Division I history. Their most recent win made current head coach Pat Skerry the all-time winningest coach in program history.
The team is led by sophomore wing Tyler Tejada, a gifted scorer who has scored double-digit points in all but one game this season. His skill set and size (6-foot-9) give him the profile to potentially find his way into the NBA at some point. After claiming CAA Rookie of the Year honors a season ago, he could have left for NIL opportunities elsewhere. Tejada told me that loyalty was more important to him than money. He wanted to be back because he knew this team had a chance to make history and end the school’s 34-year NCAA Tournament appearance drought.
Maryland natives Dylan Williamson (Good Counsel) and Nendah Tarke (Bullis … with a stop at Coppin State) are both double-digit scorers in the backcourt. Tarke has shifted to a bench role to lead the team’s reserves.
And in this exceptional 17-game stretch, Towson has had a flair for the dramatic. Thirteen of those games have either seen single-digit final margins or overtime. Towson hasn’t necessarily been perfect this season, but the Tigers have figured out how to win games in the biggest moments.
I acknowledge that for some Towson fans, there is some trepidation about past shortcomings. Despite winning double-digit conference games eight times since the 2012-13 season, the Tigers have yet to win a game past the quarterfinal round of the CAA tournament. I can’t guarantee that will change this time, but I can guarantee it’s still worth going along for the ride. This is a team with a genuine opportunity to get the job done.
It’s worth getting to TU Arena this week to see the Tigers try to clinch the outright title. It would be worth making the short trip down to D.C. the following week to support them again as they try to finally end the drought.
These are the special moments that are unique for us in Baltimore. These are chances to create memories that can last forever.
Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox