Halftime Report
A win for UMBC would push their record over .500, and after one quarter of play they've put themselves in a good position to make it happen. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead Towson 38-24.
UMBC came into the game with some extra motivation after the defeat they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We'll see if they're able to flip the script or if it'll just be more of the same.
Who's Playing
UMBC Retrievers @ Towson Tigers
Current Records: UMBC 5-5, Towson 4-5
How To Watch
- When: Saturday, December 7, 2024 at 1 p.m. ET
- Where: TU Arena -- Towson, Maryland
- TV: FloSports
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $12.00
What to Know
UMBC is 0-6 against Towson since December of 2015 but things could change on Saturday. The UMBC Retrievers will head out to face off against the Towson Tigers at 1:00 p.m. ET at TU Arena. The Retrievers are strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 81 points per game this season.
UMBC is headed into the match having just suffered their biggest loss since November 8th on Monday. They suffered a bruising 86-62 defeat at the hands of Georgetown. The Retrievers were surely aware of their disadvantage in the point spread, but the foreknowledge did nothing to prevent the result.
UMBC's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Josh Odunowo, who went 7 for 13 en route to 18 points plus five rebounds and two blocks, and Marcus Banks Jr., who earned 16 points in addition to six rebounds and two steals. Banks Jr. had some trouble finding his footing against Boston U. two weeks ago, so this was a step in the right direction.
Meanwhile, Towson's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Saturday after their third straight defeat. They fell 67-60 to UC Irvine. The Tigers didn't live up to their potential and found themselves falling short of the advantage oddsmakers thought they had coming into the game.
UMBC's loss dropped their record down to 5-5. As for Towson, they now have a losing record at 4-5.
Keep an eye on the arc in Saturday's game: UMBC has been dynamite from deep this season, having nailed 39.1% of their threes per game. It's a different story for Towson, though, as they've only made 29.9% of their threes this season. Given UMBC's sizable advantage in that area, Towson will need to find a way to close that gap.
UMBC ended up a good deal behind Towson in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, losing 89-73. Can UMBC avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Odds
Towson is a big 7.5-point favorite against UMBC, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Tigers as a 8-point favorite.
The over/under is 142.5 points.
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Series History
Towson has won all of the games they've played against UMBC in the last 9 years.
- Dec 09, 2023 - Towson 89 vs. UMBC 73
- Dec 10, 2019 - Towson 77 vs. UMBC 71
- Dec 11, 2018 - Towson 80 vs. UMBC 76
- Dec 09, 2017 - Towson 78 vs. UMBC 65
- Dec 17, 2016 - Towson 73 vs. UMBC 72
- Dec 23, 2015 - Towson 91 vs. UMBC 65