Drexel’s historic winning streak ends at seven with narrow loss to Towson

All good things must come to an end, and Drexel’s conference unbeaten streak did just that against Towson on Thursday night.

The Dragons sustained the streak for seven games with smart shot selection and dominance on the glass. Neither of those things showed up in the 70-67 loss to the Tigers.

Trailing by as many as 15 points in the second half, Drexel (14-7, 7-1 Coastal Athletic Association) got back within striking distance late in the period, cutting the deficit to just one with 15 seconds to play. But the Dragons couldn’t finish the job and wasted crucial possessions down the stretch.

Guard Justin Moore and forward Amari Williams, the Dragons’ top scorers, did their part with a combined 31 points against Towson (12-8, 5-2). Guard Kobe MaGee also delivered, scoring 12 points on 3-of-6 shooting.

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Here are our observations from Drexel’s first CAA loss of the season and eighth consecutive loss at TU Arena:

When the Dragons are at their best, their shots fall at an elite rate. Drexel is shooting 46.4% from the field on the season. They made just 39% of their tries on Thursday night and shot an even worse 31% in the first half.

Tough defense from Towson made good looks hard to come by. Moore and Williams led the charge offensively, but uncharacteristically rushed into low-percentage opportunities, which allowed the game to get away from the Dragons in the first half.

When good looks did come, the Dragons weren’t cashing in like they usually do. Multiple missed opportunities, most notably from forward Luke House, who missed each of his four attempts from behind the three-point line, ultimately burned the team late.

Drexel stayed in it until the final moments despite the shooting woes. Big shots from Moore and Williams made things interesting, but right when it seemed like Drexel had an avenue to completing the comeback, the Tigers blocked two shots in a 20-second span and put the game on ice at the free-throw line.

The CAA’s best three-point shooting team also shot below its season average. The Dragons entered shooting 41.6% from beyond the arc in conference games. They shot just 33.3% Thursday.

Usual offensive suspects Moore and Williams delivered strong performances. But they didn’t get much help.

Forward Mate Okros made just one shot and failed to get to the free-throw line in 23 minutes on the floor. No one outside of Moore, Williams, and MaGee made more than three shots despite nine players logging 13 minutes or more.

Drexel head coach Zach Spiker takes pride in his team’s balanced offensive attack. Role players positively contributed during the seven-game conference winning streak. That wasn’t the case against Towson, and Drexel had no one to turn to when its top scoring options were guarded.

Even with its struggles, Drexel had a chance at a game-tying three at the buzzer that just missed.

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Drexel will look to rebound when it returns home to face North Carolina A&T (6-14 4-3) on Saturday (2 p.m., FloHoops). The Aggies have three players averaging more than eight points, including sophomore guard Landon Glasper, who’s scoring 21.3 points per game, tied for the most in the conference.