By Tommy Parker
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
When a team from the Big Ten plays a team from the Colonial Athletic Association, two things are usually true: The game takes place in Big Ten territory and the Big Ten team is favored.
But that’s not the case when Towson and Penn State square off Tuesday. The game will take place at SECU Arena at 4 p.m. as part of an opening-night doubleheader. And Towson, coming off a 20-13 season in which it made its first-ever NCAA Tournament, may have the advantage over Penn State, which finished 12-18 last season.
Penn State finished 12th in the Big Ten Conference in 2018-19, going 5-13 in league play. The Nittany Lions return three of their top five scorers from last season as they look for better results this season than last.
Towson finished fourth in the CAA and beat second-seeded Drexel in the CAA championship game before losing to Connecticut in the NCAA Tournament.
Towson coach Diane Richardson knows Penn State will be hungry to start the season. She wants to put her team to the test to prepare them for conference play.
“They’re a big-time school,” Richardson said.
Both teams have already been on the court for an exhibition game. Towson won its game against Alderson Broaddus University 75-43 on Thursday night. Penn State won 64-44 over Kutztown.
Richardson said she hopes to put pressure on Penn State — and she hopes her players can handle the pressure from the Nittany Lions.
“We know what it takes,” said senior guard Nukiya Mayo, last season’s second leading scorer.
Junior guard Kionna Jeter, who started all 33 games last season and was the team’s leading scorer, said progressing with new players will allow Towson to have another successful season.
The team is going by the motto of “strictly business, nothing personal” this season.
Richardson said she wants to get better and build on the team’s success from last year.