Chris Fouch just couldn't do it all for shorthanded Drexel, which fell Tuesday night to Towson at the Daskalakis Center, 80-68.
Coming off a career-high 31 points in his last outing, Fouch scored 28 on 8 for 27 shooting, but it wasn't enough for the Dragons (9-7, 1-2 CAA) to overcome Jerrelle Benimon and the Tigers (11-6, 2-0), who were the preseason favorite to win the conference.
Benimon, who was heartily booed by Drexel students each time he touched the ball, dropped 27 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and dished out seven assists while shooting 10 for 14 from the field. Marcas Damas added 26 points, and the Tigers shot 55.3 percent on the night.
The Dragons have dropped four of their last five games.
First half
Drexel got going early to take a 9-4 lead behind seven quick points from Fouch, but the Tigers subsequently went on a 15-2 run to take an eight-point lead and never looked back.
The Dragons got within two points in the final minutes before Damas hit threes on back-to-back possessions as the Tigers took a 38-29 lead into the break.
Benimon already had a double-double at the half with 13 points and 10 rebounds on 5 for 7 shooting from the field, including 2 for 2 from deep, plus three assists. Fouch paced Drexel with 11 points, but it came on 4 for 13 shooting.
Turning point
Drexel opened the second half with a quick score to pull within seven, but Towson responded with consecutive treys from Four McGlynn and Damas to take a 13-point lead at the 17:29 mark.
The Dragons continued to hang around and got back within eight, but the final blow may have come with 12:57 left, when Frantz Massenat picked up his fourth foul following his own turnover. Damas sank a pair of free throws at the line to give Towson its largest lead to that point at 53-39, and the foul trouble caused Massenat to be pulled from the game.
By the numbers
• Towson shot 60.9 percent from the floor in the first half, including 45.5 percent from beyond the arc. Drexel, meanwhile, shot at just a 32.4 percent clip.
• The Dragons had more offensive rebounds (24) than defensive (19).
• Drexel turned the ball over just seven times, compared to 12 for Towson.
• The Dragons got 49 of their 68 points from Fouch (28) and Massenat (21).
Last time
The Dragons snapped a three-game skid in a double-overtime thriller over Northeastern, 93-88. The Huskies' Demetrius Pollard hit a game-tying three-pointer at the end of regulation to send it into OT, but Fouch went off for 11 of Drexel's 17 points in the second overtime in the victory.
Fouch poured in a career-high 31 points, and Massenat also posted a career best, with 27 points, and added 12 rebounds.
The series
The loss marked the Dragons' third straight defeat at the hands of the Tigers. Drexel, however, has dominated the all-time series and holds a 46-16 lead, including a 21-5 record at the DAC.
Did you know?
Benimon was the preseason pick to win CAA Player of the Year for the second straight year. The senior forward is well on his way to achieving just that.
Benimon is in the top five in the conference in rebounds (11.1, first), scoring (17.9, third), assists (3.9, third) and field goal percentage (51.9, fifth), and he's scored double-digit points in every game but the season opener, including a career-high 32 in a win over Temple on Nov. 14.
Up next
Drexel heads south on Saturday to take on UNC-Wilmington, against which it has won three straight. The Dragons return home on Monday to host Delaware (7 p.m., NBCSN).
Towson plays at new CAA foe the College of Charleston on Sunday. The Tigers and Dragons next meet up on Feb. 1 in Maryland.