GAME NOTES: The Central Connecticut State Blue Devils and Towson Tigers will square off in the first game of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic at Monmouth University Friday at the Multipurpose Activity Center.

Central Connecticut State is 0-2 to start the season after dropping consecutive games to in-state rival Fairfield and Big Ten Conference power Maryland. The Blue Devils, of the Northeast Conference, lost to Maryland by a crushing 93-57 score.

Towson is 1-1 on the season, with an opening-night loss to Alabama and a 51-46 defeat of Morgan State on the ledger so far. The Tigers, who play in the Colonial Athletic Association, play three straight games in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic before returning home.

The Tigers and Blue Devils have met four times in their series history, with Towson owning all four matchups. The last time these two teams met was back in 1992, which saw Towson come away with a 94-70 victory.

Central Connecticut State didn't stand much of a chance against Maryland and the high-powered Terps offense. The Blue Devils quickly fell behind and trailed at halftime, 38-26, before the Terrapins exploded for 55 points in the second half. Matt Mobley had a strong game to lead CCSU with 24 points, but the guard turned the ball over seven times in the loss, and didn't record a single assist. Khalen Cumberlander chipped in with 11 points and five rebounds in the loss as the only other Blue Devils player to notch a scoring total in double figures. The team shot just 35.4 percent from the floor in the defeat.

Mobley has been a very bright spot for CCSU this season already amidst plenty of uncertainty moving forward. Mobley is averaging 27.0 ppg through two contests, shooting 51.4 percent from the field with 2.5 rpg. Cumberlander is second on the Blue Devils and the only other double-digit point scorer so far, netting 10.0 ppg in two starts. Faronte Drakeford leads the team with 6.5 rpg, while Brandon Peel brings down an average of 6.0 rpg. Defense has been a failing point so far (against two good opponents) for CCSU, as the team allows 82.0 ppg.

After dropping a season-opening contest to Alabama, Towson evidently wanted to bounce back in a big way. The Tigers held just a three-point lead at the half over Morgan State, and only gained two more points to their lead in the second, but it was enough to fend off the Bears for their first win. Guard Four McGlynn led the team with 13 points, going a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line. Timajh Parker-Rivera chipped in with a hefty stat line, netting six points with five assists and seven rebounds in the win. The Tigers shot just 39.5 percent from the floor, but held Morgan State to 34.7 percent shooting in the contest.

McGlynn has had to assume the role of scorer for the Tigers this season, who nearly made it to the NCAA Tournament in March after a very successful 2013-14 campaign. But without extremely talented forward Jerrelle Benimon and slashing scoring guard Rafael Guthrie on the roster anymore, Towson has had to look elsewhere for some offense. It hasn't come just yet, considering the Tigers are averaging 52.5 ppg in two games played. McGlynn is working his way there, averaging 14.0 ppg in two starts. John Davis is the next closest, averaging 8.0 ppg.

Towson will take a while trying to figure out where offense is going to come from without some of the CAA's better scorers and players on the roster, but going against a Central Connecticut State team also searching for offense will likely yield some positive results.