The CAA Championship the Hofstra Men’s Basketball program won over nine months ago feels like a distant memory.
After the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the NCAA Tournament and the Pride’s season opener against Monmouth on November 25, Hofstra finally returned to the court. The results were mixed, with the Pride topping the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights on Monday while falling to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Sunday.
Hofstra 73, Fairleigh Dickinson 59
Trailing 40-31 coming out of halftime, Tareq Coburn‘s mid-range jumpshot kickstarted a nine-point run for the Pride that tied the game. Jahil Jenkins tried keeping the Knights in the lead by knocking down a jumper, putting them ahead 46-45. But, a slam dunk by Kvonn Cramer on the ensuing possession firmly shifted the momentum in the Pride’s favor, giving them the lead for good.
Hofstra outscored its opponents 24-8 over the first 10 minutes of the second half. A 3-pointer by Coburn gave the Pride their largest lead of the day, putting them ahead 70-51 with three minutes to go. The guard led the Pride with 21 points and four 3-pointers made, with 16 of those points coming in the half.
The team sank half of their shots and went a perfect 5-5 from the free throw line in the second.
Fairleigh Dickinson capitalized off a 16-7 run to cut its deficit to 27-24 midway through the first half. Joe Munden Jr. gave the Knights the lead after scoring five straight. Brandon Rush and Jenkins traded inside scores that gave their team a nine point lead heading into the locker room. Jenkins led Fairleigh Dickinson with 17 points, followed by Rush with 16.
The Knights scored on 54 percent of their first half attempts, but were held to 25 percent by the Pride’s defense in the second. Hofstra also forced 17 turnovers throughout the contest and converted them to 19 points.
The Pride dominated under the cylinder by scoring 40 points inside the paint. Cramer earned a double-double by finishing with 12 points inside and 10 rebounds. Issac Kante scored 16 and went 6-8 from the charity stripe.
Hofstra has won eight of its last 10 home openers. It was also the first victory under acting head coach Mike Farrelly. He is taking over for head coach Joe Mihalich, who is out on temporary medical leave.
No. 24 Rutgers 70, Hofstra 56
Similarly to the game versus Fairleigh Dickinson, Hofstra was also trailing against Rutgers entering halftime Sunday afternoon. Down 58-32, Omar Silvio attempted to kickstart a Pride comeback by sinking a 3-pointer midway through the second half. Cramer’s make from beyond the arc cut the Pride’s once 22-point deficit to 50-40 with nine minutes remaining.
However, the Hofstra team’s defense was no match for Ron Harper Jr., who battled inside for a second-chance score that shut down the Pride’s comeback attempt. The guard dominated scoring inside and finished with 15 points.
The teams traded three ties in the opening minutes, including a 10-all game five minutes in. But, Montez Marthis‘ jumper started a 12-1 run for the Scarlets Knights and gave them the lead for good. He finished the game with 12 points and drained half of his shots.
Jaylen Ray converted a score-and-one to cut the Pride’s deficit to 32-21 concluding the first half. Ray led the contest scoring 22 points and made nine of his 13 shot attempts.
The Scarlet Knights consistently converted shots throughout the game and averaged over 43 percent shooting from the floor. The team also sank 18 free throw attempts. Hofstra outrebounded its opponents 47-39, with Kante leading the way way grabbing 17 rebounds.
Hofstra will continue its three-game homestand on Saturday, December 5 against the Iona Gaels. The game will take place at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex with tip-off scheduled for 4 p.m.
