The Hofstra University men’s basketball team hits the road to take on the University of Massachusetts (UMass) on Saturday, Nov. 16.
The Pride are off to a 3-0 start following a 49-48 win over BIG EAST conference opponent Seton Hall University. Seton Hall was favored heading into the matchup for most of the game, holding the lead 24-22 at halftime. However, Hofstra beat the odds as they returned to take the lead and shut down Seton Hall’s offense as the clock winded down. Sophomore guard Jean Aranguren led the Pride in scoring with 13 points while playing 36 of 40 minutes.
UMass, on the other hand, is off to a 1-2 start having lost the last two games in a row. The Minutemen also played in the Icons Of The Game tournament at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Wednesday, Nov. 13, in which they took on Louisiana Tech University. The Bulldogs took the early lead and never let it go as they defeated UMass 76-66. The top performer for the Minutemen was sophomore guard Jaylen Curry, who recorded a team-leading 14 points.
In all three of the Minutemen’s games this year, their opponent’s leading scorer in the game was a guard. Hofstra will look to continue this trend by relying on Aranguren, Jaquan Sanders and Cruz Davis. This guard trio has proven to take responsibility for the bulk of minutes, each averaging 32 or more minutes per game. In addition, the trio leads the team in points per game with 18.7, 17.0 and 14.3 respectively.
For UMass, they will be looking at senior guard, Rahsool Diggins, to find his stride again following a cold game against Louisiana Tech, in which he scored only six points and shot 16.7% from the field. Diggins opened the season with a 26-point performance against the University of New Hampshire. He then provided another 19 points in a 75-69 loss to the University of West Virginia. If the Philadelphia native can find his form again against the Pride, they will have some added trouble to deal with.
Hofstra is 1-3 all time against UMass. The last time the two teams met was in 2022, when the Minutemen took down the Pride, 71-56 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
Hofstra and UMass are set to tip off at 7 p.m. at the Mullins Center in Amherst, Massachusetts. Fans can catch the action live on ESPN+ and on air on 88.7 FM WRHU.
Photo courtesy of Ethan Albin
