The Hofstra University men’s basketball team suffered their first loss of the season in a 79-61 defeat at the hands of Florida State University on Tuesday, Nov. 19. This happened after battling a premier defense.
Hofstra moved to 4-1 on the season while Florida State improved to a 4-1 record with the win.
The first half was a tough battle for the Pride as they struggled to find any offensive rhythm. Hofstra shot a lackluster 34% from the field, and their shooting woes extended beyond the arc, where they went a grim two-for-14 from 3-point range. The Pride’s defense also struggled to contain the Seminoles, who shot a solid 45.9% from the field.
Sophomore guard Jean Aranguren led Hofstra in points scored for the third time this season. He scored 14 points, 10 of which came in the first half on three-for-six shooting from the field.
Despite the early struggles, Hofstra managed to stay within striking distance, trailing by just nine points at halftime.
One of Hofstra’s most glaring issues was their ball control, as they gave up a staggering 20 turnovers – 5.5 more than their season average – disrupting their offensive flow and creating costly opportunities for the Seminoles. Florida State took full advantage of Hofstra’s careless mistakes, converting the turnovers into 23 points. Hofstra was only able to score eight points from turnovers.
“When you’re trying to win a game like this, you’ve got to value the basketball,” said Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton. “We had way too many turnovers, 20 turnovers against a team like this, and they excel in their transition game. It’s going to be hard to win.”
The Pride came out of halftime a different team, shooting an impressive 62% from the field and an even more impressive 6-for-10 from beyond the arc. Hofstra sliced the deficit to just two points, narrowing Florida State’s lead to 39-37 early in the second half.
Cruz Davis and Jaquan Sanders found their stride coming out of the break. Davis scored seven of his nine points during the 14-7 run to get the Pride within a possession, and Sanders scored all 13 of his points on 71% from the field in the second half.
“We were making shots and getting stops, cutting it to two,” Claxton said. “They kind of went on a run themselves, but hats off to Florida State, they are a really good team.”
Offensive rebounding was a key piece for the Seminoles’ success against the Pride, as they were able to come away with 10 offensive boards. This was detrimental to Hofstra as Florida State capitalized on the second chance opportunities and scored 24 points from them. Hofstra came down with five offensive rebounds – half of Florida State’s total – but was only able to convert them into four points.
Hofstra sophomore guard KiJan Robinson was a standout for the Pride, coming off the bench to shine when returning to his home state of Florida. He tied his career-high with 13 points, including three 3-pointers in just 18 minutes of action.
“He was a bright spot,” said Claxton. “We have a lot of confidence in [Robinson] coming off the bench. Tonight, he proved he can compete with the best of them, and we’re going to need that moving forward.”
The Pride looked to bounce back against No. 8 University of Houston on Friday, Nov. 22, at the Fertitta Center. Tip-off was scheduled for 8 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Ethan Albin
