The Hofstra University men’s basketball team fell short in a dramatic late-game comeback attempt against Tarleton State University on Saturday, Nov. 30. Despite a strong surge in the final minutes, the Pride were edged out 61-59 in a thrilling contest.
Hofstra fell to 5-3, while Tarleton State earned its second victory, improving to 2-6.
Shooting struggles continued for the Pride, who finished the game with just 32% shooting from the field marking their second-lowest shooting performance of the season, their first being 30% against No. 7 University of Houston. The first half was tough, as Hofstra struggled to make shots, converting just six of 23 attempts. Additionally, nearly half of the team’s turnovers occurred in the opening period, with four giveaways breaking up any offensive flow.
“Tough one,” said Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton. “I think we lost this one in the first five minutes. They came out and set the tone that they were going to be the more physical team, and that’s where the game was lost.”
The offense was not the only struggle in the first half as the Pride was not able to keep their defensive activity in check, giving up 10 first-half fouls, handing Tarleton State six free points.
A bright spot for Hofstra was sophomore guard Jean Aranguren, who rebounded strongly from his lowest-scoring performance of the season last game against Rice University on Friday, Nov. 29. Aranguren finished with 21 points, shooting an impressive 40% from beyond the arc. His defensive contributions were also crucial, as he recorded a block and three steals to help keep Hofstra competitive.
“It was great to see him score some baskets,” Claxton said. “The last few games he struggled definitely, I’m happy with the way he played and it’s good to see him come back to form.”
Aside from Aranguren, no other Hofstra player found a consistent rhythm or reached double figures in scoring. Jaquan Sanders was the team’s second-leading scorer, finishing with seven points on 2-of-11 shooting.
“The way [Tarleton] plays defense, they take you out of your offense,” Claxton said. “When they’re denying every pass, you’ve got to go to your quick hitters when you’re not initiating offense.”
Hofstra struggled on the boards, getting out-rebounded 39-28. The Pride is 1-3 this season in games where they lose the rebounding battle.
The Pride regrouped at halftime, determined to chip away at Tarleton State’s 31-26 lead. In the second half, Hofstra found a bit more offensive rhythm, improving to 37% shooting from the field.
Tarleton State built a 10-point lead midway through the second half and maintained a double-digit advantage with just under five minutes remaining.
Hofstra mounted a rally, erupting for a 10-1 run capped by a 3-pointer from Hofstra guard Khalil Farmer to pull within 60-59 with just over a minute left on the clock. The Pride then got a crucial stop on the next Tarleton State possession but missed two opportunities to take the lead. Hofstra had one final chance with six seconds left, trailing by two, but couldn’t get the bucket to pull off the thunderous comeback.
The Pride looked to bounce back and close out the last game of the Baha Mar Hoops: Nassau Championship on Sunday, Dec. 1, against Arkansas State University. Tip-off was scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Ethan Albin
