The Hofstra University men’s basketball team won a thriller against Arkansas State University, 68-66 on Sunday, Dec. 1. In the game’s final seconds, Jean Aranguren bounced a pass to Michael Graham who went up and under as time expired to improve Hofstra’s record to 6-3. The Pride won two out of three contests in the Bahamas during the Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship.
“I am so happy for [Graham],” said Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton. “He didn’t have a great game yesterday … but for him to get the final basket was huge [for] us.”
Graham finished the game with a 14-point and 12-rebound double-double. The grad student put his fingerprints on the final minutes. He corralled an offensive rebound on a missed free throw attempt with just over a minute to go in the second half. That rebound led to a crucial layup by Cruz Davis, which extended the Pride’s lead to 66-63.
Davis led all scorers in the contest with 24 points, adding five rebounds and two assists to his stat line. The sophomore guard was reliable at the free throw line, sinking 11 of his 14 attempts.
“[Davis has] been carrying us, he’s a good player,” Claxton said. “We put the ball in his hands, and we’re going to ride him the rest of the season.”
As Hofstra’s three headed monster at the guard position, Davis, Aranguren and Jaquan Sanders have been stuffing the stat sheet all season, and once again carried the Pride on Sunday. The three guards combined for 41 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in the win.
“They were really good on both sides of the basketball,” Claxton said. “We rely on them heavily on offense, but they guard on the defensive end. Arkansas State has some really good guards. That was one of the keys of the game; being able to guard the basketball and I think we did a tremendous job.”
Khalil Farmer continued his great defensive weekend, diving on a loose ball to give possession to the Pride, along with a block and a steal.
“The game-winning play was when [Farmer] dove on the loose ball,” Claxton said. “That is Hofstra basketball, and that’s who we need to be.”
Hofstra returns home for a four-day break before hosting the Division III St. Joseph’s University on Friday, Dec. 6. Tipoff is set for 11:30 a.m.
Photo courtesy of Ethan Albin
