The Hofstra University men’s basketball team lost an overtime thriller on Saturday, Jan. 25 against Campbell University, 69-67. Hofstra fired on all cylinders in the first half, taking a 36-20 lead into halftime, but Campbell fought back and completed the comeback on the back of Colby Duggan’s 23 points, including the game-winner with one second left.
This is the third of the last four games that have ended in a loss for the Pride due to a second-half collapse. Hofstra is now 3-5 in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) as they sink deeper in the standings.
“I can’t pinpoint it,” said head coach Speedy Claxton regarding the team’s struggles in the second half. “I think guys start losing confidence. The team might go on a 6-0 run, we might miss two or three shots and then they lose confidence in themselves. They might have a good shot, but they turn it down, which puts us in a late shot clock situation.”
The Pride put themselves in the driver’s seat with an offensive rebound with 11 seconds left in the second half and leading by three. TJ Gadsden forced a pass to German Plotnikov, which was batted down, and Jasin Sinani knocked down a game-tying 3-pointer that sucked the life out of the arena. Sinani shocked the Pride at the end of the second, and Duggan delivered the dagger, a clutch turnaround jumper in the corner with one second to go in overtime.
“Hats off to Campbell,” Claxton said. “They came out in the second half with great energy [and] great effort, and that’s what ultimately lost us the game. This is another game where we didn’t come to play in the second half, and that can’t happen. We had 16 turnovers for the game, too high of a turnover game for us, it’s going to be hard to beat teams like that.
Duggan and Nolan Dorsey were held to a combined eight points in the first half before erupting in the second half and overtime. Duggan finished with 23 points, while Dorsey finished with 22 and played a key role in their defensive stops down the stretch.
“They absolutely did,” Claxton said regarding Duggan and Dorsey hitting tough shots with hands in their faces. “The defense was there. We had high hands; we contested their shots, and they’re two really good players who made some tough ones.”
Claxton stressed the importance of playing a full 40 minutes in their win over Delaware one game ago. The defense has been Hofstra’s identity all season, but they seem to be struggling at playing a complete game.
“We have to bounce back from it and win two on the road, but we can’t keep shooting ourselves in the foot,” Claxton said. “Going forward, [playing for 40 minutes] is going to be the theme.”
The Pride have another meeting against the Fighting Camels, but it’ll be in their building on Saturday, Feb. 1. In the meantime, Hofstra’s next game is Thursday, Jan. 30, at Elon University. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
