The Hofstra University men’s basketball team suffered a 71-62 loss to Northeastern University on Thursday, Feb. 6. The Pride is now on a two-game losing streak, and their Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) record moved to 4-7.
Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton had some strong words for his team after the loss and a message intended to galvanize the locker room.
“Got to have some f*cking toughness, got to have some pride,” Claxton said. “You can’t just think you’re going to show up and expect to win.”
The Pride shot 37% from the field, compared to the Huskies’ 48%. In the first half, Northeastern shot 50% from behind the arc, and though the second half trended the opposite way, Claxton was displeased by his defense’s effort in the paint.
“The tougher team won,” Claxton said. “I don’t know if these guys thought they could just show up and Northeastern was going to roll over because we beat them pretty handedly out there in Boston, but they’re a good team. I thought all night they were the tougher team. Guys were just getting driven by. [We] couldn’t box out, guys were just getting moved. Something’s got to change.”
The one bright spot in the loss was the performance of Hofstra guard Jean Aranguren. The sophomore recorded his best game as a member of the Pride, putting together a 35-point, 10-rebound double-double. Aranguren also knocked down 14 of his 18 free-throw attempts.
Time is not on Hofstra’s side, considering their next game is on Saturday, Feb. 8. Claxton stressed a sense of urgency after the game.
“We got to turn the page because we got 48 hours, and we got to get ready for Stony Brook [University],” Claxton said. “It’s going to be a must-win game. I’m sure it’s going to be a good crowd, and guys have to show up.”
Hofstra’s struggles have continued since going 8-5 in non-conference play. The Pride have gone 4-7 since the start of CAA play, and Claxton had an idea of why that is.
“We’re putting players in situations they’ve never been in before in their career,” Claxton said. “Cruz Davis, he hasn’t really played too much in college. [Aranguren] was a freshman last year, so he had limited minutes, and those two are our go-to guys. It’s a tough situation to put them in – they’re learning to be go-to guys and [that] is going to come with inconsistency.”
Tipoff against Stony Brook is set for 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8.
