The Hofstra University women’s basketball team fell to 9-9 overall and 4-3 in Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play with a 63-44 loss to North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. Hofstra now sits at eighth in conference standings while NC A&T sit at the top spot.

“I thought today we didn’t play the game like Hofstra women’s basketball is capable of playing and has played this year,” said Hofstra head coach Danielle Santos Atkinson after the loss. “I didn’t think we gave them our best effort.”

After a hot first half, shooting 11-of-25 (44.0%), they shot 5-of-28 (17.9%) in the second half. The Pride was knocking down threes in the first half as well. They shot 6-of-14 (42.9%) from 3-point range in the first half, but just 1-of-10 (10.0%) in the second.

“It was a tale of two halves in essence for us,” Santos said. “That second half there, we weren’t locked as tight as we needed to be defensively or offensively.”

Junior guard Emma Von Essen has had two consecutive solid shooting nights, as she shot 4-of-8 from three-point range, bringing her to 8-of-14 in her last two games. Von Essen is now shooting 33.8% from deep this season,

Junior forward Ayen Angoi checked in for her first game of the season against NC A&T where she totaled 8 points, five rebounds, one steal and one block while getting to the free-throw line.

“In anybody’s first game, you’re gonna be a bit nervous, but once she got in there and settled in, she did a great job,” Santos said.

The Pride then set their sights on the Carolinas, with two more games that weekend. First off, they faced UNC-Wilmington on Friday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m. Hofstra then took on the College of Charleston on Sunday.