The Hofstra University men’s basketball team’s season continued its perpetual loop as they once again relinquished another big lead in the second half. The Pride blew a 16-point first-half lead to Monmouth University in a deflating 68-62 loss on Thursday, Feb. 20. Hofstra’s losing streak now stands at six games in a row – the longest losing streak since Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton took over the team in 2021. The Pride remains in 12th place in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA), dangerously close to the conference cellar.
“We had a 16-point lead in the first half, and [Monmouth] stayed with it, they got back into the game,” said Hofstra assistant coach Mike DePaoli. “We missed some free throws, gave up too many offensive rebounds, the story of the night is we fouled too much.”
The defense has been a focal point for Hofstra all season – they are first in defensive rating in the CAA – but the fine line between suffocating defense and undisciplined fouling was blurred tonight for the Pride. The Hawks shot a hefty 35 free throws on the night.
Monmouth junior guard Madison Durr led the team with 19 points, despite making just two field goals. He spent much of the night at the charity stripe, earning a jaw-dropping 18 free throw attempts and converting 15 of them. In the process, Durr reached a career milestone, notching his 1,000th career point.
It’s a constant case of déjà vu when it comes to Hofstra’s first and second-half performances. The Pride opened the game with picture-perfect basketball, surging to their 16-point lead. They shot an impressive 52% from the field and shot 5-12 from beyond the arc.
Hofstra’s offense was led by senior guard German Plotnikov, who delivered his best performance of the season. Plotnikov came out firing, hitting his first four shots within the first 11 minutes. He finished with a team-high 19 points – just one point shy of tying his career best – while shooting an efficient 66% from the field and sinking two 3-pointers.
“I’m just glad I made my shots,” Plotnikov said. “I’m glad the ball found me, and my point guard found me, and I made my shots.”
The Pride entered halftime on a five-minute scoring drought.
Everything the Pride executed well in the first half vanished, flipping completely once again. Hofstra saw a dramatic offensive drop-off in the second half as they only shot 37% and just 1-5 from three.
Hofstra’s two-headed monster backcourt of Cruz Davis and Jean Aranguren struggled for the second straight game, delivering another underwhelming shooting performance. The Pride’s leading scorers combined for just 13 points – each finishing a point below their individual season averages. In the last two games, they are a combined 11-47 from the field.
“When you lose six in a row, you start to question,” DePaoli said. “The only thing we have control over right now is getting ready for [University of Delaware]. It’s our Super Bowl, every game for the rest of the year is our Super Bowl.”
The Pride urgently needs to snap their six-game losing streak as the CAA tournament is rapidly approaching. Their next chance to do that was on the road when they took on the University of Delaware on Saturday, Feb. 21.
