The Hofstra University men’s basketball team got swept two games to none in the season-series against Stony Brook University with their 59-56 loss on Thursday, Feb. 27. Poor play down the stretch and sloppy offensive possessions cost Hofstra the game as they worsened to 5-12 in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) and 13-17 overall.
Stony Brook’s Andre Snoddy scored the final four points to give the Seawolves the comeback victory. Jean Aranguren lost Snoddy on defense trying to help at the top of the key, which led to the game-winning basket with 13 seconds left.
Aranguren and Cruz Davis did all they could to win the game for the Pride, but Davis forced tough shots all game, scoring 11 points while going 31% from the field and 14% from behind the arc. Aranguren was more efficient, as he poured in 17 points at a 44% clip from the field and 50% from three.
Hofstra dominated in the paint, outscoring the Seawolves 32-8. During the first half, the Pride out-rebounded Stony Brook on the offensive glass 9-1 and 22-10 on total rebounds.
The Seawolves made key adjustments in the second half as they out-rebounded Hofstra 24-16, closing the gap for the game to 38-36 in favor of the Pride.
Both teams struggled from the field as both sides shot 38%, but the game was lost for Hofstra on their inability to create clean looks offensively for most of the game and for getting dominated on the boards and from 3-point land in the second half.
Stony Brook went 10-21 from three for the game, but turned it on in the second half, as they shot 50%. The Seawolves led for roughly 28 minutes compared to Hofstra’s roughly nine minutes.
CJ Luster III created problems all night long for Hofstra, as he led all scorers with 19 points. Luster scored 13 in the first half with nine of those points coming from the three-point line. The Pride made it tougher for Luster in the second half, but the two threes he knocked down were daggers into the hearts of Hofstra.
Collin O’Connor was the second leading scorer for Stony Brook as he dropped 17 points in the team’s win. O’Connor shot at a 60% clip for the game and added five rebounds.
With this loss, Hofstra guarantees themselves a bottom-four seed in the CAA Championship beginning on Friday, March 7. To win the championship and head to the NCAA Tournament, they’ll have to win five games in five days. It’s the lowest seed the Pride have earned ahead of the tournament in head coach Speedy Claxton’s four seasons with the Pride.
Hofstra was back in action for the last time at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex this season against North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University on Saturday, March 1. Tip-off was set for 2 p.m.
