The Hofstra University women’s basketball team defeated Stony Brook University 73-70 in an overtime thriller for their fourth straight win. The Pride improved to 13-15 on the season and 8-9 in conference play. They now stand at ninth in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) standings.
“They fought and fought and fought through adversity,” said Hofstra head coach Danielle Santos Atkinson. “We had people foul out, we had people get hurt and the way they stayed connected and continued to play is what I’m most proud of for them tonight.”
Michaela Carter left the game late in the second quarter with a knee injury; she returned to the bench but her status for the regular season finale is unknown.
The Pride were down eight going into the fourth quarter as Stony Brook gained momentum, outscoring the Pride 25-15 in the third quarter. With just under nine minutes to play, Alarice Gooden came in and gave the Pride a spark on the offensive end. After six straight points from LaNae’ Corbett, Gooden went to work scoring 13 of the Pride’s next 14 points to take a 3-point lead. She went 4-4 from the field and 4-4 from the free throw line during the fourth quarter as both teams were tied 65-65, forcing overtime.
“You’re just in a flow or a rhythm,” Gooden said. “Every time I release the ball when I’m shooting, I just kind of know it’s going in.”
Although Gooden fouled out to end the fourth, the Pride continued to battle in the extra period. Corbett had not played since Feb. 23, against Monmouth University due to a shoulder injury, but she secured the game for Hofstra down the stretch. She finished the game with 12 points, four rebounds, two steals and two blocks, going 4-4 from the charity stripe in just 16 minutes. Both of her steals came in the overtime period, coming up clutch in her limited minutes. Zyheima Swint gave the Pride a 71-70 lead with a minute left before Sabrina Larson and Kassidy Thompson iced the game at the free throw line.
“I just wanted it more,” Corbett said. “I was like, ‘alright, I’m just going to go for the steal. If I don’t get it, I know I have trust in my teammates to have my back and I can recover.’ There were times I didn’t get it, and I still was able to recover because my teammates have my back, so it was really more of wanting it more and knowing that if I make a mistake, my teammates will have my back.”
Hofstra played great defense against Stony Brook down the stretch, but their free throw numbers kept them in it. The Pride held the Seawolves to just 4-18 shooting in the fourth and overtime combined, and shot 11-16 from the line in that span. Forty-three total fouls were committed between both teams, along with 51 total free throws.
Hofstra finished the game with five players scoring in double digits. Gooden and Corbett led the team with 13 and 12 points off the bench, respectively. Emma Von Essen had 12 points, Ramatoulaye Keita had 11 and Zyheima Swint added 10. This is the first time the Pride had five players with at least 10 points in a conference game since March 7, 2018, in the first round of the CAA Women’s Championship against the College of Charleston.
Hofstra will look for their first five-game winning streak since the 2015-2016 season. They close out the regular season against Northeastern University on Saturday, March 8, at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.
