The Hofstra men’s basketball season has come to a heartbreaking end. The Pride fell just short in the second round of the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Championship, suffering a tough 65-60 loss to Monmouth University.
“Not the outcome we wanted,” said Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton. “I’m proud of the effort. These guys left it all out there, so I’m proud of them.”
Saturday night’s game was a seesaw affair, with the Pride and the Hawks trading blows in a back-and-forth battle. There were 13 lead changes and six ties.
The CAA’s top-ranked defense were battling to contain First Team All-CAA selection Abdi Bashir Jr., and they left their hearts out on the court. Hofstra’s Khali Farmer took on the tough assignment of guarding the sophomore guard, who averaged 20 points per game. Bashir struggled to find his rhythm, shooting just 25% from the field and going 0-7 from beyond the arc.
In the final game of his college career, Michael Graham put on a rebounding masterclass alongside a solid scoring performance. Graham was a force to be reckoned with on the glass, coming down with a staggering game-high 16 rebounds. He made his biggest impact on the offensive glass, securing six offensive rebounds and giving the Pride crucial second-chance opportunities. He also scored 12 points, notching his seventh double-double of the year.
“Tremendous career from [Graham]; couldn’t be happier for him,” Claxton said. “For him to give us his last year, he was very sad in that locker room, so I hope that he had the type of year that he wanted to have. Whenever a senior goes out in tears you know you’ve done right by him.”
Jean Aranguren, Hofstra’s leading scorer all season with 14.2 points per game, once again led the way on offense. He finished as the game’s top scorer, dropping a game-high 19 points on an efficient 9-15 shooting, including 50% from beyond the arc.
Jean Aranguren reflected after the game on his first season with the Pride after transferring from Iona University.
“First of all, I’m grateful for the coaching staff and for Hofstra,” Aranguren said. “I really had the opportunity to obtain a new role and learn great lessons from the coaches and also the players, I’m just grateful for this year.”
German Plotnikov, a three-year veteran of the program, followed up his career night with another strong performance. The senior guard has been Hofstra’s sharpshooter all season, and he stayed true to form, knocking down four of his six attempts from beyond the arc. Plotnikov capped off his Hofstra career with a crucial 12 points.
Claxton looked back on Plotnikov’s three years with Hofstra after the loss.
“He’s an old, experienced guy,” Claxton said. “This is his third year with us, so he knows what we expect from him and what he needs to do out there. [I’m] so proud of him and happy to see him go out this way.”
Hofstra ended the year with a 15-18 record, going 6-12 in CAA play.
