Five seconds separated the Hofstra University women’s basketball team and Monmouth University from overtime on Feb. 23. The Pride had one more possession before time expired, so assistant coach Jessica Bogia drew up an aggressive play: go for three with their leading scorer, Emma Von Essen.
Alarice Gooden inbounded the ball to Von Essen with her back to the rim. The junior spun and fired the jump shot from the left wing before watching it go through the net with a little over two seconds to go. The bench erupted when Hofstra grabbed the late lead.
“I have to shoot it or else I’m going to get yelled at,” Von Essen said, detailing what ran through her head at the time. “I shot it, and it went in. At first, I had to get back on defense because there were two seconds left, and people were running onto the court. I was like, ‘Get off!’ That was probably the best feeling I ever had in basketball.”
Zyheima Swint, who was closest to the basket for a potential rebound, was one of the first to run to Von Essen amid the celebrations during Monmouth’s immediate timeout.
“It was awesome,” Swint said. “[Von Essen] got the ball, we put our trust in her, and she did what she had to do. My reaction probably showed everything that I felt at [that] moment.”
Von Essen’s three-pointer was one of, if not the most memorable, moments of the Pride’s 2024-2025 season – their sixth under head coach Danielle Santos Atkinson. Hofstra finished the season with a 14-16 overall record and a 9-9 conference record, the most wins in the Atkinson era and since the 2015-2016 season in both categories.
The Pride clinched a first-round bye as the eighth seed in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Championship, ultimately losing in the second round to the ninth-seeded College of William & Mary.
The Pride entered play against Monmouth on a seven-game losing streak, having not won for 30 days. Von Essen’s 3-pointer was the turning point, as Hofstra won the next four games, closing out the regular season on a five-game winning streak.
“Our confidence definitely got better individually,” Von Essen said. “When you’re losing, you tighten up. It’s a lot easier to play when you get a win under your belt.”
With the win, Atkinson’s squad completed the season double over Monmouth, including a 75-67 road victory against the Hawks on Jan. 3, their highest scoring conference game all season.
“It was like a weight lifted off our shoulders,” Swint said about the end of the losing skid. “We knew we were capable; we started the conference off hot. Everybody has their droughts, it was just unfortunate we had our drought in the middle, after we were hot.”
The Pride gave up 503 turnovers throughout the season, averaging 16.8 per game. They also dealt with injuries to key players such as Chloe Sterling, Ayen Angoi and LaNae’ Corbett.
Sterling, a junior transfer from James Madison University, finished second in scoring in her first season with the Pride, but did not appear after a game against Stony Brook University on Feb. 7, due to a torn ACL. Angoi, a junior transfer from Louisiana Tech University, did not return to the court after the second Monmouth game due to a lingering foot injury.
“[Corbett] never came back 100% either,” Von Essen said. “Those were the three really good players who were in-and-out … just crazy stuff that hurt us.”
The team was forced to adjust while simultaneously navigating the second half of the season.
“You never know when [injuries] are coming, you never know when they’re going to go,” Swint said. “You just got to be ready and whoever’s next up just has to adapt. Injuries are definitely something that took a toll on us.”
Whilst Hofstra persevered through these obstacles, certain players saw individual success. Von Essen’s winner was just one of 71 total three-pointers converted by the guard, who totaled 327 points for the season. Her 3-point percentage was .300, fourth on the squad.
“I don’t think I shot as well this year as I was expecting to,” Von Essen said. “Each year, I want to take a bigger jump, and my percentage just wasn’t that good this year. I would go through games getting really mad because I just wouldn’t hit a shot. My coaches were really good with me, telling me to keep shooting. The fact that they have that confidence in me is huge.”
Von Essen is now in the top five for most converted 3-pointers in program history. Not only has she led on the court, but she has noticed improvements in her mental game.
“I feel like I got more mature [since last season],” Von Essen said. “I watch myself on film and I look a lot more mature and I’m gaining a lot more experience. I just feel older. I feel more relaxed on the court, better in that sense.”
The dramatic game-winner was not the only notable headline from the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Center that night. Swint, a graduate student, recorded a double-double in her 134th game for the women’s basketball team, becoming the all-time leader in appearances for the program.
“The fact that I stayed here all five years shows that it was a good culture,” Swint said. “It was a good program that I stayed a part of. Just to be able to make history here – and I didn’t know I was capable of doing that – was something good.”
Swint saw the team evolve during her time with the Pride, from their run in last year’s CAA Championship to their best regular season in nearly a decade. She drew inspiration from former teammates Sorelle Ineza and Jaylen Hines, each of them helping her become the player she once aspired to be.
“[They taught me] how to be resilient,” Swint said. “Same thing from both of them. [Ineza] was more outspoken than [Hines]; you’ve seen [Ineza] in pictures, media and all those kinds of stuff. [Hines] was quieter, so I’m kind of in the middle of both of them.”
Swint believes her patience has improved greatly in her time at Hofstra, her experiences proving a big difference from year one to the present day. It allows her to be a role model to those who come after her.
“Nobody cares more for Hofstra basketball than [Swint],” Von Essen said. “She wants success. and I think she puts her all into it. She just cares so much about it – I think that the new people that came in this year can see how much she put into it and hopefully they follow in her footsteps.”
With her collegiate career behind her, Swint has her eyes on playing overseas. She is one of three graduating seniors alongside Janaia Fargo and Ramatoulaye Keita.
As the saying goes: when one door closes, another one opens. In addition to transfers, the program welcomed four freshmen to the roster. The Pride’s personnel acquisitions last offseason shaped up this year’s results and could lay the foundation for next year.
“The freshmen are super close to each other,” Von Essen said. “They’re literally so close; they do everything together. They’re super funny, and they’re the perfect people you want to take care of. The transfers, like [Sterling], are amazing. Everyone sees her basketball [skills], but her off-the-court personality is even better. She’s the person you want to be around. I’m very happy with who we got.”
Hofstra seeks new heights next season. They will be led by Von Essen in what will be her senior year.
“I can’t believe I have one year of basketball left.” Von Essen said. “For something I’ve done every day since I was 10 years old, and it’s just going to end. I have to be in the gym three times a day, I have to do all this because this is my last time. I want to have the highest motor ever. I need to get in shape; every single workout is going to be my last workout. I’m excited, but I’m also kind of sad. It just means I have to put my all into it.”
The Rockville Centre native’s 3-pointer changed the Pride’s season for the better, and it could prove crucial in the long run as the team tries to apply what they have learned after a campaign for the books.
