The Hofstra University men’s basketball team dropped its second straight game to start the season, falling 81-73 to Iona University on Friday, Nov. 7. The Pride were unable to fully recover after Iona landed a 20–2 point punch in the first four minutes of the game, which proved to be too hard to overcome despite several comeback attempts.
“I think we lost this game in the first four minutes,” said Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton. “They came out and punched us in the mouth and we kind of took it. I don’t know what they were expecting, but I thought we came out too casual, too cool.”
The opening four minutes of the game ended up being the story of the night. The Gaels ripped off a 20-2 run, which quickly ballooned into a 24-point lead. Iona was scorching hot from all areas of the court, but the backbreaker was from behind the arc. Iona opened shooting a blistering 70% from deep.
This was Iona’s first game of the season, featuring a radically revamped roster from top to bottom. The Gaels introduced first-year head coach Dan Geriot and forward Luke Jungers, who stood as the lone returner from last year’s squad.
“It’s hard [preparing for a team with little film],” Claxton said. “It’s a brand-new team, this was their first game, so there wasn’t a lot of film out on them. We had to do a lot of stuff on the fly; that’s just what it is this time of the year.”
Another critical shortcoming for the Pride was their inability to walk the fine line between suffocating defense and undisciplined play. Hofstra committed a staggering 24 fouls. In the Pride’s first two games, they’ve fouled their opponents 52 times.
A bright spot early in the season has been freshman guard Preston Edmead, who led Hofstra with an impressive 18 points on an efficient 53% shooting. Edmead also made six assists, flexing his control on the offensive side of the ball.
“Honestly, [Edmead] was our toughest guy out there,” Claxton said. “For him to be a freshman; he definitely doesn’t play like a freshman. The kid is going to be special.”
Forward Victory Onuetu, a 6’10” junior from Spain, is also beginning to find his footing with this new Hofstra squad. Coming off the bench, Onuetu’s fingerprints were all over the game with 13 points and nine rebounds, six of them on the offensive glass. His impact wasn’t limited to scoring, as he also added two steals and a block on the defensive end.
Hofstra looks to end their early two-game losing streak and capture their first win of the season at home against Division II Molloy University. The game was slated for Monday, Nov. 10, at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex. Tip-off was set for 11:30 a.m.
