The Hofstra University men’s basketball team secured its first win of the season in dominant fashion, rolling past Division II Molloy University with a 95-61 blowout win. Five members of the Pride reached double figures in points, overwhelming the Lions from start to finish.
“Good team win,” said Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton. “I thought our defense could’ve been better. Sixty-one points is way too much to give up. Overall, good job by the boys.”
Hofstra’s defense made Molloy’s offense uncomfortable all afternoon despite giving up 61 points. The Lions shot 38% from the field, but the Pride’s biggest defensive impact came from beyond the arc. Hofstra had complete control of the perimeter, holding Molloy to a dreadful 3-21 from the three-point range.
The Pride’s defense helped ignite their own offense, forcing 13 turnovers, which were converted into 20 points.
Early in the season, the Pride had difficulty playing disciplinarily and without fouling. Across Hofstra’s first two games, they committed 52 personal fouls.
“We’re a physical bunch,” Claxton said. “We need to play without fouling. We can’t allow guys to get into the bonus early because then you put them on the line. It’s going to be a long night then.”
Hofstra made a significant improvement in their third game of the season, only fouling Molloy 10 times throughout the entire game.
Cruz Davis put on a show for over 2,000 fans in attendance, recording his first double-double of the season. Davis led all scorers with a season-high 24 points on an impressive 62% field goal shooting. The junior guard wasn’t a one-trick pony, as he cleaned the glass 10 times, capping off his double-double. Davis nearly added a triple-double to his night, finishing just one assist short.
Davis is coming from a tough outing against Iona University, where he shot just 5-15 points from the field. He knew what he must do to get back on track.
“Just being more aggressive, looking for my shot more,” Davis said. “It’s a different role on this team, so I just need to be more aggressive to start.”
Hofstra’s offense was spreading the wealth all night, with five guys reaching double figures. Six-feet 10-inch Victory Onuetu is continuing to etch himself into an important piece of his team’s new look. Onuetu captured his first career double-double with 10 points to go along with 12 rebounds.
“[Onuetu] was lively,” Claxton said. “He played with a lot of energy and effort on both ends. I keep saying it but he’s getting better each and every day.”
German Plotnikov also had a strong outing as the game’s second leading scorer with 15 points on 6-11 shooting.
The Pride took their talents on the road to face off against undefeated Bucknell University on Friday, Nov. 14, at Sojka Pavilion. Tip-off was set for 7 p.m.
