The Hofstra University’s men’s basketball team completed a sweep of their three-game, three-day slate at the Cathedral Classic, with an impressive 77-60 blowout win over the University of Pennsylvania on Sunday, Nov. 30. The Pride’s offense was too much to handle from start to finish, since every member of the starting five wrapped up the night in double figures.
“We played a really good game against a really good team,” said Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton. “Up until this point, I thought [Pennsylvania] was playing well. [They] had some really good wins. I was concerned coming into the game, but I think I’m finding out a lot about my team right now, and we’re pretty good.”
Hofstra once again struck gold with a dynamic two-guard duo, as freshman Preston Edmead and junior Cruz Davis have shown consistently throughout the team’s first eight games just how explosive they are. They are the latest example of how dangerous a backcourt under Claxton can be.
“[Davis and Edmead] have been outstanding,” Claxton said. “Starting from the summertime, we knew that they were going to be our leaders. I can’t say enough about those guys. The way they approach the game every single day, they’re always the first ones on the court and the last ones to leave. They put so much work into it; they’re seeing their hard work pay off and I’m extremely happy for them.”
Freshman sensation Edmead hit only one field goal, yet his offensive presence was relentless. He lived at the charity stripe, going 9-10 to end his night with 11 points. Even with just three shot attempts, Edmead controlled the game as a true floor general, dishing out a game-high eight assists.
“I did not envision this,” Claxton said. “[Edmead] works extremely hard on his game. When I say he is our hardest worker, he’s by far our hardest worker. He loves basketball; he eats, sleeps and dreams basketball, so I’m not surprised at his success.”
Davis, the other end of this two-headed monster, was lethal, leading all scorers with 18 points on 50% shooting from the field. He barely left the floor. He once again lead the team with 38 minutes played. With his performance, Davis now rises to 19.1 points per game, standing alone as the Pride’s leading scorer.
Hofstra’s once-number one defense in the Coastal Athletic Association faced a serious test against Pennsylvania’s frontcourt stars: senior Ethan Roberts and junior TJ Power. The Quakers featured a dangerous scoring duo, with Roberts putting up 20.9 points per game and Power contributing 16.4.
The Pride’s straitjacket defense lived up to its name, making life difficult for Power, who shot just 3-10 from the field and finished with only 10 points. Hofstra also slowed down Roberts, holding him to 16 points, nearly five points below his season average.
Hofstra will continue to stay at the Francis S. Levien Gymnasium, where they aim to extend their longest winning streak of the season against Columbia University on Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m.
