The Hofstra University women’s basketball team fell to the University at Albany in a 52-43 defeat on Sunday, Dec. 21. The Pride scored the second least number of points in a game this season, while they held the Great Danes to their least number of points in a win. Hofstra fell to a 2-8 record, which put them last in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) standings, their worst record through 10 games since 2008.
The Pride suffered from first half struggles, as they have in every loss this season. Hofstra scored just 14 points in the first half to Albany’s 31 points. In their eight losses so far, Hofstra has averaged just 19.9 points in the first half. While the second half has been a completely different story, it makes comebacks almost insurmountable.
“I loved our second-half fight. We beat them by six points in the second half, which is great,” said Hofstra head coach Danielle Santos Atkinson. “For us, it’s just being able to start with that same fire.”
Efficiency has also been an apparent trend as Hofstra sits ninth in CAA field goal percentage with 37.5% and 11th in 3-point percentage with 26.7%. Against the Great Danes, the Pride shot just 30% from the field and 13% from the 3-point range, both being their worst marks in a game this season.
Junior guard Michaela Carter continues to be a bright spot in a struggling season for Hofstra, finishing with 15 points on 6-10 from the field and 1-2 from beyond the arc. She’s averaging career highs in points, rebounds, assists, field goal percentage and 3-point percentage this season.
“[Carter] continues to play with a fire and [is] a spark for us,” Santos said. “She has the ability to get to the basket on anybody.”
Injuries have plagued the Pride all season long, with six players missing two or more games so far. Chloe Sterling’s return will prove big for Hofstra in conference-play, as she averaged 11 points, four rebounds and three assists in CAA play last season.
“We have not had one practice yet where we’ve had the entire team on the floor,” Santos said. “Just looking forward to being able to get everyone back, get everyone healthy [and] practice the reps that we need to get as a team.”
Hofstra played the University of Kentucky, the 12th ranked team in the country, on Sunday, Dec. 28 at 2:00 p.m. in the Memorial Coliseum. These teams last faced off on Nov. 26, 2005, where the University of Kentucky defeated the Pride 67-54.
