The Hofstra University men’s basketball team opened their Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play with an 86-72 blowout win against Campbell University on Monday, Dec. 29. The Pride has extended their winning streak to five games and have only lost one out of their last nine.
“Overall, a good job by the guys,” said Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton. “I thought we had a great first half, and then the second half, I think we kind of took our foot off the pedal a little bit. Overall, it’s a great win; [I’m] happy for the guys.”
Hofstra wasted no time gaining control. They came out swinging on both ends of the floor over the opening 20 minutes. The Pride’s offense was firing on all cylinders, blitzing Campbell’s defense with a scoring avalanche, shooting 65% from the field and knocking down 7-12 from beyond the arc. Their defense matched the intensity of Campbell’s offense, holding the Camels to just 36% shooting overall and a frigid 3-16 from deep.
One of the true measures of a good team is its ability to lean on more than just its star players. All season long, Hofstra has embodied that skill, consistently getting meaningful contributions up and down the roster. On Monday night, it was sophomore forward Joshua DeCady who provided the necessary lift for Claxton and company.
DeCady delivered his best performance since joining the Pride, far exceeding his season average of 4.8 points by pouring in a season-high 15 points. He didn’t just have an impactscoring the ball; he also made his presence felt on the glass, bringing down four rebounds. DeCady feels like to trust the court, one must first build trust off the court through the coaching staff.
“It just really starts with my coaches,” DeCady said. “[Claxton] puts a lot of trust in me and everybody else. [The coaching staff] really trusts me. One thing I’ll say is they help me a lot; they’re patient with me even when I mess up. They’re those types of coaches and that’s one thing I really appreciate.”
Hofstra’s offense thrived on balance, with contributions coming from across the lineup as four players reached double figures. Cruz Davis, the Pride’s leading scorer, led the way once again with a game-high 22 points. Hofstra also found great production off the bench, with freshman Jaeden Roberts scoring 14 points and Silas Sunday adding eight points to solidify the offensive masterclass.
“It was a total team effort tonight,” Claxon said. “We got contributions from everyone. [Roberts] came off the bench and he was big. [Sunday] was great, but [DeCady] and [Preston Edmead] were terrific. [Davis] played like the best player in the CAA.”
Hofstra moved on to play Drexel University in a road contest on Saturday, Jan. 3. Tip-off was set for 2 p.m.
