By Andrew Scharff
No knock on the Hofstra Men’s Basketball team, but the Hofstra Women’s Basketball team are in basically the same position as the men but they are looking for a different result. Both teams have core of seniors they look to lead the way when it comes to March and both teams had/have a bye in the first round of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Tournament.
Everybody knows what happened to the Men’s team as they knocked out in the first round of the CAA tournament, but hopefully the Women’s team can stay in Delaware for more than day. But there is no reason why Hofstra should be worried as they have been playing great basketball going into the CAA tournament as they have won their last seven games in route to program record 23 wins in a single season.
“Right now we are feeling good,” said head coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey. “We feel like we are playing our best basketball and the vibe in the room is great.”
The vibe should be great because of the way the Pride has ended its season. Senior guard Cigi McCollin is the reigning Co-CAA Player of the Week. The three headed front court of seniors Lizanne Murphy, Vanessa Gidden and Lana Harshaw have been playing their best basketball.
But maybe the best sign for the Pride is their young guns sophomore Niki Williams and freshman Sam Brigham. Williams, who has taken over at the point guard position for suspended guard Jeanell Hughes, has maybe developed faster than anyone has expected. Since being thrusted into a starting role Williams has accepted it with open arms.
Along with the strong play Williams, Brigham also a guard has come on strong especially of late. Brigham scored a career high 17 points in their season finale at UNC-Wilmington and the week before that she was named the CAA Rookie of the Week for the second time this season.
Though both Williams and Brigham have played well down stretch and they will be counted on to make contributions in March, they can’t forget about the big four of McCollin, Murphy, Gidden and Harshaw.
“We have four big guns. It’s fantastic,” said Kilburn-Steveskey. “But we also have depth. Niki will continue to lead the way, she is our starting point guard and Sam’s presence has turned her into our 6th man.”
A big advantage for the Pride is the first-round bye they earned by finishing in the top four of the conference at the end of the season. Now instead of having to play four days in row, the most they have to play is three in row.
“With the bye we don’t have to play on Thursday and we don’t have to win four straight,” Kilburn-Steveskey said. “The bye puts in great position to be their till the end.”
But to make it clear, having the bye doesn’t mean they can they take their first opponent lightly. Just ask the men.
Speaking of that first opponent, it will either be #5 seeded William & Mary or # 12 George Mason. Barring an upset in the first round the Pride will be looking at William & Mary. In the only meeting between William & Mary and Hofstra, the Pride was able to come out on the winning side of 62-56 game.
Though they got the win that night, they allowed William & Mary’s best player Kyra Kaylor to get 20 points on them. Coach Kilburn-Steveskey believes if they do play William & Mary again, the biggest key to the game would be to do a better job on Kaylor.
In the other quarterfinal games on Friday, #1 Old Dominion goes against the Georgia State/Drexel winner, # 2 James Madison plays the winner of Towson/UNCW and Third-seeded Delaware will face the winner of VCU/Northeastern.
With a well-rounded lineup clicking on all cylinders, the best Hofstra Women’s Basketball team ever may be dancing in March.