By Ed Morrone
HARRISONBURG, Va. – The biggest question surrounding the Hofstra basketball team this season has been how on earth will they be able to finish what they started last March despite carrying an inexperienced frontcourt into this year’s CAA Tournament? If the stellar backcourt performs the way it in Saturday night’s regular season finale, well, then that question probably won’t matter.
Led by Carlos Rivera’s career-high 37 points as well as 27 from an injured Loren Stokes, the Pride (22-8, 14-4 CAA) oblierated James Madison (7-22, 4-14), 98-78, in the team’s final tune-up before this weekend’s CAA Tournament.
Even before Saturday’s tipoff from Harrisonburg, Hofstra had locked up the No. 3 seed for its upcoming weekend in Richmond, Va. Just like last season, the Pride is the third-ranked team (this time behind VCU and Old Dominion), and will face last year’s nemesis George Mason in Saturday night’s quarterfinals, barring a JMU upset of No. 6 Mason in the first round on Friday. But even if the field had been all but set before the meaningless game against the CAA cellar dwelling Dukes, the Pride’s backcourt set out to show everybody that there’s no doubt in their minds they can lead their team to three wins in three days this weekend. If they do so, Hofstra will qualify for its first NCAA Tournament since the 2000-01 season, and, in doing so, get last year’s snub monkey off of their backs.
“A win here wouldn’t have affected our seed, and our guys were aware of that,” Hofstra coach Tom Pecora said. “It shows a lot for them to come down and play as hard as they did. We’ll take a few days off and get ready for this tournament, which is going to be a wild one.”
Wild it may be, especially considering the fact the Pride may end up facing the tall task of playing three Virginia teams, all of which will have a substantial home court advantage-especially VCU, who will be playing as the top seed a mile from its campus.
At this point in the season, Pecora understands the best way to get to his first NCAA Tournament as a head coach is to ride his three-headed monster backcourt. In a game where Antoine Agudio had an “off” night (17 points on 6 of 13 shooting), it was the seniors that stepped up and torched a helpless JMU defense.
Stokes, a game-time decision because of a left thigh bruise, looked as good as he has all season, scoring from both inside and outside. But it was a near-perfect Rivera (12-for-16, 6-for 7 from beyond the arc, 7-for-7 at the foul line) who stole the show, scoring almost three times his season average of 12.9 points per game.
“I told Carlos that he looks young again,” Pecora joked.
“I didn’t feel extra special [going in],” Rivera said. “I was just shooting like it was a regular game.”
Far from it.
If the Pride does not get a solid contribution from its frontcourt between now and the end of the season (and at this point, who really knows?), the team will need Rivera to keep shooting the ball with confidence, something he wasn’t doing back in November and December.
“You watch him shoot the ball, and even when he misses it looks good,” Pecora said.
For Rivera and Stokes, the stretch run will feature a lot of “lasts.” Last Thursday was their last regular season home game, Saturday was their last regular season game with the Pride and this weekend will be their last CAA Tournament together. Both humble seniors know what’s at stake, and while every game could be their last, both are playing on a level that could guide them to a first-an NCAA Tournament berth.
“That’s what they do,” Pecora said. “I’m going to miss these two. I don’t want to think about coaching without them on the floor.”
Luckily for Pecora, he won’t have to. At least not for one more weekend.
