By Andrew Scharff
Hofstra’s 75-61 win over Northeastern Sunday afternoon was perfect example of what this senior class means to Hofstra Women’s Basketball program. The senior class of Lizanne Murphy, Cigi McCollin, Vanessa Gidden and Lana Harshaw combined for 65 points and 33 rebounds as they established a new program record of 22 wins in a season and they still have the regular season finale and post-season play.
When these seniors began their careers with Hofstra they went 8-21 in their first, and every year they managed to improve. In their next season they managed to go .500, as that was the first where this whole senior class got major minutes. After going 13-16 in 2004-2005, they made 2006 a groundbreaking year. They went 19-12 and made a trip to the NIT. And this season they have kept the success coming. Along with having the most wins in season, they also have earned the program’s first win against a ranked opponent, when the Pride beat Michigan State 57-53 in East Lansing.
“It feels great it’s been a long time coming. I have been at both ends of the spectrum. I have been at the losing end at 8-21, I have been in the middle of winning and I have been at the top winning now,” said McCollin who ranks fourth on Hofstra’s all-time scoring list.
“Our best moment is yet to come. I still waiting for our best moment,” Murphy said. “I wasn’t playing on the team when they were 8-21. I said when I come in it’s not going to happen. We all kind of came together and decided that we were going to change it.”
Though these seniors have turned the program around and done so much for it there is still one more thing they want to accomplish. And that is they want to go dancing. And with the success they had this year they have a great chance to accomplish their goal
“We have 22 wins and we are making history here at Hofstra. We put banner for last season and it was the first banner her at Hofstra,” added Gidden who has the most block shots in the program’s history. “But we are not finished yet. We haven’t gotten to the NCAA tournament yet. That’s been our ultimate goal and the goal since we came in day one. We are trying to put Hofstra in March Madness and it’s time for us to be in the dance.”