By Vincent Mercogliano
After an impressive showing in the Charleston Classic Tournament, in which the Hofstra Pride went 2-1, they returned to Hempstead for their home opener against the Old Westbury Panthers seemingly ready to roll.
The Panthers (1-2), who are a Division III program, were supposed to be a tune up for the Pride. But Hofstra quickly realized that Old Westbury was ready to seize the chance to showcase their talent against the only Division I program they will face all season.
And while the Pride (3-1) pulled out a 68-50 victory, the final score does not reflect the competitive nature of the game.
“We knew they were going to be smaller than us,” said Hofstra head coach Tom Pecora. “Their quickness posed a different threat.”
The wide-eyed Panthers are accustomed to playing in high school sized gyms, and we clearly motivated by the opportunity to compete at a higher level.
“I’ve never played in a stadium like this,” said Old Westbury’s sophomore center Lester Prosper of Hofstra’s Mack Arena. “It was great.”
The Panthers showed early on that they would not go down without a fight, and were clearly the more aggressive team in the first half. While Hofstra only took six free throws in the half, Old Westbury earned 15 attempts and forced the Pride into foul trouble.
“They got to the foul line often in the first half,” said Pecora. “They were more aggressive than us getting to the basket.”
Hofstra, on the other hand, settled for jump shots and the result was a 39.3 first half field goal percentage. They were especially inept from behind the three-point line; making only two of 11 attempts.
“In the beginning we settled for threes instead of getting into the lane,” said sophomore captain Charles Jenkins.
Pecora struggled to find the right mesh of personnel, and as a result used 11 players within the first 15 minutes of the game. The team lacked a sense of urgency, which resulted in bad fouls and even worse shots.
“That’s why you have non-conference games early,” said Pecora. “To work out these kinds of issues.”
At the half, the Pride led by three, 28-25. Suddenly, a game that many thought would be a blowout was up for grabs.
The Panthers had been playing a zone defense in the first half, which essentially dared Hofstra to shoot from long range. During halftime, Pecora stressed driving the ball and drawing fouls against a team that did not have enough depth to match up with the Pride’s big men.
“I told them to use our size,” Pecora said. “It’s rare that we have that type of advantage on another team.”
Hofstra responded to their coach’s plea, and earned twice as many trips to the line as Old Westbury in the second half.
Jenkins, in particular, heeded Pecora’s advice and was very aggressive towards the basket. He earned several trips to the line, and led the team with 11 free throw attempts.
He also led the team with 24 points, and has been the Pride’s leading scorer in each of their first four contests.
“He’s a scary player,” said Panther head coach Bernard Tomlin after the game.
The aggressive play in the second half allowed Hofstra to pull away a bit, as Old Westbury struggled to keep up with the scoring. Strong perimeter defense from the likes of junior transfer Cornelius Vines forced the Panthers to heave up prayers as the shot clock expired.
For Old Westbury, though, this game should help them build confidence going forward. They played hard and made things interesting for the majority of the contest.
“We talked about staying with the game plan,” said Tomlin. “If we did that, then we had a chance.”
For the Pride, this game should serve as a wake up call. It’s still very early and therefore its better that they work these kinks out now, rather than later. But this should serve as a reminder not to take any opponent lightly.
“I had to coach effort tonight,” said Pecora. “If I have to at the end of the year, then it’s an issue.”
With their next game coming up on November 29th against the Manhattan Jaspers, Hofstra might want to make sure that effort isn’t something Pecora has concentrate on again anytime soon.