By David Gibb
We meet again, Hofstra basketball fans, and it couldnít have happened at a more perfect time.While plenty of those used to warmer climates may disagree with that assessment, February is indeed a thrilling month! February marks the point in the year when college basketball begins to stand up on its hind legs and become the most exciting spectacle in the athletic world.
Fortunately and unfortunately for Hofstra students and basketball fans, the winter break here is so long that much of the foundational period of the season goes unwatched. However, that is not to say that it should go unappreciated. Consider this the official Chronicle Sports guide to Pride basketball over winter break.
From December 20 to January 28, the Men’s Basketball team went 6-6 overall, registering a 5-3 record in their all-important CAA matchups. The in-conference schedule saw the Pride playing two games apiece against the Drexel Dragons and the Northeastern Huskies. The Dragons burned Hofstra in both games, bothering the Pride with defense enough to make Cornelius Vinesí 14 points on January third the most by any Hofstra scorer in either game. Drexel’s Scott Rodgers led both games offensively, with 25 points in the first and 26 in the second.
The team’s January fifth game against Northeastern was an intriguing matchup between the middle-of-the-pack Pride and then-undefeated Huskies. At match-up’s end, Northeastern remained undefeated after they mauled Hofstra by 23 in Boston.
All right, so maybe that doesn’t sound like an intriguing matchup, but it is in hindsight considering that only 12 days later on the Mack court, the Pride handed Northeastern their first conference loss of the year in a 52-57 affair. The Mack Daddy himself, Charles Jenkins led the Pride to the victory, contributing 23 points and only one turnover in 37 minutes of spectacular play.
Jenkins was also a key player in Hofstra’s 54-44 home victory over another CAA rival, William and Mary. The sophomore guard scored 13 and led the team with 5 assists, but was only one of three Pride players in double-figures. Cornelius Vines, the bright spot against Drexel, led the team with 15 points, and junior transfer Tony Dennison, a 6-foot, 3-inch guard also contributed 10 points, three assists, five rebounds, and two steals.
The University of Delaware, James Madison, and UNC Wilmington all fell to the Pride over break as well, with the game at Wilmington on January 28 arguably representing one of the men’s best efforts of the season.
Even on the road in North Carolina, the Pride erupted for 80 points, which wound up being just enough to stifle the Seahawks, who managed 78 themselves. Once again, Charles Jenkins was in the middle of everything with 33 points to lead all scorers, two steals, and three blocks. Lithuanian big man Arminas Urbutis also had a strong game, ripping down 10 rebounds, including 4 on the offensive end for the victorious Pride.
Since the win against previously undefeated Northeastern, the Men’s team has looked energized and hungry, especially in the Colonial, where they are certainly capable of making a great deal of noise by season’s end.