By Max Sass, Sports Editor

RICHMOND, VA – Hofstra men’s basketball is two for two since traveling to Richmond, VA. Thursday night junior guard Charles Jenkins was named 2010 CAA men’s basketball player of the year, and Friday night junior forward Greg Washington hit a jump shot with 16 seconds on the clock to beat Georgia State and send Hofstra on to the second round.

A layup by Georgia State senior guard Joe Dukes left the Pride trailing 66-67 with just 30 seconds remaining in the game.  After a timeout, the Pride came out and got the ball into the hands of Jenkins. Jenkins drove to the basket, but was cut off by two Panther defenders. Jenkins wheeled on a dime and dished the ball to Washington who proceeded to hit a 15 foot jump shot to give the Pride a 68-67 lead.

“That wasn’t even the play,” Washington said following the win. “You want the ball in the hands of your best player and of course Charles had it, and I was just in the right spot at the right time.”

Jenkins’ had four assists on the day, but his last one was his biggest. “Charles makes plays to help you win, he doesn’t just make shots,” said head coach Tom Pecora, who led his team to their nineteenth victory of the season.

The game ended in exciting fashion, but for most of the second half, Hofstra led by a comfortable margin. The Pride led by eight at 53-45 with eight minutes to play in the game, but Georgia State went on an 8-0 run to tie the game. The Panthers even took the lead twice over the last 2:03 of the game.

Hofstra had previously beaten Georgia State at the Mack Sports Complex 87-74 but cold not pull away this time. “I thought their effort was greater than ours for stretches of the game,” said Pecora. “They did a very good job changing up defenses on Charles,” Pecora added.

Jenkins scored 24 points on 8-20 shooting in the game. Jenkins, along with fellow guard, freshman Chaz Williams, bore the brunt of the work, as each played all 40 minutes. “I am feeling fine,” Jenkins said. “It is March, there is no time for me to complain about an injury.”

If the Pride wants to beat the Huskies it needs to play its style of game, which they did not do tonight according to its coach. “They [Georgia State] shot 47 percent and we out rebounded them by one,” said Pecora. “That is not Hofstra basketball.”

“If we play with that kind of effort tomorrow we are not going to beat a great Northeastern team,” Pecora said. The matchup with the no. 2 seed Northeastern is scheduled for Saturday at 6 p.m. it is the teams third meeting of the season.

Junior forward Greg Washington shoots the game winning basket with 16 seconds left in the Pride’s 68-67 thriller over Georgia State in Richmond, VA. (Sean M. Gates/ The Chronicle)