By Kevin Carroll – SPORTS EDITOR
A huge three-pointer from Denton Koon in the final minutes, as well as some timely free throws, made the difference for the Hofstra men’s basketball team on Sunday afternoon, holding off a very persistent Northeastern, allowing them to come away with the 65-60 victory.
“Our guys have guts, they have character, they have heart,” said head coach Joe Mihalich after the game. “That’s what winning teams have.”
It was a truly memorable race to the finish for both teams in front of a red-hot crowd at the Mack Sports Complex, as the Huskies, time and time again, cut into Hofstra’s lead, which was as big as 13 in the early minutes of the second half.
With just over a minute left to play, and Northeastern down just three points after a three-pointer from Caleb Donnelly, the Pride needed a big bucket to halt the Huskies’ momentum.
Koon would provide that bucket, spotting up in the corner and knocking down a three off of a sweet assist from Juan’ya Green to push the Pride’s lead back to six points.
“Juan’ya made a great pass,” said Koon of the pivotal play. “You have to be ready when your number’s called, and when your time comes.”
“Juan’ya’s an NBA passer, there’s no doubt in my mind,” said Mihalich on his point guard, who had eight assists to go along with 13 points.
Koon’s three-pointer sent the Mack crowd into a frenzy, and Rokas Gustys added two free throws to make it a 62-54 game with just 59 seconds left. But Northeastern wouldn’t go down quietly.
Donnelly hit another three-pointer, his fourth of the game, and David Walker added a three of his own after a Pride turnover, to pull the Huskies within two points of the lead.
Coming back down on offense, the Pride turned the ball over yet again, giving Northeastern the ball with 20 seconds left and a chance to tie the game. But Desure Buie, a freshman who has seen his role increase with the absence of Malik Nichols, stole the ball right back.
Buie then went to the free-throw line, and hit two to make it a two-possession game, essentially sealing the win for the Pride.
“[Buie’s] a winner … he’s learning on the job,” said Mihalich.
Defense was a big story in this one, as the Pride, not typically a team known for defensive prowess, forced the Huskies to commit 15 turnovers, including Buie’s pivotal steal.
The Pride had eight steals in total, four of which were courtesy of Buie.
The Pride didn’t fare much better on the offensive end, only shooting 35 percent from the field. The big difference came at the charity stripe, where the Pride was 18-23, including seven free throws from Gustys.
Gustys notched his fifth consecutive double-double, and 17th this season, with 17 points and 16 rebounds. Ameen Tanksley added 12 points, five of which came at the free-throw line.
For the Huskies, Quincy Ford had a double-double of his own, with 15 points and 14 boards. David Walker and Caleb Donnelly added 15 and 12 points, respectively.
With the win, the Pride improves to 20-8, with an 11-4 mark in CAA play. Northeastern drops to 15-14, 7-9 in the conference.
The Pride returns to action on Thursday, Feb. 25, hitting the road to take on UNCW. The Seahawks, currently in first place in the CAA, knocked off the Pride 70-67 earlier this season. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
