By Gio Annatelli — STAFF WRITER

Coming into the 2017 season, the big question mark for the women’s basketball team was: who would replace Krystal Luciano as point guard?

She had her best year in a Hofstra uniform last season, averaging 11.4 points and 6.2 assists. Not only that, but the intangibles of being a leader and a crafty guard on the court made it tough shoes to fill.

It appears the question of who can take on this role has been answered in the form of sophomore guard E’Lexus Davis.

Coming into her freshman year last season, Davis expected greater things from her play. However, she struggled to make a large impact for her team.

After not playing well in her two starts toward the end of the season, she played a collective 19 minutes in the Hofstra’s final eight games of the season.

“Freshman year was a big transition,” Davis said. “I had high expectations.”

Her rookie campaign wasn’t all down, however. Davis learned from playing behind Luciano.

She picked up the tempo of the college game, reading the pick and roll that Hofstra likes to run and just taking in her high basketball IQ.

Moving into the summer, it was a battle between her and Petja Krupenko for the starting point guard position.

Head coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey has referred to her as someone that is always in the gym and hungry to get better.

“I just worked out every day, worked on a different part of my game,” Davis said. “I have been trying to get comfortable with certain areas that I struggle with.”

Fast forward to opening night. Davis got the nod to start in the first game against UMBC as kind of a tryout for the full-time starting position and she took off with it.

In her third career start, Davis had nearly a triple-double with 17 points, nine assists and eight rebounds while shooting 54 percent from the field.

“It was something that I always knew that I can do and I just did it,” Davis said.

Davis then struggled in the next two games against Stony Brook and Hartford, only having six points in the loss against the Seawolves and being held scoreless against Hartford.

She bounced back in the trip to Las Vegas, playing two top-tier teams in UNLV and Wake Forest. Then, she flexed her clutch gene in the double-overtime victory over Sacred Heart, scoring nine of her career-high 19 points in the second overtime.

“Pretty much, [during] the games we lost I was just in my head; I was overthinking,” Davis said. “The games we won I’ve just been playing freely, more natural.”

Now through seven games, Davis is No. 6 in the CAA in assists, averaging 4.4 per contest. She has emerged as one of the young leaders on the team that graduates three seniors. One thing she does to motivate her teammates is by bringing a lot of energy in practice.

“I try to make it competitive and fun,” Davis said.

It is clear that Davis has proven herself as the future point guard of the Hofstra Pride.

She has had two of the best games of her career in the past two games.

With four games left in the non-conference, Davis is starting to emerge as someone who can be relied on in the big moments.

Her natural ability, along with her drive to get better and better each day can take Hofstra to the next level.

“I don’t really have a personal goal … I just want to see how far I can go,” Davis said.