The Hofstra Pride lost a tough battle in Wilmington, falling to the league-leading UNCW Seahawks by a score of 84-76. The loss is Hofstra’s fifth straight as the team is looking for answers against its Colonial Athletic Association foes.
The Pride came out of the gates strong. Hofstra got out to a 12-4 lead in the first three minutes on the back of some hot three-point shooting. The Pride maintained a steady cushion from then on, playing a very patient and creative offense to find opportunities. With just four seconds remaining in the first, Denzel Ingram nailed a long-distance jumper to give the Seahawks a 42-40 advantage heading into the locker room.
The Seahawks kept the Pride at arm’s length in the second. Hofstra stayed within single digits until the 6:20 mark when Jordon Talley gave UNCW a 70-60 lead. The Pride made things interesting with a minute to go when a Justin Wright-Foreman jumper pulled the blue and gold to within three points at 75-72. CJ Bryce nailed a three-point shot on the ensuing possession, and that was the end of it as the Seahawks secured the victory.
The Pride played a strong game against the conference’s top team. The Seahawks — now 17-2 on the season — have been a matchup problem for many this season. UNCW leads the conference and is 17th in the country in offensive efficiency according to basketball statistician Ken Pomeroy. Yet Hofstra lost by just eight points, the slimmest win margin for the Seahawks in CAA play.
The Pride played a solid offensive game by making more than half of its shots. The team’s hot shooting kept them in the game, but it wasn’t enough to beat UNCW. The Seahawks were relentless from downtown, ending the game with 41 percent shooting from long range. Denzel Ingram led by converting on 4-of-13 long range shots and totaling 20 points to go along with five assists and five boards.
Rokas Gustys deserves a lot of praise for his performance in the contest. It was by far his strongest showing since Colonial action started. He ended the game with 16 points, 15 rebounds, and added a pair of blocks as well. Deron Powers led the way for Hofstra with 20 points, but wasn’t able to stay on the floor in the end when he drew his fifth foul.
The Pride fall under .500 on the season with the loss, now sitting at 9-10 overall and 1-5 in the CAA.
Hofstra will have a good opportunity to recover from its tailspin when it comes home to do battle against the Towson Tigers. The Tigers are just 2-4 in conference play. That game will take place on Thursday and tips off at 7 p.m.
