Hempstead, N.Y. – For the second time in three years, Hofstra lost a heartbreaker to William & Mary in overtime, 95-93. Daniel Dixon’s three-pointer at the buzzer lifted the Tribe over the Pride at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex Monday night.
Flashing back to the 2014 Colonial Athletic Association tournament, Dixon hit a corner three-pointer with 0.8 seconds left in double-overtime to give his team the 92-91 victory over Hofstra.
“It doesn’t matter who would’ve made that shot, it would have been the same amount of heartbreak,” said Hofstra head coach Joe Mihalich.
The loss snaps Hofstra three-game winning streak and puts their record at 9-6 overall, 1-1 in conference play. William & Mary improves to 7-6 overall and also 1-1 in CAA play.
“We lost the game the first five minutes of the half, first five minutes of the game, we didn’t play defense,” said Mihalich. “We didn’t have the will to defend.”
Justin Wright-Foreman had a career night for the Pride, as he went off for 30 points and pulled down a career-high eight rebounds off the bench.
“I thought this would have happened sooner, he’s just an incredible scorer,” said Mihalich.
It was also a special night for Brian Bernardi, as his 18 points put him at 1,001 career at Hofstra. Bernardi is the 34th player in program history to join the 1,000-point club.
The game started with a see-saw battle, as both teams traded baskets.
It was a game of runs early in the first half, as the Tribe went on an 8-0 run to take a 25-17 lead.
Over the next two minutes, however, the Pride answered with ten straight points to go up by two.
After the Tribe tied it up at 29, Hofstra would go on a 9-0 run to go up 38-29.
Hofstra had the largest lead of the game with nine when they were up 42-33 with five minutes to go in the half.
Hofstra entered the second half up 50-44, but a 12-4 run by William & Mary would give them a 56-54.
Hofstra went on an 8-2 run capped off by a Wright-Foreman and-one opportunity to put his team up 67-63.
Both teams would go back and forth exchanging baskets.
With 5:35 to go in the game, both teams would hold each other without a basket for over three minutes.
Omar Prewitt would end the drought at 2:44, converting on a three-point play. Prewitt finished the game with 21 points and seven rebounds.
Deron Powers converted on two free throws and after a few missed baskets by each team, Powers would then hit a three-pointer to put the Pride up 84-83 with 1:14 to go. Powers finished with 17 points and seven assists.
Dixon then put William & Mary up by two with a three-pointer. With the game on the line, Powers tied the game up with 30 seconds to go with a layup. Dixon would miss a three-pointer at the end of regulation to put the game into overtime.
Two minutes into overtime, both teams went scoreless before Prewitt broke the scoring drought again for the Tribe with a jumper.
A pair of free throws by Wright-Foreman and a free throw by Rokas Gustys would put the Pride up 89-88. Teams would exchange points before Wright-Foreman’s jumper put the Pride up 93-92 with 1:22.
Both teams missed baskets before Dixon’s eventual winner at the buzzer.
Gustys posted his sixth double-double of the season, having ten points and eleven rebounds. For the Tribe, David Cohn finished with a different type of double-double with 11 points and 12 assists. Both teams shot 50% from the field.
Hofstra returns to action Jan. 5 at the David S. Mack Sports & Exhibition Complex at 7 p.m. against James Madison.
