The Hofstra University men’s basketball team and the St. John’s University Red Storm hadn’t played each other in over 14 years before Saturday’s matchup at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, but the ensuing rivalry left the 7,486 fans in attendance clamoring for more. Though Hofstra’s upset bid fell short in a narrow 84-79 defeat, the Pride managed to circumvent a costly injury and several in-game obstacles with a promising display of poise and maturity.
“Proud of my guys; I thought they came out and played hard today,” said Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton. “We could have easily won this game if the ball bounced other ways.”
For the first time all season, Hofstra was without Jacco Fritz, who continues to battle a back injury and remains day-to-day, according to Claxton. In their starting center’s absence, Claxton and company were forced to get creative with their lineups against a much taller and more physical St. John’s rotation, overwhelming the Red Storm with all sorts of unique combinations.
“We were able to play five guards who can all dribble, pass and shoot,” Claxton said. “We were able to spread them out and attack [Joel] Soriano on the perimeter.”
Soriano, who entered the game averaging 17.7 points and a conference-leading 10.8 rebounds per game, was largely flustered by the Pride’s athletic group in the first half, scoring just seven points and failing to grab a rebound. Leading the charge against the fifth-year senior was German Plotnikov, who dauntlessly defended the big man for 17 minutes of action, despite a five-inch height disadvantage.
“German gave us great minutes off the bench; he was fantastic all night,” Claxton said. “We had him playing point-center, and he did a fantastic job.”
Soriano’s struggles on the boards weren’t an isolated issue for St. John’s, either. Hofstra stunningly managed to out-rebound the nation’s third-best offensive-rebounding team to take a 36-32 deficit into the locker room. However, the strength and conditioning of St. John’s paid dividends down the stretch, as the Red Storm dominated the glass 28-9 in the second half.
“We were undermanned with Jacco out, and we had to kind of play small; it cost us on the boards in that second half,” Claxton said.
The issues began to compound for Hofstra as the second half began; St. John’s opened the frame on a 9-0 run due to five Hofstra fouls within the first three minutes. The Red Storm entered the bonus with 14:13 remaining as the fouls continued to pile up, forcing Tyler Thomas to the bench for four minutes.
“Those minutes were very crucial, with only one of Tyler and [Darlinstone Dubar] out there, it kind of limited what we could do offensively,” Claxton said. “Other guys stepped up, and that’s what this team is about: next man up mentality.”
In the brief absence of their all-conference guard, Dubar stepped up to carry the Hofstra offense, ultimately finishing with 23 points on 10-17 shooting. The junior also notably tallied his 1,000th collegiate point in the loss, a milestone that is a testament to his long-term development with the Pride.
“I’m grateful for it. I gotta thank my coaches; they stuck with me ever since the day I came in,” Dubar said. “I had a tough time coming in my first two years, but they stuck with me.
By the time the final buzzer sounded, St. John’s had attempted 31 free throws to Hofstra’s seven. Considering the sizable discrepancy, Claxton was encouraged by his team’s performance in the face of immense adversity.
“I told my guys, if we play like we did today in conference play, we’re gonna win a lot of ball games,” Claxton said.
Hofstra will open their conference schedule on Thursday, Jan. 4, against the College of Charleston Cougars in a matchup between programs that shared last season’s Coastal Athletic Association regular season championship.
Photo courtesy of Matteo Bracco/Hofstra Athletics
