The Hofstra University men’s basketball team faced their toughest opponent yet this season against the No. 21 Duke University Blue Devils on Tuesday, Dec. 12. The Pride exited the renowned Cameron Indoor Stadium with an 89-68 loss and a plethora of lessons learned. The defeat dropped Hofstra to 6-4 on the season, while the Blue Devils improved to 7-3 and earned their 952nd win on their storied home court.
Hofstra showed flashes of brilliance in the contest, going toe-to-toe with the Blue Devils for the majority of a high-octane first half, but brief fundamental lapses by the Pride proved to be all Duke needed to pull away. Hofstra kept the game within a possession and even led by as many as five points, but Duke closed the first half on a 12-2 run and continued the momentum in the second.
“A tough outing for us; we had a tough stretch to end the first half,” said Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton. “If we could have closed out that half better, it could have been a much better game.”
Fueled by the raucous sellout crowd of 9,314 people, Hofstra shot a scorching 50% from the field and 42% from downtown. Against other opponents, those shooting splits would be enough to cruise to victory, but self-inflicted wounds doomed the Pride as Duke tallied 31 points off 14 Hofstra turnovers.
“We can’t allow them to get 31 points off of our turnovers,” Claxton said. “That was telling of how the game went.”
Hofstra’s age-old struggles against talented big men carried into this game, as first-team All-American Kyle Filipowski flirted with a triple-double, posting 28 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists on the night. The 7-foot-1-inch center hurt the Pride both in the paint and on the perimeter, tallying three blocks while also knocking down a season-high four 3-pointers.
“We just had to hope he missed shots,” Claxton chuckled. “He’s a matchup nightmare. He can play inside or outside, and we were just hoping he had an off night from the perimeter.”
Hidden beneath the lopsided scoreline was a trio of dazzling performances from Tyler Thomas, Jaquan Carlos and Darlinstone Dubar. Dubar contributed a team-best 24 points, courtesy of a career-high seven 3-pointers. Thomas added 18 points to keep his name amongst the top scorers in the nation, while Carlos came just shy of a double-double with 10 points and nine assists.
“We call them our big three, and I’m proud of them,” Claxton said. “They came in here against a hostile environment, and they showed out.”
After winning five straight games, Hofstra has now dropped consecutive games for the second time this season. The Pride will be back in action on Saturday, Dec. 16, as they return home to face Norfolk State University at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex. Hofstra can clinch a winning record in non-conference play with a win over the Spartans. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Jaylynn Nash LLC
