The Hofstra University men’s basketball team will face their biggest test of the season on Tuesday, Dec. 12, when they travel to Durham, North Carolina, to take on the Duke University Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Hofstra and Duke both enter the game with identical 6-3 records. The Blue Devils are ranked No. 21 in the country.
The Pride are coming off a narrow 71-68 loss at Saint Louis University on Saturday, Dec. 9, losing the momentum of a five-game winning streak. Meanwhile, the Blue Devils snapped their own two-game losing streak by trumping the University of North Carolina at Charlotte 80-56.
Coming into this game, both teams rank in the top 100 in scoring offense, with Duke just a few notches above Hofstra at No. 65 with 80.8 points per game. Hofstra sits at No. 69 with 80.4 points per game.
In Hofstra’s loss to Saint Louis, star guard Tyler Thomas played all 40 minutes, scoring 29 points on 10-25 shooting and adding four rebounds. Darlinstone Dubar dialed up a double-double effort with 13 points and 11 rebounds in 31 minutes of action. Both lead the Pride in scoring, with Thomas currently fourth in the country in points per game with 23.6.
Duke’s freshman standout, Jared McCain, had his best game of the season against Charlotte, scoring 21 points with three rebounds and three assists. Four players scored in double figures for the Blue Devils, with Jeremy Roach contributing 18 points, Jaylen Blakes pouring in 15 and Mark Mitchell adding 12.
Despite the win, Duke forward Kyle Filipowski, who shoots 50 percent this season at 57-114, had his worst offense performance of the season after he was held in check with just five points from the field. The Associated Press Preseason All-American stuffed the stat sheet with 13 rebounds and four assists. Even with the uncharacteristic performance, Filipowski is putting up impressive numbers with 17.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per contest.
On the defensive side, Duke holds opponents to just under 66 points per game, good enough for the second-best defensive unit in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Pride give up just under 69 points a game while being ranked fourth amongst Coastal Athletic Association teams.
A win over a team that has national championship aspirations and was once again No. 2 in the country during the first week of play would go a long way toward building a tournament level resume. It would also be Hofstra’s biggest win in program history at arguably the most recognizable venue in all college sports.
For Duke, this matchup could be viewed as a must-win, as the Blue Devils have underachieved so far this season and have sixth-ranked Baylor University on deck next week at Madison Square Garden.
Tip-off between Hofstra and Duke is set for 7 p.m. and will be nationally televised on ESPN2.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Jaylynn Nash LLC
