The Hofstra University men’s basketball team earned hardware in their 97-92 overtime victory over the High Point University Panthers in the Gulf Coast Showcase championship game in Estero, Florida, on Wednesday, Nov. 22.
“I’m just super proud of my guys; we had to battle through a lot of adversity throughout that ballgame,” said Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton. “Just happy we came out on the winning end.”
For the second straight night, the Florida crowd got a front row seat to the clutch time heroics of Tyler Thomas, who willed the Pride to victory with college basketball’s first 40-point performance of the season. The redshirt senior averaged 30.3 points per game during Hofstra’s three-game stay in Florida and will head back to Hempstead as the nation’s 13th-leading scorer.
“Tyler [Thomas] was just tremendous. He was freaking tremendous,” Claxton said. “The bigger the game, the brighter Tyler is gonna shine.”
Both Thomas and Jaquan Carlos played all 45 minutes of the grueling affair, as Carlos made his presence known all over the court with 18 points, seven assists and eight rebounds.
It certainly wasn’t a flashy win for the Pride, as they accumulated 31 fouls and scrambled to obtain an eight-point lead in the final two minutes.
Starters Jacco Fritz and Darlinstone Dubar both fouled out in the whistle-laden contest, forcing reserves such as Silas Sunday and German Plotnikov into the fire. The duo combined to give Hofstra 43 minutes off the bench, with Plotnikov scoring eight points and grabbing four rebounds before fouling out in overtime. Sunday added six points of his own before fouling out as well.
“Both of those guys were huge for us off the bench; Silas came in and gave us great minutes when we got into foul trouble,” Claxton said. “German knows what we expect of him, so I’m not surprised that he came in and gave us those good minutes.”
With both teams playing their third game in three days, the contest quickly became a battle of which side was more physical and well-conditioned, as finesse and technique were largely abandoned. The Pride and Panthers combined for 53 fouls, 73 free throws and 88 rebounds.
“I learned that we can go out there and battle with the best of them,” Claxton said about his team’s gutsy effort. “That experience is going to be important when we get to March.”
The championship win also served as a milestone for Claxton, who was given a water-and-Gatorade bath in the locker room to commemorate his 50th victory as Hofstra’s head coach. The 45-year-old has led his alma mater to a 50-23 record since being named head coach in 2021.
“Those post game celebrations are getting really old,” Claxton joked. “I’m going to have to start bringing a change of clothes to these games, but I love celebrating with my guys.”
Following the Thanksgiving break, the Pride will return to action when they host the University of South Florida Bulls on Thursday, Nov. 30, at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Kevin Bires
