TOWSON, M.D. – Befitting International Women’s Day, the Hofstra women’s basketball team got revenge for the men’s team with a 61-58 win over the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks, putting them into the next round of Colonial Athletic Association playoffs on Wednesday, March 8 in the SECU Arena on Towson University’s campus.

“It’s great to be able to come and get tournament wins,” said Hofstra head women’s basketball coach Danielle Santos-Atkinson. “I’m just proud of this team and the resiliency and the fight that we’ve shown. They came out with great game preparation and [I’m] just proud of the way they fought here to kick off the tournament.”

Zyheima Swint shone in the game, as she posted her third consecutive double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

“I mean since [Swint] stepped on campus, we’ve been telling her that she’s a double-double,” Santos-Atkinson said. “To put that into action and to play with that sort of confidence is so great to see.”

Freshman Emma Von Essen also had her time in the limelight after a couple of back-to-back 3-pointers within the last two minutes of the game to help Hofstra build a comfortable cushion to win.

“I mean I think Emma’s one of the best freshman in our conference, hands down,” Santos said. “She came through down the stretch when we needed her and hit some big time shots and that’s something we know she can do and something she’s got the confidence and ability and the skill to be able to do.”

Just because Coach was confident in her, that doesn’t mean that Von Essen was confident in herself.

“I didn’t have much confidence to take [the shots] but everyone around me gave me the confidence; Coach Santos said, ‘I know you’re going to make it so you have to believe you’re going to make it,” Von Essen said. “I was getting yelled at by my teammates for not shooting the ball!”

With another day of playing ahead of them, Santos is looking forward to the next day of play.

“We’re going to come out fighting and swinging,” Santos said. “There’s only two options: one is to roll over and quit and be ready to go home, and the other is to come out fighting and swinging and scrapping and clawing and doing everything that you can.”

Hofstra’s next appearance on the hardwood is on Thursday, March 9, against the North Carolina A&T State University Aggies at 2:30 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Rafael Suanes/CAA