For someone who has been involved in as many basketball games as Speedy Claxton, there are many that get lost in time. However, after winning his first-ever regular season championship as a head coach, Claxton will be sure to hold on to the the Hofstra men’s basketball team’s 84-52 victory over Northeastern University in the Pride’s regular season-finale at the Mack Sports Complex on Saturday afternoon.
“This is more than a job to me,” Claxton said. “To come back and be able to win this thing as a coach, I can’t say enough things about it.”
With the win, the Pride captures its eleventh-straight victory and finishes the regular season with a final record of 23-8. Now, with a 16-2 record against the rest of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), Hofstra finishes the year as the conference’s regular season champion for the third time in the last five years.
“It’s extremely hard,” Claxton said when asked about the difficulty of his team’s accomplishment. “You really have to come out and play hard, and play the right way, night in and night out. You can’t have any off nights. I’m just extremely proud of these guys.”
Tyler Thomas led all scorers with 23 points, while Warren Williams contributed 19. Both players transferred to Hofstra at the beginning of the season, and after the game, felt their choice was even more justified.
“I made the right decision,” Williams said. “The culture is really good. Guys are hard-working, always in the gym, and it’s just great to be here.”
It was the addition of players such as Thomas and Williams that have elevated the level of the Pride’s play this year. Of course, Aaron Estrada is the frontman of the band, commanding the most attention from fans and opponents alike. But Hofstra’s depth and ability to pick opponents apart in any way possible has been their signature song.
As Estrada struggled to find a rhythm in the first half against Northeastern, Hofstra clung to a narrow lead. With the Huskies threatening, German Plotnikov picked off a pass and raced down to the other end and fought through contact to sink a right-handed layup.
Then, when Northeastern took a 21-20 advantage, it was Plotnikov again who made the big play. Standing in the corner, the JUCO transfer collected a pass and flew in into the paint with reckless abandon to slam home a dunk that sparked a 27-4 Hofstra run that carried over into the second half.
“German was outstanding,” Claxton said. “We’re confident in our bench. We know German can step up to the plate, and we don’t have any problems going to our bench at all.”
Now, at the close of regular season, Hofstra can look back with admiration at all they’ve accomplished thus far.
The Pride answered every challenge the CAA had to offer this season, with at least one win over each of their conference opponents. None of which were bigger than the victory over the rival College of Charleston on Jan. 28.
Charleston finished the year with an identical record as Hofstra, giving the Cougars a share of the regular season title. But Hofstra’s victory in the lone game between the two teams this year gave the Pride the tiebreaker and eventually earned them the first seed in the conference tournament.
Hofstra will more than likely need to go through Charleston to get total bragging rights. Until then, they’ll savor this win for a little while.
“I’m so proud of this team,” said Hofstra Vice President Director of Athletics Rick Cole, Jr. “It’s been an unbelievable journey.”
Photo courtesy of Lee S. Weissman/Hofstra Athletics
