The Hofstra Pride men’s basketball team saw their four-game win streak come to a screeching halt on Monday, Jan. 16, as they fell to the Towson University Tigers in a 68-47 blowout at SECU Arena in Towson, Maryland. Towson improved their record to 12-7 with 4-2 in conference play, while the Pride fell to 12-8 overall and 5-2 with the loss.
“A minor bump in the road,” reaffirmed Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton. “I’m not too worried, we’re fine, we just had a bad shooting day.”
After falling down 11-1 in the opening minutes, it was wire-to-wire dominance for the Tigers as they buckled down on the defensive end and led for the remainder of the match.
Despite Hofstra’s recent stretch of dominance on the offensive end, the Pride looked completely lost on Monday afternoon as they posted their lowest-scoring output of the season and shot just 32% from the field. Aaron Estrada shot 5-17 including an 0-10 mark from three-point range, leading the Pride in scoring with just 10 points. Hofstra’s usually potent three-point barrage was nowhere to be seen after posting a 56% mark against Delaware, as the Pride collectively shot a season-worst 14% from behind the arc.
“Offensively we just struggled to make shots,” Claxton said. “You’re gonna have days like this where you struggle to make shots and I think that was the case and point today.”
Towson entered the season picked unanimously to win the Colonial Athletic Association title in the polls, and certainly played up to expectations on Monday with their most complete performance of the year. The Tigers shot an efficient 45% from the field and shared the wealth by assisting on 48% of their made field goals. Nicolas Timberlake paced the Tigers with 17 points on 46% shooting. Timberlake has posted a double-digit scoring total in 10 of his last 11 games and has shot 45% from the field during that stretch.
“[Timberlake] moves really well,” commended Claxton about the day’s biggest scoring threat. “Outstanding shooter, he’s a first-team all-league kind of guy.”
Nygal Russell dominated the glass with 12 rebounds in the win. Towson was in total control of the boards all game long, as they out-rebounded the Pride 44-34 and limited an overwhelming majority of Hofstra’s possessions to just one shot.
The Pride’s next chance to bounce back is on Thursday, Jan. 19, as they return home to face the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks at the David S. Mack Sports & Exhibition Complex.
Photo courtesy of Evan Bernstein/Hofstra Athletics
