The Hofstra Pride men’s basketball team rounded out their trip north of the border on Sunday afternoon at Place Bell in Laval, Quebec, with a 72-70 victory over the Quinnipiac University Bobcats to close out the Northern Classic with a 2-1 record and depart Canada with an overall record of 6-2. Hofstra led for over 37 minutes and led by as many as 17 points but had to hold off a furious comeback that saw Quinnipiac draw within one point of the lead.
Sunday’s contest was simply the Aaron Estrada show, as the senior guard reached 1,000 career points. Estrada posted 29 points against the Bobcats, shooting 66% from the field for his second-highest scoring total of the season while also tallying six assists in the win to match a season-high. Estrada once again played every minute of the contest, which is becoming a regularity as the redshirt senior has played 93% of Hofstra’s minutes, ranking him among the 10 most utilized players in college basketball.
Sophomore Darlinstone Dubar joined Estrada in the starting backcourt on Sunday and stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points and four rebounds. Nelson Boachie-Yiadom led the Pride on the boards with a team-high eight rebounds, as well as a pair of steals to boot. Sophomore guard Jaquan Carlos was responsible for a season-high 14 points, including eight consecutive points towards the conclusion of the first half, which helped the Pride carry a 36-28 advantage into halftime.
Junior guard Dezi Jones led the way for Quinnipiac, pouring in 18 points and grabbing six rebounds. Bobcats’ leading scorer Matt Balanc was largely held in check by the Pride, putting up only seven points.
The Pride once again excelled from downtown, netting 48% of their three-point attempts, including four each from Carlos and Estrada. Hofstra is developing an identity behind the arc, as 40% of the team’s field goal attempts are of the three-point variety, marginally above the Division 1 average of 37%.
As the teams traded fouls down the stretch, the game largely came down to free throw shooting, and the Pride capitalized with Estrada, Dubar and Amar’e Marshall all converting on crucial free throw attempts in the final three minutes to ice the game. Hofstra ranks amongst the top 25 free throw shooting teams in the nation, making 77.6% of their attempts from the stripe.
The Pride will be back in action on Wednesday, Nov. 30, as they continue their nine-game road trip in Virginia against a familiar foe in the George Mason University Patriots. The two schools faced off frequently as members of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) from 2001-2013, with the Patriots leading the all-time series 15-8. George Mason will be Hofstra’s second A10 opponent of the year after the Pride defeated George Washington University, 85-80, on Nov. 14.
Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
