For the first time meeting in program history, the Pride visited the St. Mary’s College Gaels in Moraga, California. Both teams entered the matchup with undefeated records, but ultimately, the Gaels defeated Hofstra 76–48. The Pride’s record drops to 4-1 while the Gaels continue their season with a perfect 5-0 record.
“We’re not used to playing with that much physicality,” said Hofstra men’s basketball head coach Speedy Claxton. “So it’s an adjustment for us.”
In the first half, Saint Mary’s gradually increased its lead before ever allowing Hofstra to go within striking distance in the second. To add insult to injury, the Gaels went on a 15-4 run to end the half. Augustas Marciulionis and Mitchell Saxen each made jumpers during the run, and Logan Johnson contributed five of those points, including a slam.
At the break, the Gaels were up 34-18 and finished the half on an 8-0 run that lasted 2:39. Early on, Tyler Thomas scored a pair of baskets to help the Pride take a 4-2 lead. With 15:38 remaining, Marciulionis’ 3-pointer gave Saint Mary’s the lead for good after Alex Ducas’ layup had leveled the score at four.
Starting the second half, the teams traded baskets, with Saxen scoring for the Gaels and Aaron Estrada scoring for the Pride. With 18:40 remaining, Ducas sank a 3-pointer to give St. Mary’s a 19-point lead, 39-20. The Gaels continued to extend their advantage to 31 points for a 72-41 score.
Nelson Boachie-Yiadom contributed 10 points, a team-best eight rebounds and two assists to the Pride’s performance in addition to Estrada. For Saint Mary’s, Saxen had a game-high 12 rebounds in addition to his 15 points, which put him second among all scorers with Ducas’ 20 points.
Saint Mary’s dominated the turnover fight, turning the ball over just seven times while inducing 16 turnovers from Hofstra, giving the Gaels a 17-5 advantage in points scored. Hofstra totaled two assists and one 3-pointer. With a 45-32 victory and 15 offensive rebounds that resulted in 18 second-chance points, Saint Mary’s proved once again why they are among the finest rebounding teams in the nation.
In terms of 3-point field goal percentage going into the game, Hofstra was tenth in the NCAA, while the Gaels had some trouble defensively. On Saturday night, however, the Gael’s defense limited Hofstra to just 1-16 from outside the arc. Griffin Barrouk hit the only 3-pointer with less than two minutes left to record his first career points
Saint Mary’s continues to have solid defensive numbers as they currently hold the NCAA’s sixth-best defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.
After the cross-country road trip, Hofstra will return on the road for the 2022 Northern Classic in Laval, Quebec, Canada, taking on Middle Tennessee State University on Friday, Nov. 25, at 7 p.m.Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Tod Fierner
