The Hofstra men’s basketball team continues their road trip, including an intense mid-major matchup against Saint Mary’s College of California on Saturday, Nov. 19, followed by three games in the Northern Classic in Laval, Quebec, Canada. Tip-off is 7 p.m. local time (10 p.m. EST).
The Pride has handled business with a demanding schedule, achieving victories over George Washington University on Monday, Nov. 14, 85–80, and Thursday, Nov. 17, against San Jose State University 85-76. Hofstra improves their season record to 4-0, making it their best start since the 2004-05 season.
Against George Washington, Aaron Estrada led the way with 33 points, and Nelson Boachie-Yiadom chipped in with seven points, seven rebounds and four assists. Transfer Tyler Thomas added 17 points and Darlinstone Dubar contributed a team-high with 13 points and eight rebounds.
Aaron Estrada scored 27 points most recently against San Jose State as the team overcame deficits of 14 points in the first half and 13 points in the second half. German Plotnikov and Tyler Thomas contributed 15 and 12 points respectively, while Nelson Boachie-Yiadom finished with eight points, eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
The Pride has the eighth-best 3-point shooting percentage in the nation as a team, hitting 48.6% from beyond the arc. Although opponents are averaging 78 points and shooting 50.3% from the field after three games, their defense has been a worry. After averaging 23.3 points per game while shooting 57.4% from the field to start the season, Aaron Estrada is critical to the Pride’s offense.
On the opposite side of the court, Saint Mary’s men’s basketball team had a dominating opening to the season, winning all three of their games against top notch mid-major opponents. The Gaels exploded out of the gate in their season-opening victory over Oral Roberts University, carrying an 18-point advantage into halftime. Against the University of Vermont and the University of North Texas, they played considerably more complete games, winning by 26 and 30 points respectively.
Early in the 2022–23 season, Saint Mary’s has a potent 3-point shooting team; on Wednesday night, that trend persisted. The Gaels went 11-26 (42.3%) from 3-point range against the Jaguars. Alex Ducas and Aidan Mahaney, two of the main offenders this season for Saint Mary’s shooting success, both made four 3-pointers to claim the victory. Ducas shot 4-7 from beyond the arc compared to Mahaney’s 4-8. The third Gael to successfully knock down a pair from a distance was Kyle Bowen, who succeeded in his efforts. Saint Mary’s has made one more 3-pointer than the previous one in every game this season.
The Gaels are averaging the eighth-fewest turnovers per game in the NCAA, contributing to their success during the first week (8.3). Aidan Mahaney won the WCC Freshman of the Week title thanks to his effort in his debut game. Mahaney averaged 12.3 points per game in his first week and went 9-18 from the 3-point range.
The game will be broadcast on the WCC Network, and an audio-only broadcast of WRHU (88.7 FM) will be accessible on the HAWC. The St. Mary’s basketball page and the GoHofstra.com basketball page will have links to both with live stats.
Photo courtesy of Tod Fierner
