The Hofstra women’s basketball team takes the court for their home opener to welcome the North Carolina Central University (NCCU) Eagles in their third game of the season. This is the first-ever meeting between the two sides.

Hofstra’s overall record stands at 0-2, so the Pride are looking for their first win of the season, while the Eagles look for their second with a current record of 1-3.

The Pride’s first game of the season was a 73-68 loss to Rutgers University, where graduate student Brandy Thomas led the team with 16 points and 11 rebounds. The team shot 36.2% from the floor and 32% from beyond the arc, compared to Rutgers’ 54.9% from the floor and 44.4% from behind the 3-point line.

 Their second game was a larger defeat, 62-46, to Cleveland State University. Thomas once again led the team with nine points, and graduate student Rosi Nicholson totaled eight points in the game. Hofstra’s shooting percentage was lower than their previous game, shooting 27% from the floor and 25% from three.

 The Eagles started their season with a 69-56 win against Johnson C. Smith University. Redshirt sophomore Morgan Callahan led the team with 14 points and seven rebounds. The team shot 43.8% from the floor and 35.3% beyond the arc, while Johnson C. Smith shot 32.1% from the floor and 31.3% from three.

NCCU’s last defeat was a tough 66-45 loss to Rutgers. Redshirt sophomore Aniya Finger led the team with 11 points and 10 rebounds. The Eagles shot 31.7% from the floor and 23.8% from beyond the arc, while Rutgers outshot them with 37.9% from the floor and 25% from beyond the arc.

Thomas currently leads the Pride with 12.5 points per game and 71.4%  of 3-pointers made. Thomas also leads the rebound per game category along with junior Zyheima Swint, who both have eight rebounds per game. Freshman Alarice Gooden leads the team with three assists per game.

Hofstra’s shooting percentage in the game against Rutgers poses a threat to the Eagles, who had a lower shot percentage in their game against the same team. Freshman Jerni Kiaku has

40 points on the season for NCCU so far, which could be a challenge for the Hofstra defense.

Photo courtesy of Evan Bernstein/Hofstra Athletics