The Hofstra women’s basketball team had a stellar performance in the fourth quarter to take down the College of Charleston Cougars, 73-61. With the victory, the Pride picked up its third conference win of the season to bring their record to 3-11 in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play. Redshirt senior Jaylen Hines led the way for the Pride in scoring, with 17 for the night. Senior Jahsyni Knight scored 16 of her own and recorded nine rebounds and eight assists, falling just short of a triple-double.
The first quarter started slowly for both teams, with both sides committing turnovers and struggling to make shots. However, the Pride was the team to finish the quarter out in front, bringing a 16-15 lead into the second.
After a scoreless 1:40 start to the second quarter, Hofstra found its groove, scoring the next seven points and not allowing a single Cougars basket until 6:22 remaining in the quarter. It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Pride however, as they constantly sent the Cougars to the free throw line. The Cougars found themselves in the double bonus with just over 3:22 to go. As a result of Hofstra’s consistent fouling, the Cougars made the same number of free throws as field goals in the first half. The Pride held its ground though, bringing a 32-26 lead into the second half.
The third quarter saw the Pride grow its lead to 10 early, however turnovers and mistakes allowed the Cougars to begin to claw their way back into the contest. The Cougars went on an extended 8-2 run. The Pride still had the lead at the end of the third, 53-46, but the Cougars were not done yet.
The Cougars went on a 15-8 run to start the final quarter, evening the game at 61. However, the three-pointer the Cougars hit to tie the game at 61 were the last points they scored. The Pride responded with 12 unanswered points over a span of 4:46 to secure a 73-61 victory. Strong defense from the Pride held the Cougars to 23% shooting in the fourth quarter.
“[We played with] not only hustle and defensive intensity, but mental and physical toughness,” said Hofstra head coach Danielle Santos Atkinson. “It took that when we were up the majority of the game and it’s tied. It takes a lot of mental and physical toughness to finish the game out the way that we did.”
The Pride moved to 3-11 in conference play and will have three games remaining until the CAA tournament in Philadelphia. The Pride will play its final two home games against Towson University and James Madison University before concluding the regular season by traveling to Charleston, South Carolina for a rematch with the Cougars.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
