Stellar shooting from Omar Silverio and great defense helped the Hofstra Pride defeat the University of Detroit Mercy Titans 98-84 on Saturday, Nov. 27, at the David S. Mack Center in Hempstead, NY.
It was the first-ever matchup between the Titans and the Pride. Hofstra took the lead early and never looked back, as they opened up the first half on a 7-0 run within the first three minutes.
Despite the Titans chipping away and bringing their deficit to within three, the Pride followed with a 16-8 run giving themselves a 23-12 lead with 12:41 remaining.
15 seconds later, Silverio connected on his first three-point attempt while also getting fouled in the process and proceeding to make his free throw resulting in a four-point play.
Despite both teams trading baskets, Silverio was the story of the first half as his three-point shooting was off the charts. Omar shot 100% from behind the arc on his six attempts, his final one helping the Pride take a 52-31 lead with 1:35 remaining.
Caleb Burgess connected on a shot from the paint while getting fouled and making the free throw. Despite the Titans’ Antoine Davis making a step-back midrange jumper, Zach Cooks ended the first half with a layup giving the Pride a 57-33 lead at intermission.
The second half began with both teams trading baskets once again, but a Matt Johnson three-pointer with 17:45 remaining ignited a 25-10 run. What was a 25-point lead was trimmed down to nine for Hofstra. The Pride looked for momentum and found it when a Silverio three-pointer gave Hofstra a 12-point lead, allowing the crowd to breathe a sigh of relief.
Aaron Estrada followed up with a pull-up midrange jumper, and Cooks’ layup off a steal put the Pride at arm’s length.
The Titans weren’t able to get back within single digits throughout the remaining time in the game, as Hofstra had the edge over Detroit Mercy with a 98-84 win.
Silverio tied the Hofstra single-game school record for three-pointers, having a career-high and team-high 28 points and shooting 8-10 from behind the arc.
“It all started pregame. Just felt like another game, another day in the office. I trust myself, I trust the coaches, they put me in a good position and they always tell me to do the same,” Silverio said.
Cooks had 20 points and tied a team-high in rebounds with five. Estrada added 16 points while having a team-high nine assists.
Jalen Ray played in his 128th career game with Hofstra as he tied Charles Jenkins and Nathaniel Lester for third all-time in program history. He had 15 points for the afternoon, while Darlinstone Dubar shot a perfect 4-4 from the field, adding 10 points.
“We’re getting close to playing the correct way of Hofstra basketball for the whole game. That is our goal,” said Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton.
The Pride men’s basketball team will set their eyes on this Wednesday when they take on Princeton University at the Mack Sports Complex. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
