The Hofstra men’s basketball team went on the road and defeated Duquesne University 73-63, on Saturday, Nov. 13. Hofstra was able to gain its first win of the season, rebounding from a close loss to No. 15 University of Houston on Tuesday, Nov. 9. 

Hofstra was led by star point guard Zach Cooks, who ended with an emphatic 29 points, seven rebounds and three assists, while playing all 40 minutes. The graduate transfer has been Hofstra’s leading scorer throughout the first two games as he ended with 26 against Houston as well.

“[Cooks] is tough man, he’s not scared of the moment. He lives for games like this,” Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton said.

It was all about the Hofstra guards as the three combined for 57 of Hofstra’s 73 points with Aaron Estrada and Darlinstone Dubar each contributing 14 points of their own. Hofstra dominated right from the start, as they took an early 19-7 lead. They went on to end the first half with a commanding 41-23 advantage. Hofstra shot the ball extremely well, especially from outside the arc, where they shot a phenomenal 47.6%.

The second half was much closer as Duquesne cut the lead to 47-44 with 12 minutes remaining in the game. Duquesne’s Kevin Easley had a solid game, ending with a double-double (14 points and 10 rebounds). Primo Spears led the Dukes in points, ending with 17 points.

Although the Dukes made a late run, Hofstra proved to be too much on the offensive end, going on an 11-4 run, sparked by a Dubar three-pointer. From then on, the Pride owned the lead and went on to win the game 73-63.

Head coach Speedy Claxton earned his first win as a head coach. The team has looked great on both sides of the ball, while their shooting has been stellar to start the season.

“Truly amazing. These guys, I wouldn’t want to share [this moment] with anybody else. This team is special man, they really are,” Claxton said. “I got a bunch of great kids and even though we won the game I still feel like we haven’t played a full 40 minutes.”

Hofstra evens its record at 1-1 on the season while Duquesne falls to 1-1. The Pride travels to Iona College on Tuesday, Nov. 16, for a matchup against Rick Pitino and the Gaels.

“We got a tough Iona team coming up [but] we’re going to be prepared for them,” Claxton said. “We know how good they are and it’s our first time playing in New York so fans come check us out. We are something special.”

Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics