Despite posting its highest-scoring quarter of the season in the final frame, the Hofstra women’s basketball team was unable to overcome its deficit against the Towson University Tigers, dropping the second game of the weekend on Sunday, Jan. 24 by a score of 92-64 at the SECU Arena.  

“I think we came out [in] this game, faced some adversity and faced some challenges, and didn’t find a way to fight back and get ourselves back in the game as we have so many times in the past,” said Hofstra head coach Danielle Santos Atkinson.

The Tigers took the lead just 20 seconds into the game with a 3-pointer from Aleah Nelson and never looked back. Their lead grew to 10 points 7:12 into the game when Kionna Jeter made a free throw to bring the score to 18-8, and the Tigers’ advantage remained in double-digits for the remainder of the game.

JaKayla Brown led the Pride in scoring with 15 points despite going 3-of-17 from the field, as eight of her points came in the form of free throws. Jaala Henry posted 11 points, three rebounds, three steals and a block in the loss.

Although the team had an efficient night from the free throw line, making 22-of-30 attempts for their second-most made free throws all season, the Pride also set a season-low for the fewest assists with just three as a team. This marked the first game of the season that the team tallied fewer than seven assists.

Jeter, Nelson and Shavonne Smith of Towson all impressed on offense, scoring 26, 22 and 18, respectively. Jeter went 10-of-15 from the field and racked up four steals, and Nelson shot 6-of-11 from the 3-point line while tallying a game-high seven assists. Smith tied with teammate Kiara Johnson to lead the game in rebounds with six.

“We can’t dwell on a game whether it’s a win or whether it’s a loss,” Santos Atkinson said. “We’ve got to take what we can take from it in looking to improve. That is the goal for us this year: whether it’s a win or whether it’s a loss, we’ve got to continue to get better.”

The loss was the fifth in a row for Hofstra, as the team’s record in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play now sits at 2-6 with an overall record of 4-10. The Pride will return to Hempstead for more CAA matches when they host the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks for another double-header weekend starting on Saturday, Jan. 30.

Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics