The Hofstra University women’s basketball team notched its first win of the season on Friday, Dec. 11 with a 63-45 blowout win over the University at Albany (UAlbany). Jaylen Hines put up 14 points and 13 rebounds for her first double-double of the season and JaKayla Brown led all scorers with 16 points.
“We’ve had two really good days of practice leading up to this game and I think that led to our performance tonight,” said head coach Danielle Santos Atkinson. “Our goal was to be aggressive on both ends of the floor and I think we did that.”
After a tight first quarter that saw three lead changes, the Pride went on a 12-0 run in the second that stretched a 19-18 lead to 31-18. Hofstra’s three-point defense contributed greatly to this stretch. After surrendering 17 makes from beyond the arc to Fairfield on Sunday, Dec. 6 and makes on four of UAlbany’s first five attempts, the Pride clamped down and forced misses on each of the Danes’ final 18 attempts.
“We were able to get [to the three-point line] with better awareness and better communication,” Santos Atkinson said. “They had four early, we talked about that and we were able to, from there, cover it and make sure we didn’t allow any more of those.”
It was a lead the Pride would never relinquish, and the Danes would not get back within single digits again. UAlbany was held to just 23.9% shooting in the final three quarters and did not make it to the free-throw line until the second half. The Pride, meanwhile, shot 40.3% and converted on three of their four three-point-play opportunities.
Brown shot 6-15 from the field after going a combined 5-26 over the previous two games.
“I have confidence in myself and know I put the work in and I’m practicing the shots I’m taking in the game every day,” Brown said. “I know they’re not going to fall the way, every night, I want them to, but I still have to shoot with confidence.”
Hines also rebounded from a tough game against Fairfield where she shot 0-2 from the field to have her third 14-point outing of the young season. Meanwhile, Jahsyni Knight had a balanced game with 10 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Off the bench, freshman Zyheima Swint contributed eight points and three blocks as the Pride tried some three-forward lineups to attack the smaller Danes. “[Swint] is physical,” Santos Atkinson said. “To have her come off the bench and contribute what she contributed tonight is really going to be helpful for our team.” Led by forwards Swint, Hines and Jaala Henry, the Pride outscored UAlbany 36-22 in the paint.
UAlbany was paced by Wake Forest University transfer Ellen Hahne’s 15 point-11 rebound double-double. Meanwhile, Kyara Frames, who paced the Danes in three-pointers last season, went 1-8 from beyond the arc and finished with six points. Freshman Abby Robinson came in off the bench and scored her first collegiate points. UAlbany turned the ball over 25 times leading to 29 Hofstra points.
Next up for Hofstra is the Battle of Long Island. The Pride will travel to Stony Brook University on Monday, Dec. 14 where they’ll look to avenge an 81-38 loss to the Seawolves last November.
“As we go into these next two days, we have to work on us,” Santos Atkinson said. “Obviously, we’re working on some game prep for Stony Brook, but we have to continue working on the fundamentals that we need to be better offensively and defensively.”
Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
