Five players scoring in double-digits led the Hofstra men’s basketball team to a comfortable 79-57 win over Cal State Fullerton on Sunday, Nov. 24, at Titan Gym in Fullerton, CA. The Pride (4-2) gave up a season-low of 57 points. They are 2-0 so far on this California road trip and are riding a three-game winning streak.

“What I liked most is that our guys played the same way they played the other night as far as energy, emotion, attitude and effort,” head coach Joe Mihalich said after the game. This win came on the heels of an 88-78 victory over UCLA.

The Pride got off to a quick start, scoring on their first three possessions and holding an 8-0 lead within the first minute and a half of play. After the Titans (2-3) got on the board, Hofstra went on another run, reaching 15 points before four minutes were gone.

“I think it was our preparation,” Mihalich said of the hot start. “Our guys were really locked in.”

The game’s leading scorer, Eli Pemberton, had eight of those first 15, finishing with 19 points on the night.

After Omar Silverio put Hofstra up 34-21 with under eight minutes left to play in the first half, Fullerton scored seven of the next ten points, capped by a Wayne Arnold three-pointer that brought the Titans within single digits with under four and a half minutes left in the half.  

The Pride responded with an 11-0 run to end the frame.

“It’s a game of runs,” Mihalich said. “It’s how you respond when the other team makes a run.”

Despite Hofstra’s large lead, the Titans continued to push. They had runs of 8-3 and 6-0 in the second half, pushing the Pride’s lead to under 20 points both times, but it was too little too late.

The Pride responded each time with runs of its own. The game finished with Hofstra scoring nine of the final 11 points including the final four field goals.

The 22-point differential was Hofstra’s second-largest margin of victory this season behind a 42-point blowout over New York Institute of Technology on Friday, Nov. 15, in Hempstead.

Desure Buie and Jalen Ray contributed 14 and 18 points, respectively, for Hofstra while Tareq Coburn and Isaac Kante each contributed ten points.  

As a team, the Pride shot 50.8% from the field, their third time this season shooting over 50%.

“It’s amazing how much can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit,’” Mihalich said, quoting legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden. “I think that’s the way our guys are.”

After a difficult start to the season, the Pride seems to have gotten their legs underneath them.

“It’s a long, long season,” Mihalich said, “We decided we could learn a lot about ourselves on this trip. So far, two-thirds of the way there, we’re pleased with what’s happened so far.”

The Pride will look to finish off the road trip at 3-0 when they face the San Diego State University Toreros on Wednesday, Nov. 27.

However, Mihalich has a special trip planned first.

“We’re going to tour a battleship,” Mihalich said. “Clarice Smith, our top of the notch, outstanding secretary’s son is a Navy SEAL and we’re hoping we might be able to spend some time with some Navy SEALs and see how hard they work and what they do to make our country the greatest country in the world.”

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics