Hofstra men’s basketball finished their in-state road trip with a 71-64 win against their Long Island Rival Stony Brook University. Hofstra was led by Justin Wright-Foreman, who had 25 points. This win marks Hofstra’s fifth victory in their last six contests in the Long Island Rivalry.
“This is just a wonderful experience to be around,” Wright-Foreman said. “This atmosphere, especially with this long rivalry that we have, it’s just incredible and I’m glad to be a part of it.”
Hofstra (9-3) kept their hot streak going, winning their sixth game in a row, and ending Stony Brook’s (10-3) two-game winning streak. Hofstra was able to stave off a late run from the Seawolves, never letting their lead go below four despite a back-and-forth second half.
“[That’s a] great win, we beat a hot team,” said Hofstra head coach Joe Mihalich. “That team is good, they’re gonna win a lot of games. We beat them in their building, [which] is hard to do.”
The biggest key for the Pride once again was the versatility of their scoring. The Pride received double digit scoring efforts from four players: Wright-Foreman, Tareq Coburn (16 points), Desure Buie (12 points) and Jacquil Taylor (10 points). This was the second-straight game with that many double-digit scorers. It’s also Coburn’s third double-digit outing since joining the starting lineup.
“It just shows that [teams] can’t just lock in on me because there’s a whole team of people that are going to get you,” Wright-Foreman said.
Wright-Foreman also continued his rise through the Hofstra record books, moving to No. 9 in Hofstra’s all-time scoring ranks.
This was one of the better games for the Pride defensively, holding a Stony Brook offense that averages 76 points a game to under 65 points. Hofstra was able to use their 2-3 zone effectively to mitigate Stony Brook’s efficiency within the three-point line. Stony Brook only shot 37.7 percent from the field, despite shooting 42.9 percent from three.
“We had our lapses here and there, but we just stuck with the game plan … We were just communicating a lot – talking – and when somebody was down, we picked each other up. That’s what this team is about,” Wright-Foreman said.
“We like for people to think it’s just a 2-3 zone, but there’s a lot of different things going on out there,” Mihalich said. “We’re not reinventing the wheel; this isn’t rocket science. But we make adjustments within it.”
Part of what allowed the Seawolves to come back from a 13-point deficit in the second half was their three-point shooting. Freshman Miles Latimer had a very efficient scoring night, shooting 9-15 from the field and 4-6 from three.
Another big advantage from the Pride was the performance of Taylor. Taylor played his most complete game as a member of the Pride, recording his first career double-double. Along with 10 points and 12 rebounds, Taylor added a career-high four blocks, making sure Stony Brook rarely had easy opportunities in the paint. He also played his most minutes in a non-overtime game, staying on the court for 29 minutes despite early foul trouble. This was the most involved Taylor was within the Hofstra offense, taking nine shots on the night, which was also a season high.
The Pride are off to one of their best starts in program history, with a rare chance for them to get 10 wins before Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play even starts.
“This team is very good,” Wright-Foreman said. “We communicate with each other, and our chemistry is amazing.”
The Pride has one last game in the non-conference schedule at home against Rosemont College on Saturday, Dec. 22.
Image Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
