Wright State University’s offensive prowess carried the team to a resounding 93-64 victory over Hofstra University on Friday, Nov. 23, as part of the opening day of the Challenge in Music City. The game is the first of three for both teams in the neutral-site tournament held in Nashville, Tennessee.
“I don’t think we followed the game plan in the beginning,” said head coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey. “I think we have some responsibility within our starting five to maintain that [game plan].”
The Raiders were led by Mackenzie Taylor, who shot 9-13 from the floor, including a stellar 5-7 from three-point range to total 24 points on the afternoon.
Despite the lopsided final score, the Pride made some runs throughout the contest to close the gap. Midway through the second quarter, Hofstra found themselves only down three points off of free throws by senior guard Boogie Brozoski and junior guard Ana Hernandez Gil. However, Wright State closed the half on a 22-7 run to take a 48-30 lead into halftime.
Again, in the second half, the Pride grinded their way back into the contest, finding themselves down 59-51 with 1:36 left to play in the third quarter. Wright State was able to pull away with a dominant run of their own and went on to outscore Hofstra 32-13 for the rest of the game.
“We had a great fight in the third quarter,” Kilburn-Steveskey said. “But when you exude all that energy to get back, it’s tough to then try to find ways to close the deal.”
Wright State jumped out to an early lead thanks to an unexpected contribution from junior guard Michal Miller in the first quarter. The transfer from Trinity Valley Community College, who only averages 9.3 points per game, racked up 12 points in the first quarter alone. She finished 8-17 from the field on her way to a career-high 20-point performance.
Hofstra was hampered by turnover issues and an inability to establish a presence down low all afternoon. Wright State was able to capitalize off of Hofstra’s ball security issues. The Raiders scored 24 points off of 17 Hofstra turnovers. Additionally, Wright State lived in the paint on Friday. The Raiders outscored the Pride 48-30 underneath the bucket and led the rebounding department by a plus-16 margin.
The lone bright spot for Hofstra was the continued great play by senior guard Sica Cuzic. The Romanian-born national followed up her career performance at St. Bonaventure last Saturday, Nov. 17, with another outstanding outing in Nashville. Cuzic finished with 24 points and one rebound shy of a double-double against Wright State to lead both the scoring and rebounding column for the Pride.
“This kid is so coachable,” Kilburn-Steveskey said. “Great players figure out a way when they struggle. She struggled early in her second game. I challenged the heck out of her and this is how she is trying to respond for her team.”
Both Hofstra and Wright State will continue the Challenge in Music City on Saturday, Nov. 24. The Pride will face Marist College at 3:30 p.m. in their second matchup of the tournament.
Image courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
