The Hofstra University women’s basketball team dropped its fourth straight Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) conference game to Stony Brook University, 47-44, on Friday, Feb. 7. Hofstra fell to 9-12 on the year and 4-6 in conference play, falling to 10th in CAA standings.
“Tough one for us,” said Hofstra head coach Danielle Santos-Atkinson. “When you look at the stat sheet, you think you got the W on the other side of it.”
The Pride entered halftime with a 21-20 lead but were outscored by the Seawolves 27-21 in the second half.
Hofstra held Stony Brook to 47 points on 28.6% from the field, 11 points and 9.5% less than their season average. Only four players on the Seawolves scored, with sophomore guard Breauna Ware leading the way with 22 points on 6-14 shooting. Not including Ware, the Seawolves shot just 23.8% from the field and 1-16 from 3-point range.
The Pride couldn’t get their shots to land, finishing the game 29.5% from the field and 2-14 from behind the 3-point line. The front court duo of Ramatoulaye Keita and Zyheima Swint gave it their all for Hofstra. Swint recorded eight points and five rebounds. Keita, the top rebounder in the CAA during conference play, finished tied for the team-high with nine points and grabbed a game-high 18 rebounds.
Hofstra fell behind 9-5 halfway through the first quarter, but back-to-back baskets from freshman forward LaNae’ Corbett tied the game. Keita gave the Pride an 11-9 lead to end the first quarter.
Chloe Sterling, who injured her knee in the previous game against the College of Charleston, left the game early. She played just five minutes and recorded one shot attempt.
“She’s good,” Santos said. “Just more precautionary than anything in holding her in this game.”
Injuries have played a major part in Hofstra’s struggles all year long with key players missing time throughout the season. Corbett finished with nine points and five rebounds in 14 minutes after missing five games for an ankle injury. Santos noted that the constant changing rotations and lineups are a factor in the overall team performance.
“I think it’s just trying to get a rhythm with the players that are playing,” Santos said. “When you’re used to playing with a certain group for the majority of the game it just takes some time to get back into that rhythm.”
Both teams traded baskets throughout the second quarter as the Pride maintained a five-point lead with just over a minute left in the quarter. The Seawolves finished the frame on a 4-0 run to pull within one.
A pair of rallies by Stony Brook flipped the momentum in the third quarter. The Seawolves scored five straight to take a two-point lead with just over four minutes left in the quarter and finished the third on a 6-2 run to go into the fourth quarter leading by five.
The Pride cut the lead to as little as three points with just over 2 minutes left to play, but they went scoreless the rest of the way as the Seawolves held on for their 11th win of the season.
The Pride returned to action as the University of Delaware traveled to the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex on Sunday, Feb. 9. Tipoff against the Fightin’ Blue Hens was at 2 p.m.
