The Hofstra University men’s basketball team bullied the State University of New York at Old Westbury in a 92-23 win on Wednesday, Dec. 10. The Pride’s 69-point win margin set a new program record, besting Hofstra’s 114-46 win over St. Joseph’s University last season.
“Great job by the guys, I thought they showed a great sign of maturity. They came here and played well and handled business,” said Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton.
The Pride’s defense was in control from the start, limiting the Panthers to only 10 first-half points and a mere 13 points in the second. The Pride dominated the defensive glass, picking up 39 defensive rebounds and limiting the Panthers to five offensive boards. In addition, Hofstra forced 15 turnovers that resulted in 21 points going the other way.
“Defense was outstanding. To give up 10 points in the first half [and] 13 points in the second half, we approached the game the right way,” Claxton said.
The Pride’s victory was led by senior guard Biggie Patterson, who recorded his first career double-double for Hofstra with season highs in points and rebounds with 17 and 12, respectively. He was automatic from the floor, going eight for nine and two for three from beyond the arc.
“[Patterson] played outstanding, he didn’t play down,” Claxton said. “He came out, and he played the right way. He respected his opponents and respected the game.”
Freshman guard Jaeden Roberts matched Patterson’s 17 points. Roberts almost entirely rewrote his season-high statistics page with new highs in every stat category besides free throws made. The freshman led the team in minutes played with 25 and shot five for 11 from three.
“[Roberts has] been coming along, he showed flashes against [University of Pittsburgh]. I think with more minutes, the better he’s going to be,” Claxton said.
Hofstra’s star player Cruz Davis was once again impressive despite limited minutes, going five for nine and tallying 15 points. Davis has recorded double-digit point totals in every game this season and is averaging 20.6 points per game.
While Patterson and Davis led the way, the Pride bench saw extended action as each player who made their way onto the court registered at least 10 minutes. Alex Tsynkevich, Amir Williams and Roberts all set season-highs in minutes played with 11, 11 and 25, respectively. The bench also accounted for 60 of the team’s 92 total points.
“It was good just to see them happy on the court and get some confidence out there on the court,” Davis said.
Hofstra is now 5-1 in their last six matchups and heads up to Syracuse University next for a possible resume booster. Hofstra is looking for their second win over an Atlantic Coast Conference team in three games.
“[Syracuse is] very long, they’re athletic, they are an outstanding defensive team. We are going to have our work cut out for us, but we are going to go out there and play to the best of our abilities,” Claxton said.
The Pride went against the Orange on Saturday, Dec. 13, was set for 4 p.m. from the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York.
