In desperate need of a spark, Hofstra University men’s basketball’s Darlinstone Dubar lit up Long Island for a career-high 30 points and 11 rebounds as the Pride scratched out an 80-74 victory over in-state rival Stony Brook University on Monday, Jan. 22. Hofstra improved to an even 3-3 record in Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play with the win and moved into a tie for third place after a disastrous 1-3 start.
“[Dubar] is a monster; he’s been our go-to guy, and we go as he goes,” said Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton. “He’s playing like a first-team, player-of-the-year type of guy right now.”
While Dubar was an unstoppable force on offense, his efforts on the defensive end went a long way in securing the victory for Hofstra. According to Hofstra coaching staff member Colin Curtin, during last season’s matchup with the Seawolves, Dubar told the coaching staff that he wanted to focus on guarding leading scorer Tyler Stephenson-Moore. On Monday night, he held Stephenson-Moore scoreless in the final five minutes of a Hofstra victory. Dubar and the Pride followed the same formula this time around, holding Stephenson-Moore to nine points and a 2-9 mark from the field.
“[Stephenson-Moore] is a tremendous player, and I love the challenge,” Dubar said. “I just stepped up for it, and that’s what I do.”
As for the rest of the team, Hofstra eschewed the poor starts that have plagued them throughout their recent cold stretch and stormed out of the gates to claim a 15-4 advantage in the opening minutes.
“Great road win; I’m happy with the way we started the game,” Claxton said. “We wanted to be in striking distance and have a good start, and our kids came out and played the right way from start to finish.”
Despite Hofstra’s early dominance, the Seawolves used a 15-0 run to take a 37-32 lead into the locker room following a dominant showing from their frontcourt. Forward Chris Maidoh finished the opening stanza with 10 points, five rebounds and two assists while also getting Jacco Fritz into some early foul trouble. Still, the five-point deficit appeared tame in comparison to Hofstra’s recent first-half shortcomings.
“I told the guys we got them right where we want them, we’re only down five, we’re usually down 15 at this point,” Claxton said. “Usually in the second half we come out and control the game, and that’s what we did tonight.”
In accordance with every game of conference play, the Pride came out looking like a different basketball team in the second half. With their bigs in foul trouble, Hofstra turned to Claxton’s patented “small ball” lineup which embarked on a 13-4 run to seize the lead with under five minutes to play. Jaquan Carlos was the maestro behind Hofstra’s second-half surge, scoring 18 of his 23 points and knocking down four 3-pointers in the second frame.
“[Carlos] was huge; he shot the ball extremely well in the second half,” Claxton said. “He took it personally when they were leaving him open.”
With Tyler Thomas held to just 11 points on 5-16 shooting, it took a collective effort to pick up the slack and secure the win in the second half. The Pride notched 17 assists on 29 made field goals, matching their second-highest total in CAA play.
“These guys were playing together and taking the right shots,” Claxton said. “There was no hero ball … when we play team basketball, we’re at our best.”
A trio of early losses has seemingly made every conference bout feel like a must-win, and the Pride will look to climb over .500 with a win over the College of William & Mary on Thursday, Jan. 25. The Tribe has struggled immensely in CAA play, going 2-4 with wins over the league’s 13th and 14th place teams. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. in the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Alexis Friedman
