The Hofstra University men’s basketball team opened their season with a 101-48 blowout victory over the St. Joseph’s University, New York Golden Eagles on Monday, Nov. 6 at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex. It was wire-to-wire domination for the Pride, who eclipsed 100 points for the first time since Dec. 12, 2021, and led for the final 35 minutes of the game.
“A great first win; really proud of my guys,” said Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton, who kicked off his third year at the helm. “The first game is always tough no matter who you play, so it was good to get the kinks out.”
Due to the departure of two-time Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Player of the Year Aaron Estrada, this past offseason was filled with rumors and speculation about whether fifth-year senior Tyler Thomas would be able to handle his new role as Hofstra’s top scoring option. Thomas used Monday’s opener to make an emphatic statement, scoring 26 points and knocking down eight three-pointers in just 19 minutes of action.
“It was definitely a good first experience out there, but there’s still a lot to work on,” Thomas said.
Hofstra held a commanding 44-19 lead at halftime and opened the second half with a dominant 30-2 run to put the game beyond any shadow of a doubt. The Pride’s second-half explosion was punctuated by some surprising contributions from true freshman point guard KiJan Robinson, who notched 11 points and three assists in his collegiate debut.
“There’s [going to] be days where he struggles, and there’s [going to] be days where he shines,” Claxton said. “All we can ask from him is improvement.”
Claxton and the Pride also received steady contributions from their numerous offseason transfer acquisitions, headlined by the two-way play of Jacco Fritz. Despite not putting up any points, the Canisius College graduate transfer stuffed the stat sheet with six assists, six rebounds and a block. Fellow center and Iona University transfer Silas Sunday also provided eight points and seven rebounds off the bench.
“I thought they played well,” Claxton said of his newly acquired players. “It’s gonna be a learning process, just like it was for [Warren Williams] and [Nelson Boachie-Yiadom] last season, but if those two continue to get better every game, we’ll be fine.”
Despite a largely balanced effort from Hofstra, German Plotnikov quickly became a fan favorite after leaving the bench, as his tenacious defense and energy on the boards drew immense praise from the home crowd. The junior finished his afternoon with 10 points and a team-high four offensive rebounds in just 22 minutes.
“German is probably going to be our sixth man, he’s played very valuable minutes on a championship team,” Claxton said. “He knows what we expect of him and knows how we play, so I wasn’t surprised by the way he played.”
Hofstra is set to host the Princeton University Tigers in a Friday night showdown on Nov. 10 in a highly anticipated matchup of two of the nation’s top mid-major contenders. The Pride topped Princeton 83-77 in an instant classic to open last season, in a year that saw the Tigers win the Ivy League Championship and advance to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Matteo Bracco
