TOWSON, M.D. – The No. 12 seed Hofstra Pride women’s basketball team upset the No. 5 North Carolina A&T State University (NC A&T) Aggies 66-59 in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) women’s basketball tournament, marking the Pride’s first quarterfinal appearance since 2019. The win makes the Pride the first 12-seed to reach the quarterfinals of the CAA tournament since 2006.
“[I] continued to be so proud of this team and what they are doing in this tournament,” said Hofstra head coach Danielle Santos Atkinson. “They’ve shown up at the tournament with a determined mindset, they showed up here with a mission in mind and we’re not going to slow down until we get there.”
The Aggies left a bitter taste in the Pride’s mouth, defeating them 63-44 at home in the David S. Mack Sports & Exhibition Complex in their last meeting. With that in mind, Atkinson and her team went into this game determined not to let history repeat itself.
“The way that we’ve been able to bounce back in our mistake response [and] the mental preparation has been at an all-time high as well as the physical preparation,” Atkinson said. “We’re a different team than they got the last time.”
Three-point shooting was a main contributor, as Hofstra shot a season-best 10-16 from beyond the arc while holding NC A&T to just 1-11.
“It gives us the confidence to continue to shoot the ball,” Atkinson said. “So with that balanced attack and that balanced approach, it gives us multiple options on the offensive end to be able to attack their defenses.”
Senior Rosi Nicholson spearheaded the defensive effort with four steals and four defensive rebounds.
“Rosi is one of the best defensive players that I’ve ever coached,” Atkinson said. “She stepped up and did what she does best, and that’s pressure the ball and cause some havoc and bring us some energy on the defensive end.”
Sorelle Ineza, who led the team’s offense with 19 points, summed up the fiery spirit of the team: “It’s win or go home, and we don’t want to go home.”
The team goes into the quarterfinal round on Friday, March 10, against the College of William & Mary Tribe. Tip-off is at 2:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcasted live by 88.7 FM WRHU and streamed on FloSports.
Photo courtesy of Rafael Suanes/CAA
