The Hofstra Pride men’s basketball team clinched their sixth consecutive victory as they defeated the Northeastern University Huskies, 72-53, at Matthews Arena in Boston, Massachusetts, on Wednesday, Feb. 8.
“Great team effort from everyone,” said Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton. “Anybody who stepped on the court, they contributed.”
In a complete team victory, point guard Jaquan Carlos had the most complete game, scoring 10 points along with nine rebounds and nine assists.
“He’s a tremendous player,” Claxton said. “He’s our floor general. He’s our leader. He’s the one who keeps us organized on both sides of the basketball, offensively and defensively. I’m really proud of the way he’s playing. He’s really taken his game to the next level.”
While Carlos took care of the dirty work, Tyler Thomas finished as the game’s leading scorer with 18 points. However, Thomas fell cold in the second half of the game by only adding four points in the game’s final 20 minutes. That was when Aaron Estrada, who missed the Pride’s previous game due to illness, picked up the team to finish the night with 13 points.
With the win, Hofstra has now won 10 of its last 11 conference games and six of their last seven on the road.
“We’re focused,” Claxton said. “I honestly think we’re more focused on the road than we are at home. We know that all we have is us, and these kids come in with the right mindset. They go out there and play, no matter the environment.”
With the victory over Northeastern, the Pride advance to a conference record of 11-2 and kept pace with the College of Charleston for the top spot in the Colonial Athletic Association standings.
“We’re peaking at the right time,” Claxton said. “I like what I’m seeing with my guys. We’re extremely focused, and we know what’s at stake right now.”
Hofstra will pack their bags and travel to New Jersey to take on the Monmouth University Hawks on Saturday, Feb. 11. Despite being near the bottom of the CAA standings, Monmouth has hit a good stretch by winning their previous four games, three of which have been at home.
“We know they’re a physical team,” Claxton said. “We’ll watch some film tomorrow. It’ll be a light day because we know it’s going to be a war. As of late, they’ve been playing some really good basketball. We’re not going to overlook them; we know they’re a really good team.”
At this juncture of the season, Claxton and the Pride are aware of how pivotal each game is.
“We can see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Claxton said. “We’re going to go get it.”
Photo courtesy of Alexis Friedman/The Hofstra Chronicle
