The Hofstra men’s basketball team travels to Tampa, FL., to take on the University of South Florida (USF) Bulls on Monday in the final leg of their nine-game road trip. The Pride enter the game having lost three straight after falling to the University of Massachusetts, 71-56, at Barclays Center on Dec. 11.
“There was a lack of toughness in aspects of the gameplan,” Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton said following the loss to UMass. “We knew we had to limit our turnovers to keep them out of transition. We knew we had to box out. We didn’t box out. So it was a combination of all those things. We knew that [UMass was going to be physical] going into the game. Tonight, they were the tougher team, and that’s why they won.”
Darlinstone Dubar, Griffin Barrouk and Warren Williams all scored in double figures against UMass in what was Hofstra’s second straight game without Aaron Estrada, who went down with an injury on Nov. 30 in a loss to George Mason. No update has been given from Hofstra on whether or not Estrada will be available against USF.
USF sits at 5-6 and is riding a three-game winning streak after beating Dartmouth College, 59-55, in the first of a three-game homestand on Friday. The Bulls’ defense has impressed throughout the season, and it didn’t disappoint against Dartmouth, as they held their opponents to just one three-pointer on 14 attempts and also achieved a season-high eight blocks. This season, USF is holding its opponents to 65.4 points per game and is forcing an average of 15.7 points off turnovers.
Fifth-year guard Tyler Harris leads the Bulls’ offense with 14.6 points per game. Currently, on a nine-game double-digit scoring run, Harris went 1-8 beyond the arc and 3-14 from the field to clock in 10 points last time out. Despite a poor shooting display against Dartmouth, he made a bigger impact on the defensive end, registering a season-high three steals and two blocks. Selton Miguel helps Harris on the scoring end by adding 11.6 points per game, and seven-foot junior Russel Tchewa averages 9.9 points per game and a team-high 6.6 rebounds per game.
The game is scheduled to tip-off at 7 p.m. from the Yuengling Center and can be watched on ESPN+ or listened to on the Hofstra Alternative Web Channel.
Photo Courtesy of Alexis Friedman/The Hofstra Chronicle
