The Hofstra women’s basketball team entered the fourth quarter leading Wagner University 52-47 on Saturday, Nov. 26. Over the game’s final 10 minutes the Pride fumbled their lead, ultimately losing 76-68, despite a stellar 22-point performance from Brandy Thomas.
“It was definitely a hard fought game for our crew,” said Hofstra head coach Danielle Santos Atkinson. “They went out there and got after it. We did a good job of fighting and playing hard.”
The Pride’s record now sits at 2-3 following the loss.
Hofstra struggled from the opening tip-off, putting themselves in a quick 9-2 deficit, but the team worked the ball into the paint and managed to claw their way back down 18-17.
“We wanted the get the ball inside and get some paint touches,” said Atkinson “So in terms of that we were able to do those things and take care of the ball.”
A defensive rebound by Ally Knights opened the gates for a fastbreak and a layup from Zyheima Swint to give the Pride the lead of 19-18 to close out the opening quarter.
The Pride’s momentum carried over to the start of the second quarter. Emma Von Essen led the way with a jumper in the paint to extend the lead 21-18 before the Seahawks answered back with a fastbreak layup, tying the game at 23-23 from Draya Heyward.
The score remained tied as the game approached halftime until Wagner pulled away with a thin 35-32 lead, entering the locker rooms with a pair of layups.
In the third, the Pride erupted and took a big 49-38. The Seahawks continued to fight but missed field goals kept them grounded while Hofstra pulled away. Hofstra outscored Wagner 20-12 in the third quarter and entered the fourth leading 52-47.
While the Pride’s offensive prowess continued into the final quarter, their defense started to slip, giving the Seahawks a chance at a late fourth quarter win. When the game transitioned to a 3-point shot contest, Wagner proved to be the better. Hofstra was 1-4 from long distance in the most inopportune time while the Seahawks shot 4-6 in the final 10 minutes.
Eventually, Wagner closed the gap with a layup by Draya Heyward which tied the game at 58. Another 3-pointer courtesy of Lina Loceniece gave the Seahawks their first lead of the game, 61-58, the only lead they’d require for the victory.
“Wagner came out of halftime and they saw the things we did in the first half that worked and really capitalized on them,” said Atkinson. “Going from the third to the fourth, I thought we allowed fatigue to set in a bit and allowed them some opportunities to score.”
Hofstra will look to erase this game and turn the page as they are awaited by the Iona University Gaels in another non-conference matchup in New Rochelle, New York, on Wed, Nov. 30, at 7 p.m.
Photo Courtesy of Wagner Athleitcs
