The Hofstra women’s basketball team lost to Elon University, 66-53, at the Schar Center in Elon, North Carolina, on Friday, Feb. 18. It was the Pride’s third straight loss which dropped the team to a 2-10 conference record and 5-15 overall. The score was close at halftime, as the Pride was behind by six, but Elon began to run away with it in the third quarter with 10 unanswered points.
“We had a great start to the game coming out, and we got at it defensively,” said Hofstra head coach Danielle Santos Atkinson. “We gave up way too many threes to this team. We gave up way too many offensive rebounds, and we put them on the free-throw line. Those three things we allowed to creep back and affect us tonight.”
Hofstra started the night on the right foot, opening with a 6-0 run before Elon quickly closed the gap with six unanswered points of their own. A couple of free-throws by senior Jahsyni Knight put Hofstra back in front by two, but Elon soon jumped back in front and managed to take the lead, 16-14, at the end of the first quarter. The Pride never restored its lead.
With 7:16 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Pride fell behind 51-38. Hofstra managed to score five unanswered in an attempt to rally back, before Elon quickly answered with a 15-10 run to seal the deal for its second win over Hofstra this season.
The Pride went 2-10 from outside the three-point line, with both makes coming from senior Rosi Nicholson. Her 29% conversion rate is the highest on the team this season. Overall, Hofstra is shooting 21.3% for three-point attempts this season.
“We’re going into [The College of] William & Mary, which is a great three-point shooting team,” Santos Atkinson said. “So, we want to make sure that we get back to having that focus on and off the ball while making sure that we contest for every three that goes up.”
Senior Jaylen Hines finished as the top-scorer for the Pride on the night with a total of 18 points as she went 9-15 in field goals. She was on the court the longest, for 38 minutes.
“She was aggressive,” Santos Atkinson said. “We need [Hines] to continue to stay aggressive for us offensively, and she did that tonight. She scored in a variety of ways. She was able to shoot the outside jumpers. She scored inside the paint back to the basket, and she drove to the basket. She could score on many levels, and we’ve got to continue to have that from her.”
Hines will have the chance to reach 1,000 total points for Hofstra in her next game, as she is 11 points away.
“I’m very proud of [Hines] and what she’s done,” Santos Atkinson said. “She’s been a huge impact from the time she stepped on campus and throughout her entire career. I’m just so proud and happy that she’ll be able to achieve that accomplishment. It’s a special moment in your collegiate career, and it’s going to be great to be able to honor her.”
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics