LOS ANGELES, C.A. – Nearly 40 years to the day after their first matchup against the UCLA Bruins, the Hofstra Pride men’s basketball team made history in their 88-78 win at Pauley Pavillion on Thursday, Nov. 21. Four members of the Pride scored double-digits, led by career-highs from Desure Buie and Jalen Ray, who had 29 and 27 respectively.
This win, the third of the season for the Pride, is the first in program history against a Pac-12 team and their first win against a team from a Power-Five conference since their 82-77 win against Florida State University on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015.
“It’s almost hard to put into words,” said Hofstra head coach Joe Mihalich. “You grow up your whole life – if you love basketball – knowing what a great program [UCLA] is. We respect it so much. For us to win this game, it’s going to be one of the best wins in the history of Hofstra basketball.”
Hofstra began applying defensive pressure early and often, forcing four turnovers within the first three minutes of the game. This allowed the Pride to keep the score close early on, even when their shots weren’t falling. Hofstra was down 13-11 with 13 minutes left in the first half when the Bruins started to get back into a rhythm. They used their size to their advantage, and a trio of three-pointers from redshirt senior Alex Olesinski and freshman Jake Kyman keyed a 19-8 run for UCLA, putting them up 32-19 with 8:14 left in the half.
“I felt like we kept our composure and our poise,” Mihalich said. “We knew that there was a lot of game left, and if we dug down and made it a little bit tougher for them to score and found a way to score ourselves, we’d be okay.”
This mindset helped the Pride go on a 10-0 run to bring the game right back within three points. The two teams would trade baskets for the remainder of the half, with the Pride heading into the locker room down only one, 42-41.
The Bruins came out swinging in the second half, with redshirt sophomore Jalen Hill scoring 10 quick points and redshirt senior Prince Ali starting to make his shots. The two sparked a 17-10 run for UCLA, increasing their lead to eight with 13:50 remaining in the game.
Much like in the first half, Hofstra didn’t back down, immediately going on an 8-0 run to tie the game back up at 59. The two teams went back and forth again, with Hofstra eventually taking the 64-63 lead on a free throw from Ray. After this, Tareq Coburn hit a three-pointer to put the Pride up by four points, a lead they would not relinquish for the rest of the contest.
They finished the match on a 12-6 run, taking the momentum away from UCLA and putting the game out of their reach.
The Pride’s ability to shoot three-pointers contributed to their win. They made 12 three-pointers on 50% shooting, with Ray sinking a team-high five. The three-pointers allowed the Pride to go on runs and keep the game close, even when UCLA started to extend their lead.
“That’s what we do. We can shoot,” Mihalich said. “These guys have the courage, guts and confidence of the greatest shooters ever.”
They also forced the Bruins into foul trouble, taking 30 free throws and making 24 of them. They got the Bruins’ No. 2 scorer, Cody Riley, to foul out early in the second half, allowing the Pride to play a more fluid style of offense, knowing that the Bruins couldn’t defend them as aggressively.
“We weren’t sad to see [Riley] leave,” Mihalich said. “We needed a little luck and needed some breaks.”
The duo of Ray and Buie played some of the most efficient basketball of their careers, combining for 56 points on a near-perfect 19-20 from the free-throw line and 15-27 from the field.
“We just feed off of each other,” Ray said. “When [Buie] gets going, he tells me to get going. That’s how we get our team going.”
This game is the first in a three-game, nine-day West Coast trip for the Pride. They’ll play next on the road against the California State University, Fullerton Titans on Sunday, Nov. 24. The two teams played each other for the first time last year, with Hofstra earning the 80-71 win.
Image courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
