By Steven Wolff -- STAFF WRITER The Hofstra women’s basketball team played a thunderous third quarter to edge past William & Mary at Kaplan Arena by a final score of 61-53 Friday night.
A nine-point halftime deficit didn’t slow Hofstra down, as they scored 15 straight points to start the third quarter.
“Just the resiliency in the third quarter, punch and we just got to get in stride a little bit more, and have more consistent quarters in a row,” Hofstra head coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey said after the game.
Sophomore forward Ashunae Durant recorded her seventh double-double of the season, as she scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Junior forward Anjie White logged 15 points and 10 rebounds, which was the first time this season that two Hofstra players recorded double-doubles in the same game.
For the William & Mary Tribe, junior forward Alexandra Masaquel was the only thorn in the Pride’s side, as she scored 24 points. No other Tribe player had more than six.
Hofstra came out firing at the start of the second half, outscoring William & Mary in the third quarter, 27-6. The Tribe eventually moved to within five late in the fourth quarter, but Pride senior guard Asia Jackson responded with a three-pointer to eventually seal the victory.
The win did not come easily for the Pride. The team only shot 38 percent from the field, including one made basket from behind the arc. They also turned the ball over 20 times, while shooting just 63 percent from the charity stripe. Furthermore, it was a tough night for season leading scorer Kelly Loftus, as she finished with just five points on 2-of-13 from the field.
On the other hand, defense was a key to the victory, as the Tribe just shot 29 percent for the contest. Hofstra also held William & Mary to just one for their last nine to close out the game.
With the help of junior center Sandra Dongmo, Hofstra out-rebounded the Tribe 49-37. She contributed with seven points and seven rebounds off the bench.
This is the Pride’s second win in a row, improving them to 18-5 on the season and 9-3 in CAA play. William & Mary now lost three straight, bringing them to 13-10 overall and 4-8 in the Colonial.
Hofstra is now second in the conference, and look to continue their winning ways when they travel to Harrisonburg to face the first place James Madison Dukes. Game time is this Sunday at 1 p.m.