In a season that has seen the Hofstra men’s basketball team rely on a lot of new faces for production, it was a couple of veterans that led the Pride past South Dakota for a 65-57 win on Wednesday evening in the third place game of the Gulf Coast Showcase. Gustys notched his third double-double of the year, scoring 10 points and pulling in a mind-boggling 26 rebounds. That total is the most rebounds by a player in a single game this season, with Gustys topping his season-high of 23 boards from the season opener against Coppin State.
The big man from Lithuania continues to be a dominant force on the glass for the Pride, who outrebounded South Dakota by a 49-34 margin.
Deron Powers led all scorers with 18 points, eight of them coming by way of the free-throw line, where the point guard was 8-9.
Powers has shined this year, his first on the court with Hofstra after transferring from Hampton University. After having to sit out last season, Powers has scored in double figures in the last three games that Hofstra has played.
Hofstra’s resident sharpshooter, Brian Bernardi, also had himself a nice game on Wednesday, scoring 15 points, and knocking down three three-pointers. Bernardi reached the 1,000-point milestone for his collegiate career in Wednesday’s win, as well as moving into third place on Hofstra’s all-time three-pointer’s list.
After a humbling loss to the University of Vermont the previous day, Hofstra took the court against South Dakota looking more locked in and focused than it had against Vermont.
In particular, Hofstra played an outstanding game on the defensive end, holding the Coyotes to just 30 percent shooting from the floor, a stark contrast from previous defensive efforts this season.
Hofstra held South Dakota to just 57 points, a new low for the Pride defense this season. Hofstra had allowed 80 or more points to its last four opponents, going all the way back to the Pride’s loss against Sacred Heart University.
It was this stellar defensive performance that allowed the Pride to pick up the victory, getting back to .500 on the season in the process, despite one of Hofstra’s weaker performances on the offensive end.
The Pride shot just 40 percent from the floor, and shot just 7-22 from beyond the arc. The 65 points scored by Hofstra was the lowest final score registered by the Pride this season, coming in just under the 68 points scored by Hofstra in the loss to Manhattan.
Freshman phenom Eli Pemberton was held largely in check by the Coyote defense, scoring just seven points on 2-7 shooting. After such a hot start to the season for Pemberton, the South Dakota defenders clued in on him from the opening tip, not allowing him the necessary separation to create offense that he had in three 20-point performances this season.
Hofstra’s Florida vacation comes to an end with this victory, improving to 3-3 on the young season. South Dakota drops to 5-2.
The Pride returns to the Mack Sports Complex for just its second home game of the year, taking on Division III Medaille College Friday night at 4 p.m.