HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – Having the strong non-conference efficiency that the Hofstra Pride needed to begin the season was encouraging, but it surely received’t imply a lot with out translating to convention play.
If Hofstra’s Coastal Athletic Association opener was any indication, the Pride (10-4, 1-0 CAA) intend to make it final some time.
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Following a non-conference slate highlighted by a three-game Cathedral Classic sweep in Philadelphia, a pair of street wins over Atlantic Coast Conference foes Pittsburgh and Syracuse, and a house victory towards Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference preseason favourite Quinnipiac, Hofstra despatched a message to the remainder of the CAA with a straightforward 86-72 conquer the Campbell Fighting Camels (6-8, 0-1 CAA) on the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex Monday evening.
The Pride used a 24-5 surge to show an early 11-7 deficit right into a commanding 31-16 lead from which the Camels by no means totally recovered.
Although Campbell responded with an 11-4 reply to get inside 35-27, Hofstra swelled its benefit to 49-31 by halftime after closing the opening body on a 14-4 run.
That lead ballooned to as a lot as 60-37 with 14:07 left and was nonetheless 18 factors within the closing minute whereas by no means dipping beneath the ultimate margin of 14 all through the second half.
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The Camels’ trio of double-figure scorers, which included a game-high 25 factors from sophomore guard Jeremiah Johnson, 13 from sophomore ahead Dovydas Butka, and 12 from graduate guard Tasos Cook, was no match for the Pride’s 4 double-digit scorers, who every scored a minimum of 14 factors. Sophomore guard and main CAA Player of the Year candidate Cruz Davis led the best way with 22 factors.
Davis and sophomore ahead Joshua DeCady (15 factors) every shot 6-for-11, whereas freshman level guard Preston Edmead (16 factors) went 5-for-11, and freshman guard Jaeden Roberts (14 factors) was 5-for-8 (together with 4-for-6 from 3-point vary) in 15 reserve minutes.
Senior ahead Silas Sunday barely missed giving the Pride a fifth double-digit scorer with eight factors and 6 rebounds off the bench. Roberts and Sunday accounted for all however three of Hofstra’s bench factors to guide the Pride to a difference-making 25-7 benefit in that class.
“It was a total team effort,” Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton stated. “We got contributions from everyone. Jaden Roberts coming off the bench, he was big [with] 14 points. Silas was great. [Edmead and DeCady] were terrific. Cruz was terrific. Cruz has played like the best player in the NCAA.”
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In specific, Claxton underscored the efforts of DeCady (who unexpectedly led the Pride in first-half scoring with 14 factors) whereas additional espousing Roberts’ play.
“[DeCady’s] one of our hardest workers on the team, so I’m extremely happy for him that he’s seeing it come to fruition for him,” Claxton stated. “Jaden Roberts is a special, special talent. He is just now starting to come into his own, and when we get that kind of point production from him off the bench, we’re going to be pretty hard to beat.”
For Campbell, Hofstra’s protection and rebounding had been additionally powerful to beat, as was the Pride’s 54.4% capturing (31-for 57), together with a scorching 65.5% (19-for-29) within the first half. The Camels had been held to 40.3% capturing (25-for-62), whereas going simply 12-for-33 (36.4%) total and solely 3-for-16 (18.8%) earlier than intermission.
“We’re always gonna go as our defense goes,” Claxton stated. “I think once we buckled down, when we really locked in on defense, that’s when we kind of took off and started getting out in transition and started getting easy baskets.”
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The Pride held a major 42-27 rebounding edge.
“The game plan was the tougher team that was going to rebound would win the game,” DeCady stated. so “Coach [Claxton] had to make us adjust and reset to get those rebounds that we needed.”
“We knew… whoever won the glass was going to win this game, and ” Claxton stated. “They came out and were outrebounding us, so we kind of had to refocus during that [first media] timeout, get organized and win the glass.”
If there was one thing to enhance upon going ahead, it was Hofstra missing a killer intuition although Campbell by no means severely threatened after the Pride was comfortably forward since late within the first half.
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“Overall, a good job by the guys,” Claxton stated. “I thought we had a great first half. Then the second half, I think we kind of took our foot off the pedal a little bit.”
Nevertheless, Claxton talked about the significance of beginning CAA play in the identical good method as a lot of the Pride’s non-conference play went.
“It’s a confidence builder,” Claxton stated. “You always want to get the first one, especially when you’re at home. I’m happy with the way that we came out, the way we performed, and we came out and handled business.”
Hofstra hopes to maintain doing that, and to maintain placing the remainder of the CAA on early discover, with yet one more journey to the state of Pennsylvania (the place the Pride is 5-1 this season) because the Pride travels to Drexel on Saturday. Campbell goes to Monmouth on the ultimate day of 2025 earlier than beginning 2026 at house towards Northeastern on Saturday.