Friday, March 8, 2013

TGTBATQ: Georgia State 61, Hofstra 43 (Or: It’s not funny how we don’t make shots anymore)



(Note: I have been terribly derelict about posting game recaps this season, partially because I’ve been busy with work and fatherhood but mostly because this season has been devastatingly depressing. However, I hate the idea of not properly archiving these games, so to speak, so I came up with a compromise that will allow me to chronicle #HofstraPun the season in a basic, quick-hit fashion. So welcome to The Good, The Bad & The Quirky. Or, as I like to call it, TGTBATQ. Pretty self-explanatory, and probably something I should consider employing from the start next year so that I don’t fall into this trap again. Enjoy!)

THE GOOD: Umm, well, other than Stevie Mejia tying a career high with four 3-pointers, recording his first career double-double and leading Hofstra in four statistical categories (18 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals—c’mon Stevie, no blocks?), not much. Mejia’s feat is something even Charles Jenkins never did, but it came on an otherwise brutal night for the Dutchmen in Atlanta. Mejia was the only Hofstra player to score in double figures. In fact, only Jordan Allen (six points) had more than five points—hey wait a minute, this is trending into the bad, isn’t it? Well, Stephen Nwaukoni had eight rebounds and five points, all from the line. Matt Grogan got fouled on a 3-pointer and sank all three free throws. And the Dutchmen mounted a 10-0 run over a span of 3:01 early in the first half to take a 10-4 lead. And then…

THE BAD: …it all fell apart. Following a timeout, in which I can only imagine Ron Hunter calmly implored Georgia State to play better, the Panthers went on a 16-0 run that was ended by a Mejia 3-pointer (of course). The Dutchmen got within nine at halftime thanks to a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Mejia (of course) but moved no closer in the second half. If not for Mejia—who probably should have earned all six points in the 3 Stars Of the Game—Hofstra might have struggled to break 30 points. He was 5-of-10 shooting while the rest of his teammates were a combined 7-of-31. Only Allen and David Imes had multiple field goals. Nwaukoni attempted just one field goal. The Dutchmen committed 22 turnovers, their most in CAA play this year. And…well, you get the picture. It was a long shot the Dutchmen would sweep the season series and this one was never in doubt after the Panthers’ game-breaking run.

THE QUIRKY: The Dutchmen finished 12-of-41 from the field, which wasn’t good, but it wasn’t even their worst outing of the season (11-of-48 against George Mason). Oof.

3 STARS OF THE GAME (vs. Georgia State, 2/13)
3: Stevie Mejia
2: Stephen Nwaukoni
1: Jordan Allen

SEASON STANDINGS***
37: Stevie Mejia
31: Taran Buie
26: Stephen Nwaukoni
14: David Imes
10: Jordan Allen
5: Moussa Kone
3: Daquan Brown
2: Matt Grogan
1: Adam Savion

***21 points vacated

Email Jerry at defiantlydutch@yahoo.com or follow Defiantly Dutch at http://twitter.com/defiantlydutch.

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