TGTBATQ: William & Mary 72, Hofstra 59 (Or: Our déjà vu déjà vu)

(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: David Imes began his final month of regular season play in impressive fashion with a team-high 16 points (on 7-of-12 shooting) and seven rebounds. (Not that I’m psychic or anything, but it’s a sign of things to come) Stevie Mejia had 11 points, four rebounds, four assists and no turnovers, the first (and thus far only) time all season he had an infinite assist-to-turnover ration. Stephen Nwaukoni sat for the first 27 minutes because of a coach’s decision but racked up 10 points (on 4-of-5 shooting) and seven rebounds the rest of the way.

THE BAD: Mejia was just 3-of-14 from the floor. Taran Buie (3-of-18) was even worse as his epic shooting slump deepened (yeah, that was a sign of things to come too). Hard to win in a guard-heavy league when your starters are 6-of-32 from the field. Outside of Imes, Nwaukoni and Jordan Allen (2-of-2 shooting), the Dutchmen were an ice-cold 8-of-40 shooting. Ironically, in that it’s not ironic at all, this happened on Groundhog Day. The Dutchmen trailed by at least nine points for the final 34 minutes. And William & Mary star Tim “Beasthoven” Rusthoven ate the Dutchmen up to the tune of 17 points and 16 rebounds. #BEASTHOVEN indeed.

THE QUIRKY: Jody Card, the Iraq veteran who joined the Dutchmen after the morons were kicked off the team, made his season debut by playing in the final minute. He became the 27th walk-on to play for Hofstra this season (I may be exaggerating a tad). Allen became the first Hofstra player to foul out since he fouled out against Delaware on Jan. 9, a span of six games. William & Mary beat the Dutchmen 72-59 a mere 21 days after Hofstra beat the Fighting Bill Lawrences 70-59. Sure, it sounds meaningless, but you wouldn’t be saying that if the CAA would only use the CBA’s old tiebreaker rules! (That one is for @NUHF)

3 STARS OF THE GAME (vs. William & Mary, 2/2)

3: David Imes

2: Stephen Nwaukoni

1: Stevie Mejia

SEASON STANDINGS***

31: Taran Buie

29: Stevie Mejia

20: Stephen Nwaukoni

14: David Imes

7: Jordan Allen

5: Moussa Kone

3: Daquan Brown

2: Matt Grogan

***21 points vacated

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