Hey whippersnappers, this is a real World Series Game 7 for the ages.
The Flying Dutchmen concluded a reasonably successful Gulf Coast Showcase on Friday, when they cruised to an 89-56 win over Division III Medaille College in what amounted to an opening round game (don’t ask) at the Arena. The Dutchmen will see if their new defense is A Real Thing tonight, when they board a bus and head to upper Manhattan to face Columbia (reminder: previous foe Manhattan College is actually located in the Bronx). Here’s a look back a the win over Medaille and a look ahead to Columbia.
THE MOST RECENT GAME SUMMARIZED IN ONE PARAGRAPH
The Dutchmen gave up fewer than 60 points for the second straight game and only the fifth time in the last two seasons. Medaille shot just 32 percent, the lowest percentage by a Hofstra opponent since Charleston shot 23.1 percent in the Dutchmen’s 73-40 win on Feb. 25, 2015. Justin Wright-Foreman scored 18 points, including 13 in the second half, to pace the Dutchmen, to lead four players in double figures. Brian Bernardi had 17 points while Ty Greer added 13 points and eight rebounds and Deron Powers chipped in with 11 points. Freshman Eli Pemberton had eight points but a team-high six assists and Rokas Gustys pulled down 14 rebounds while adding eight points. Hunter Sabety had seven points, six rebounds and five blocks in just 12 minutes.
3 STARS OF THE GAME (vs. Medaille 11/25)
3: Justin Wright-Foreman
2: Ty Greer
1: Brian Bernardi
SEASON STANDINGS
Eli Pemberton 10
Justin Wright-Foreman 8
Brian Bernardi 8
Rokas Gustys 7
Deron Powers 5
Ty Greer 4
PRESEASON TOURNAMENTS
The Dutchmen finished 3-1 in the Gulf Coast Showcase, their best record in a preseason tournament since going 3-1 during one of the “You Are Playing In This Because You Hosted A CBI Game” tournaments “run” in 2012-13 by Gazelle Group. Hofstra is now 22-25 in preseason tournament play in the CAA era.
GETTING IN THE BOXSCORE
Junior Andre Walker and freshmen Connor Klementowicz and Tommy Ros each played for the first time this season on Friday. Walker had three blocks and two rebounds in four minutes while Klementowicz drained his only field goal attempt, a 3-pointer with 44 seconds left that served as the Dutchmen’s final points. Ros missed his lone shot.
THE DEFENSE DOES NOT REST
The Dutchmen improved to 17-1 under Joe Mihalich when allowing fewer than 60 points in a game. The 56 points allowed are tied for the fifth-fewest surrendered by a Mihalich-coached team at Hofstra.
vs. Charleston 2/25/15: 73-40 W
vs. Appalachian State 12/7/14: 68-51 W
vs. UNCW 2/8/14: 61-52 W
vs. Florida Atlantic 12/22/15: 68-54 W
vs. Jackson State 11/28/14: 86-56 W
vs. Central Connecticut State 12/31/14: 84-56 W
vs. UNCW 1/3/15: 68-56 W
vs. Medaille 11/25/16: 89-56 W
TWICE AS NICE
The Dutchmen allowed 60 points or fewer for the second straight game — only the third time they have achieved that during the Mihalich era. The Dutchmen have surrendered 60 or fewer points in three consecutive games just once under Mihalich.
vs. UNCW 2/8/14: 61-52 W
vs. James Madison 2/10/14: 59-53 L
vs. Central Connecticut State 12/31/14: 84-56 W
vs. UNCW 1/3/15: 68-56 W
vs. Delaware 1/5/15: 71-58 W
vs. South Dakota 11/23/16: 65-57 W
vs. Medaille 11/25/16: 89-56 W
AN INTERESTING QUOTE THAT PROVIDES A SEGUE TO TONIGHT
“I know it was a Division III team. Still second game in a row where we held a team in the 50s. I don’t know if we can do that all the time. We can be better defensively, So we’ll see what we can do Tuesday.”—Joe Mihalich
OVER THE AIR
The Ivy League Digital Network will carry the live video from Columbia while the Hofstra radio feed can be found at the Pride Productions hub.
PLEADING FOR A FIFTH
Hofstra is looking to start 5-3 for the first time since 2010-11 and the fourth time in the CAA era.
Joe Mihalich-coached teams have opened 5-3 three times (2004-05, 2007-08, 2009-10)
COLUMBIA AND THE IVY LEAGUE
Hofstra is 10-2 all-time against Columbia. The Lions won the most recent meeting between the teams on Dec. 20, 2014, when they edged the Dutchmen 82-77 at Levien Gymnasium.
At KenPom.com today, Hofstra is ranked 178th while Columbia is ranked 206th.
Columbia, which won the College Insider Tournament last season under former coach Kyle Smith, is 3-2 this season under Jim Engles, who spent the previous eight seasons building the program at New Jersey Tech. The Lions and Dutchmen have one mutual foe, Stony Brook. Columbia beat the Seawolves, 73-66, in the season opener for both schools on Nov. 11.
Hofstra is 28-17 all-time against Ivy League schools. Columbia is the only Ivy League school Hofstra has faced in the last six seasons.
WRIGHT-FOREMAN AS THE CLOSER
Sophomore Justin Wright-Foreman continued thriving in the second half on Friday, when he scored 13 of his team-high 18 points in the final 20 minutes. Wright-Foreman has scored 80 points this season, including 59 in the second half.
PEMBERTON HITS 100
Eli Pemberton scored fewer than 10 points for the second straight game Friday, when he finished with eight points in the win over Medaille. But Pemberton, who was the first Hofstra freshman since Antoine Agudio (2004-05) to open his career by scoring in double digits in his first five games, is already the 19th Dutchmen freshman in the CAA era to score at least 100 points in his debut season. He is five points away from surpassing Woody Souffrant for 17th place on the CAA-era freshman scoring list.
1.) Antoine Agudio, 452 (2004-05)
2.) Charles Jenkins, 436 (2007-08)
3.) Kenny Adeleke, 433 (2001-02)
4.) Loren Stokes, 374 (2003-04)
5.) Chaz Williams, 325 (2009-10)
6.) Jamall Robinson, 312 (2013-14)
7.) Halil Kanacevic, 294 (2009-10)
8.) Carlos Rivera, 226 (2003-04)
9.) Nathaniel Lester, 189 (2007-08)
10.) Shemiye McLendon, 178 (2010-11)
11.) Wendell Gibson, 153 (2001-02)
12.) Jordan Allen, 152 (2012-13)
13.) Chris Jenkins, 151 (2013-14)
14.) Rokas Gustys, 140 (2014-15)
15.) Mike Radziejewski, 138 (2001-02)
16.) Aurimas Kieza, 126 (2002-03)
17.) Woody Souffrant, 110 (2001-02)
18.) ELI PEMBERTON, 104 (2016-17)
19.) Moussa Kone, 100 (2011-12)
GUSTYS IS LUCKY 13
With his 14 rebounds on Tuesday, junior Rokas Gustys moved past Gerald King into 13th place on Hofstra’s all-time list. He is just the third Dutchmen in the CAA era to record at least 700 rebounds.
11.) Jim Boatwright, 751
12.) Ed Moor, 746
13.) ROKAS GUSTYS, 702
BERNARDI THIRD FOR THREES
Senior Brian Bernardi hit three 3-pointers Friday and now has 197 in his two-plus seasons at Hofstra. He is just fur behind Carlos Rivera for second on the school’s all-time list.
1.) Antoine Agudio, 357
2.) Carlos Rivera, 201
3.) BRIAN BERNARDI, 197
THINGS YOU CAN SHOUT ON TWITTER IF CALLS GO DO NOT GO HOFSTRA’S WAY
Hamilton bias! (The subject of Donald Trump’s favorite play founded Columbia)
Obama bias! (The current President graduated from Columbia)
Gene Larkin bias! (The infielder who delivered the World Series-winning hit for the Minnesota Twins in 1991 graduated from Columbia)
You can’t end Gilmore Girls like that bias! (Lauren Graham, i.e. Lorelai Gilmore, graduated from Columbia)
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