Will the gang wrestle for the Dutchmen?
The Flying Dutchmen made it two straight regular season championships last Saturday, when they clinched an outright no. 1 seed at home for the first time ever by racing out to a 28-point halftime lead and cruising to a 97-81 win over James Madison. The Dutchmen will begin the task of trying to make it one straight tournament titles — and end their streak of 19 straight seasons without an NCAA Tournament berth — this afternoon, when they face Drexel in the CAA Tournament quarterfinals. Here’s a look back at the win over the Dukes and a look ahead to the Dragons as well as the Dutchmen’s history in conference tournaments.
THE MOST RECENT GAME SUMMARIZED IN ONE PARAGRAPH
Eli Pemberton had a Senior Day for the ages by scoring a career-high 35 points and fellow senior Desure Buie racked up 26 points (while shooting 7-of-11 from 3-point land) and nine assists as the Dutchmen drained a school-record 20 3-pointers and cruised past James Madison. Pemberton scored a whopping 24 points alone in the first half as the Dutchmen took the lead for good with a 9-0 run prior to the first media timeout and then ended the half on a 13-0 run to take a 61-33 lead. The Dutchmen, who ran the run to 16-0, led by as many as 34 in the second half and reached 90 points with more than 11 minutes to go before taking the air out of the ball. No Jim Larranagas or Ryan Pearsons here! Tareq Coburn, who came off the bench so that Connor Klementowicz could start on his Senior Day, scored 14 points while Jalen Ray snapped a two-game slump with 12 points. Klementowicz had a rebound and went 0-for-1 in five minutes of action.
3 STARS OF THE GAME (vs. James Madison 2/29)
3: Eli Pemberton
2: Desure Buie
1: Tareq Coburn
SEASON STANDINGS
Desure Buie 58
Eli Pemberton 43
Isaac Kante 35
Tareq Coburn 29
Jalen Ray 16
Stafford Trueheart 3
Omar Silverio 2
THIS IS THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF FRIENDS’ FIRST SEASON, WHAT WOULD THIS GAME BE TITLED IF IT WAS AN EPISODE OF FRIENDS?
The One On Leap Day When Connor Started And We Won The Regular Season Title
WAS THIS A UNICORN SCORE?
Yes! The Dutchmen beat Wagner 98-81 during the 1968-69 season and beat William & Mary 96-82 on Feb. 23, 2017. But they’d never won 97-81 before last Saturday. That’s two straight unicorn score victories for the Dutchmen and 12 overall this season, two more than last year. The term unicorn score was coined by Mets superfan, historian and blogger Greg Prince to describe a score by which the Mets had never previously won.
11/9/19: 94-74 over Monmouth
11/15/19: 111-69 over New York Tech
11/21/19: 88-78 over UCLA
12/1/19: 91-69 over Holy Cross
12/2/19: 64-57 over Canisius
12/10/19: 71-63 over SUNY-Stony Brook
1/4/20: 102-75 over Elon
1/30/20: 86-63 over Elon
2/1/20: 83-60 over William & Mary
2/15/20: 78-64 over UNC Wilmington
2/22/20: 78-62 over Delaware
2/29/20: 97-81 over James Madison
THE FLYING DUTCHMEN AFTER THIRTY-ONE GAMES
With the win over James Madison, the Dutchmen improved to 23-8. This ties the 2019-20 team for the fifth-best record through 31 games among the 18 teams that played at least 31 games. The 2015-16 team was also 23-8 through 31 games. All the seasons that have lasted at least 31 games have been played since 1997-98. Not only did the all the Hofstra teams that reach the Division II NCAA Tournament complete their season in 30 games or fewer, no Division I NCAA Tournament team played more than 31 games (TIL NOW, WE HOPE), as you’ll see below. Here’s one more look at how all those NCAA teams as well as the NIT teams fared through 31 games or the end of their seasons, as well as the 31-game record of every other Hofstra team to play at least 31 games.
NCAA DIVISION I TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1975-76: 18-12 (season ended with an 80-78 loss to UConn in the first round of the NCAA Tournament)
1976-77: 23-7 (season ended with a 90-83 loss to Notre Dame in the first round of the NCAA Tournament)
1999-2000: 24-7 (season ended with an 86-66 loss to Oklahoma State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament)
2000-01: 26-5 (season ended with a 61-48 loss to UCLA in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, which snapped the program-record, single-season 18-game winning streak)
NIT TEAMS
1998-99: 22-9 (lost to Drexel in America East semifinals)
2004-05: 21-9 (season ended with a 53-44 loss to Saint Joseph’s in the first round of the NIT)
2005-06: 25-6 (beat Nebraska, 73-62, in the first round of the NIT)
2006-07: 22-9 (lost to George Mason—PASS THE BALL TO AGUDIO, GREG—in the CAA quarterfinals)
2015-16: 23-8 (beat Drexel in the CAA quarterfinals)
2018-19: 25-6 (beat Delaware in regular season finale to clinch the outright CAA regular season title)
OTHER TEAMS TO PLAY AT LEAST 31 GAMES
2017-18: 19-12 (season ended with a loss to UNC Wilmington in the CAA quarterfinals)
2016-17: 15-16 (beat James Madison in regular season finale to get within one game of .500 for the fifth time since falling under .500 for good on Jan. 14)
2014-15: 19-12 (lost to James Madison in regular season finale)
2013-14: 9-22 (beat James Madison in regular season finale, Joe Mihalich's first season)
2012-13: 7-24 (lost to Towson in regular season finale)
2011-12: 10-21 (beat UNC Wilmington in regular season finale)
2010-11: 21-10 (beat William & Mary in CAA quarterfinals)
2009-10: 18-13 (beat Georgia State in regular season finale)
2008-09: 21-10 (beat UNC Wilmington in CAA first round)
2001-02: 12-19 (beat George Mason in CAA quarterfinals, hee hee)
1997-98: 19-12 (lost to Delaware in America East semifinals)
TWICE AS NICE
The back-to-back outright regular season titles put the Flying Dutchmen in some pretty elite company within the CAA, and an even more exclusive group in school history. The Dutchmen are the sixth CAA team to win at least two straight outright regular season championships and the first since VCU won its third straight title in 2009.
This also marks just the second time the Dutchmen have won consecutive outright regular season titles as a Division I program. Hofstra won the America East after producing back-to-back 16-2 seasons in 1999-2000 and 2000-01. Speaking of that…
THE 50-WIN CLUB
The win last Saturday was the 50th over the last two seasons for the Dutchmen, tying the school record for most victories in a two-year span set by the 1999-2000 (24-7) and 2000-01 (26-5) teams.
SELECT COMPANY FOR THE DUTCHMEN
The win over James Madison kept this stat on the books. As you likely know, the Dutchmen have had just two losing streaks, both of the two-game variety, since the start of the 2018-19 season. That makes Hofstra one of just 13 Division I teams in that span with two or fewer losing streaks, neither of which have lasted more than two games. Some pretty decent company here:
Houston (0)
Gonzaga (1)
Kansas (1)
Kentucky (1)
Liberty (1)
Murray State (1)
New Mexico State (1)
Vermont (1)
HOFSTRA (2)
Cincinnati (2)
Duke (2)
East Tennessee State (2)
San Diego State (2)
NOT A BAD HALF
The Dutchmen’s 61 first-half points last Saturday were the most they have scored in a half against a Division I foe in the Joe Mihalich era and second-most overall behind the 62 points the Dutchmen scored in the first half of a 107-54 win over Division III Rosemont on Dec. 22, 2018, In addition, the 28-point lead at the half was the fifth-largest for the Dutchmen since they joined the CAA and the biggest since Feb. 7, 2019, when the Dutchmen led Elon, 57-22, at the half.
ELITE HALF FOR PEMBERTON
Eli Pemberton led FOUR players in double figures in the first half last Saturday by scoring 24 points — more points than he scored in 108 of his first 125 career games. The 24-point half was the most productive by a Hofstra player since way back on Jan. 4, when Desure Buie scored 26 of his career-high 44 points in the second half against Elon.
A SENIOR DAY TO REMEMBER
Eli Pemberton’s 35-point effort Saturday not only shattered his career high — he reached 28 points three previous times — but are also believed to be the most by a Hofstra senior playing his home finale. Justin Wright-Foreman scored 33 points against James Madison on his Senior Day (his being Wright-Foreman’s, not James Madison’s) on Feb. 23, 2019.
DON’T FORGET DESURE
Desure Buie also had a pretty good Senior Day by racking up 26 points and draining 7-of-11 attempts from 3-point land. Buie finished one 3-pointer shy of tying the school record held by Brian Bernardi, who went 8-of-11 from 3-point land against Canisius on Nov. 13, 2015.
A START FOR CONNOR
Four-year walk-on Connor Klementowicz got some deserved playing time last Saturday, when he started for the first time and then dribbled out the clock on the win. Klementowicz became the fifth multi-year walk-on in the DD Era to start on his Senior Day, following in the footsteps of Tom Marich (1998), Jeff Fox (2001), Ryan Johnson (2008) and Matt Grogan (2013).
HOT SHOOTING
The Dutchmen hit 20 3-pointers last Saturday, easily breaking the previous school record of 17, equaled most recently against Elon on Feb. 7, 2019. Hofstra missed tying the CAA single-game record for 3-pointers by just one.
POINTS FROM THE BENCH
The Dutchmen officially got their first points from a reserve in more than three games when Tareq Coburn, who didn’t start so that Connor Klementowicz could, scored 14 points. Caleb Burgess also hit a 3-pointer in the second half to become the first true reserve to get in the scoring column since Stafford Trueheart against UNC Wilmington on Feb. 15.
BUIE’S CLIMB CONTINUES
Desure Buie moved up the all-time Hofstra scoring list again last Saturday, when he scored 26 points against James Madison to break a tie with Roberto Gittens for 20th place.Buie enters today 21 points away from surpassing Mike Tilley for 19th place.
19.) Mike Tilley 1,286 (1963-66)
20.) DESURE BUIE 1,266 (2015-present)
21.) Roberto Gittens 1,240 (1997-2001)
22.) Carlos Rivera 1,225 (2003-07)
23t.) Demetrius Dudley 1,220 (1991-93)
23t.) John Mills 1,220 (1941-43, 1946-47)
25t.) Brian Bernardi 1,186 (2014-17)
25t.) Juan’ya Green 1,186 (2014-16)
27.) Rokas Gustys 1,184 (2014-18)
Since joining the 1,000-point club on Jan. 4, Buie has gained at least one spot on the all-time scoring list in every game but one.
Jan. 4: 38th place
Jan. 9: 36th place
Jan. 16: 35th place
Jan. 18: 34th place
Jan. 23: 33rd place
Jan. 25: 32nd place
Jan. 30: 31st place
Feb. 1: 29th place
Feb. 8: T27th place
Feb. 13: 27th place
Feb. 15: 27th place
Feb. 20: 24th place
Feb. 22: 21st place
Feb. 27: T20th place
Feb. 29: 20th place
OVER THE AIR
Today’s game will be aired on FloHoops.com (subscription). Hofstra will carry live audio and offer live stats here.
THE DUTCHMEN IN CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT PLAY
The Dutchmen enter today 15-18 in CAA Tournament play since 2002, 24-23 in conference tournament play in the NAC/America East/CAA era (1994-present) and 27-23 in conference tournament play in the Defiantly Dutch era (1993-present), which, let’s face it, is the only era that matters because it includes the ECC. Hello Litos.
In the CAA, the Dutchmen have lost in the championship game three times — including last season, when they fell to Northeastern, 80-72 — fallen in the semifinals four times, been eliminated in the quarterfinals eight times and lost on Pillowfight Friday four times. Dating back to 1994, the Dutchmen have won three championships (1994 ECC, 2000 America East, 2001 America East), fallen in the title game three times, lost in the semifinals six times, fallen in the quarterfinals nine times and been eliminated in an outbracket game five times (we didn’t call it Pillowfight Friday back in the NAC).
Joe Mihalich-coached teams are 16-5 in their first conference tournament games.
THE ONE AND ONLY?
We’re going to spend however long the Dutchmen are in the CAA Tournament fretting over what could go wrong, but over the last 25 seasons, the no. 1 seed in Hofstra’s conference tournament is a halfway decent 65-8 in tourney play. That’s a winning percentage of .891. Since 1994, the no. 1 seed in Hofstra’s conference tournament has won it all 18 times and fallen in the finals five other times (eep). It has failed to make the championship game just three times.
In 37 seasons of CAA play, the no. 1 seed has gone 82-16 (a lower but still pretty good winning percentage of .837) while winning the championship 20 times and losing in the finals 11 times. It has fallen prior to the title game just six times.
Of course, if you want to look at the glass half-empty side of things, the last two no. 1 seeds to lose a game in the CAA Tournament and not win it all were…the Flying Dutchmen, who fell in the 2016 and championship games.
NUMBER ONES IN GAME NUMBER ONE
The no. 1 seed in Hofstra’s conference tournament has won its first game in each of the last 25 seasons. The only one to lose? Troy State (hey, it was a State back then) in the 1994 East Coast Conference semifinals, when the Trojans received a bye to the semifinals but lost to the Flying Dutchmen, 90-89, in overtime.
And in the CAA, the no. 2 seed is 36-1 all-time in its opening game. The only top seed to fall in the quarterfinals was the 1991 James Madison squad, which fell to Navy, 85-82, also in overtime. The no. 1 seed has won its last 28 openers. Ohhhh nooo.
HOFSTRA AS A NUMBER ONE SEED
The Flying Dutchmen are the no. 1 seed in the CAA Tournament for the third time and a no. 1 seed in a conference tournament for the fifth time. They have won two titles as the no. 1 seed and fallen in the title game the other three times.
2019 CAA: beat no. 8 James Madison in QFs, beat no. 5 Delaware in SFs, lost to no. 2 Northeastern in championship
2016 CAA: beat no. 9 Drexel in QFs, beat no. 5 William & Mary in SFs, lost to no. 2 UNCW in championship
2001 A-East: beat no. 8 Vermont in QFs, beat no. 4 Maine in SFs, beat no. 2 Delaware in championship
2000 A-East: beat no. 8 Boston U. in QFs, beat no. 5 Drexel in SFs, beat no. 2 Delaware in championship
1992 ECC: beat no. 4 UMBC in SFs, lost to no. 2 Towson in championship
JOE MIHALICH AS A NUMBER ONE SEED
A Joe Mihalich-coached team is a no. 1 seed for the sixth time. Mihalich, who steered Niagara to three regular season MAAC titles, has won one title as a no. 1 seed, fallen in the title game twice and lost in the semifinals twice.
2019 CAA: beat no. 8 James Madison in QFs, beat no. 5 Delaware in SFs, lost to no. 2 Northeastern in championship
2016 CAA: beat no. 9 Drexel in QFs, beat no. 5 William & Mary in SFs, lost to no. 2 UNCW in championship
2013 MAAC: beat no. 9 Siena in QFs, lost to no. 4 Iona in SFs
2005 MAAC: beat no. 5 Iona in SFs, beat no. 2 Rider in championship
1999 MAAC: beat no. 9 Loyola in QFs, lost to no. 5 St. Peter’s in SFs
ONCE, TWICE, THREE TIMES A VICTORY?
The Dutchmen swept Drexel in regular season action this year. Hofstra is 10-3 all-time when facing in a conference tournament a team it beat twice in the regular season.
2019: Beat Delaware
2017: Lost to Delaware
2016: Beat Drexel
2016: Beat W&M
2014: Beat UNCW
2011: Beat W&M
2009: Beat UNCW
2001: Beat Vermont (America East)
2001: Beat Maine (America East)
2000: Beat Boston U. (America East)
2000: Beat Drexel (America East)
1992: Beat UMBC (East Coast Conference)
1991: Lost to UMBC (East Coast Conference)
1984: Lost to Lafayette (East Coast Conference)
In addition, since the 2001-02 season, CAA teams are 51-20 when facing in a conference tournament a team they beat twice in the regular season. Elon beat James Madison yesterday after sweeping the regular season series. Two other quarterfinal games today pit a team against an opponent it beat twice this season: Charleston-Delaware and William & Mary-Elon.
DOING BATTLE WITH THE DRAGOS
The Dutchmen will face James Madison in a CAA Tournament game for the third time time. Hofstra earned an 89-77 win in a quarterfinal game Mar. 5, 2005 and a 80-67 win in a quarterfinal exactly 11 years later.
SCOUTING DREXEL
The Dragons, under fourth-year head coach Zach Spiker, advanced to the quarterfinals by outlasting UNC Wilmington, 66-55, on Saturday afternoon. Camren Wynter had 18 points and three assists while James Butler finished with seven points and 10 rebounds. Drexel, which improved to are which improved to 14-18, earned the no. 8 seed by going 6-12 in CAA play.
The Dutchmen and Dragons had one common foe in non-league play. Hofstra beat Princeton, 87-72 on Dec. 19 while Drexel handed the Tigers an 82-76 loss on Dec 4.
Both teams swept James Madison and split with Delaware and William & Mary in CAA play. The Dutchmen split with Towson and Charleston, both of whom swept Drexel. Hofstra swept UNC Wilmington and Elon, both of whom split with the Dragons, and swept Northeastern, which swept Drexel.
The Dutchmen, who were picked first in the CAA preseason poll, are ranked 119th at KenPom.com. The Dragons, who were picked eighth, are ranked 237th at KenPom.com.
According to KenPom.com, the Dutchmen rank first in the CAA in league-only offensive efficiency (114.4) and third in defensive efficiency (103.5). The Dragons rank eighth in the CAA in both league-only offensive efficiency (103.0) and defensive efficiency (107.7).
Sophomore guard Camren Wynter, who grew up in Hempstead, leads the Dragons with 16.2 points and 5.2 assists per game. Junior forward James Butler is averaging a double-double (13.2 points, 11.7 rebounds). Senior guard Zach Walton (12.1 points) is also scoring in double figures.
KenPom.com predicts a 77-70 win for the Dutchmen. Per the wise guys in Vegas, for entertainment purposes only, the Dutchmen are 5.5-point favorites as of this morning. The Dutchmen are 20-9-1 against the spread this season.
SCOUT SEZ
“Will be close. Walton a key matchup for Hofstra, which eventually outraces Drexel by 8-10 points.”
ALL-TIME VS. DREXEL
Hofstra is 45-46 against Drexel in a series that began during the 1958-59 season. The Dutchmen swept the Dragons this season by earning a 72-59 win in Hempstead on Jan. 25 and a 81-74 victory in Philadelphia on Feb. 20. The season sweep was the fifth in the last six years for Hofstra.
The Dutchmen and Dragons have opposed one another as members of the East Coast Conference, the North Atlantic Conference/America East and the CAA. The only opponent Hofstra has faced more than Drexel is Delaware, whom the Dutchmen have played 92 times.
THINGS YOU CAN SHOUT ON TWITTER IF CALLS GO DO NOT GO HOFSTRA’S WAY
The gang wrestled for the troops bias! (Know your Sunny, kids)
Rock fight bias! (Old school)
You owe us from the 1986 ECC final bias! (like anything in fandom, this pain is inherited)
Dan Crain bias! (The Drexel grad and usually good friend pens the Always A Dragon blog)
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