Daniel broke up with Ali at the end of The Karate Kid because she wouldn't switch her allegiances from Delaware to Hofstra.
It’s been four years since we could use the term “reeling” to describe the Flying Dutchmen, but the adjective surely fits after the Dutchmen fell to Delaware, 74-56, Friday afternoon for their third straight loss. The Dutchmen will try to begin climbing out of the deepening hole this afternoon, when they are scheduled to complete the series at Delaware. Here’s a look back at the loss to the Blue Hens as well as last Saturday’s loss to Northeastern and a look ahead to…yup, the Blue Hens (this won’t be fun, sorry kids).
THE GAME BEFORE THE MOST RECENT GAME SUMMARIZED IN ONE PARAGRAPH
The Dutchmen scored 19 unanswered points spanning the halves to turn a 12-point deficit into a seven-point lead but just 18 points in the final 13 minutes as Northeastern completed a sweep of the home-and-home with a 67-56 win on Jan. 9. It marked the second straight dramatic momentum swing absorbed by the Dutchmen, who blew a 19-point lead in an 81-78 overtime loss two days earlier. Tareq Coburn scored 15 points and Jalen Ray had 14 points, though he was 0-for-5 from 3-point land. Caleb Burgess scored seven of his 10 points during the 19-0 run and finished with five assists. Isaac Kante (15 rebounds) and KVonn Cramer (11 rebounds) each got into double digits on the boards.
3 STARS OF THE GAME (vs. Northeastern 1/9)
3: Tareq Coburn
2: Caleb Burgess
1: Isaac Kante
SEASON STANDINGS
Isaac Kante 18
Jalen Ray 17
Tareq Coburn 16
Caleb Burgess 10
KVonn Cramer 4
Kevin Schutte 1
THE MOST RECENT GAME SUMMARIZED IN ONE PARAGRAPH
The suddenly undermanned Dutchmen trailed for the final 31-plus minutes against the similarly undermanned Blue Hens, who ended the game on a 14-0 run. Eep. The Dutchmen trailed by as many as 11 in the first half and got as close as one point six times but allowed Delaware to score on the subsequent possession each of the last five times. Jalen Ray scored 25 points but was just 1-of-5 from 3-point land for the Dutchmen, who finished 3-of-16 from beyond the arc. Isaac Kante had 10 points and eight rebounds but struggled to contain Dylan Painter, who nearly posted the Hugh Downs (19 points, 18 rebounds). Starters Caleb Burgess (eight points), Tareq Coburn (seven points) and KVonn Cramer (six points) were the only other players to score as the Dutchmen went just seven deep. The Dutchmen finished with 15 turnovers and just five assists.
3 STARS OF THE GAME (vs. Delaware 1/15)
3: Jalen Ray
2: Isaac Kante
1: Caleb Burgess
SEASON STANDINGS
Jalen Ray 20
Isaac Kante 20
Tareq Coburn 16
Caleb Burgess 11
KVonn Cramer 4
Kevin Schutte 1
THE FLYING DUTCHMEN AFTER TWELVE GAMES
With their third straight loss Friday, the Dutchmen fell to 6-6, which is tied for the 44th-best start in school history. Or, if you’re a Debbie Downer, it’s for the 28th-worst start in school history. #WompWomp Nine other teams began 6-6, but this year’s split through 12 games marks the first time its happened since 1995-96, my second senior year. That season didn’t end so well. Only three other 12-game records have gone longer without being represented. Here is how some notable Hofstra teams have fared through 12 games.
NCAA TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1975-76: 6-6
1976-77: 9-3
1999-2000: 8-4
2000-01: 8-4
2019-20 (IT COUNTS TO US): 8-4
NIT TEAMS
1998-99: 8-4
2004-05: 10-2
2005-06: 10-2 (most recent 10-2 start)
2006-07: 8-4
2015-16: 8-4
2018-19: 9-3 (most recent 9-3 start, marked sixth win in the 16-game winning streak)
NCAA DIVISION II TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1958-59: 8-4
1961-62: 11-1
1962-63: 8-4
1963-64: 11-1 (most recent 11-1 start)
Some other notable 12-game starts:
2017-18: 7-5 (most recent 7-5 start)
2013-14: 4-8 (most recent 4-8 start)
2012-13: 3-9 (most recent 3-9 start)
2011-12: 5-7 (most recent 5-7 start)
2002-03: 2-10 (most recent 2-10 start)
1994-95: 2-10 (Jay Wright’s first team)
1993-94: 1-11 (VBK’s last team, most recent 1-11 start)
1959-60: 11-1 (win in 12th game marked first win in season-ending 13-game winning streak)
1955-56: 12-0 (only 12-0 start in school history)
1947-48: 9-1 (loss to Brooklyn Polytech in 10th game was first of season)
The Dutchmen have never opened a season 0-12.
Full records not available for the following seasons: 1936-37, 1941-42, 1942-43, 1945-46, 1948-49, 1951-52, 1954-55, 1957-58.
This feature is inspired by Greg Prince, who measures how the current Mets compare, record-wise, to previous teams through the same point in the season.
THREE IS NOT A MAGIC NUMBER (part one)
The Dutchmen have lost three straight games for the first time since Dec. 20-30, 2017, when they dropped non-conference games to Manhattan (63-61 at Adelphi) and Villanova (95-71 in Jay Wright’s Nassau Coliseum homecoming) before losing the CAA opener to William & Mary (90-87). The Dutchmen snapped the skid with a 71-70 win over Northeastern on Jan. 2, 2018, which means they went 1,109 days in between losing streaks of at least three games. That’s the longest span between losing streak of at least three games for the Dutchmen since an 1,816-day span between an 80-66 win over Vermont on Jan. 2, 1997 (a victory that snapped a seven-game losing streak) and a 70-58 loss to Drexel on Dec. 23, 2001 that marked the third loss in a five-game losing streak. In other words: It’s been a pretty good three-year span.
THREE IS NOT A MAGIC NUMBER (part two)
The three-game CAA losing streak, meanwhile, is the first for the Dutchmen since a six-game skid from Jan. 2-19, 2017. That’s the one Daniel Dixon started with his buzzer-beating 3-pointer followed by the six-shooter motion in the direction of the Hofstra bench. You can’t hurt us anymore, Daniel!
Anyway, the other nine CAA teams combined for 39 losing streaks of at least three games in between Hofstra’s losing streaks of at least three games. Drexel had eight CAA losing streaks of at least three games in between Hofstra’s three-game skids. On the other end of the spectrum, Northeastern and Charleston had just one apiece. Speaking of Charleston, the last CAA team to go as long between three-game conference losing streaks was the Cougars, who went a little more than four years between a three-game losing streak from Jan. 9-16, 2016 and a four-game skid from Feb. 8-22, 2020.
THE THREES ARE NOT FALLING
The Dutchmen made five or fewer 3-pointers for the third straight game Friday. That’s the longest streak for the Dutchmen since — and this probably isn’t a coincidence — they made five or fewer 3-pointers in four straight games from Dec 20, 2017 through Jan. 2, 2018.
NOT VERY NOSTALGIC FOR THESE TRIPS TO THE ‘50S
Speaking of threes not dropping…the back-to-back losses to Northeastern and Delaware mark the first time the Dutchmen have been held below 60 points in consecutive games since Jan. 25-27, 2014, when they fell to Northeastern 70-57 and Towson 76-58 during Joe Mihalich’s first season at the helm.
NO BENCH BRIGADE
With Kevin Schutte, David Green and Omar Silverio out and Zion Bethea still battling an injury, the Dutchmen went just seven-deep and received no points from their reserves Friday. The seven players used by Hofstra were the fewest since seven players appeared in an 81-74 win over Drexel on Feb. 20, 2020 and the zero bench points marked the first time reserves were scoreless since the 70-61 win over Northeastern in the CAA title game on Mar. 10, 2020. The Dutchmen had only five players score against Iona on Dec. 2, when Green was scoreless as a starter and KVonn Cramer had nine points off the bench.
WELCOME BACK
Stafford Trueheart, who was injured the first six weeks, made his season debut Friday, when he had two rebounds in six second-half minutes. Three players on the roster have yet to play this season: Injured freshman Zion Bethea and walk-ons Carl Gibson Jr. and Cole Eiber.
TERRIBLE TEENS
Delaware ended the game on a 14-0 run Friday. That’s the longest game-ending run by a Hofstra opponent since at least Nov. 23, 2015, when Indiana State ended on a 9-0 run to stun the Dutchmen, 67-66.
HEY NINETEEN (wasn’t enough again)
The Dutchmen fell to Northeastern on Jan. 9 despite a half-spanning 19-0 run. It marks the second time in the last 12 months the Dutchmen have lost despite a run of at least 18 unanswered points. The Dutchmen had an 18-0 run in a 73-71 loss to Delaware on Jan. 23, 2020.
SWEPT AWAY (probably)
Northeastern’s sweep of the Dutchmen last weekend not only gave the Huskies tentative possession of the Barone Bowl (boooo) but also marked the first time Hofstra has lost twice to the same opponent in the regular season since Charleston swept the season series in 2017-18. The preceding paragraph was filled with hedging because it’s 2020-21 and there is a non-zero chance Hofstra and Northeastern play once or 10 times more in the regular season due to coronavirus-related postponements around the CAA. (And also the Barone Bowl remains ours if Hofstra wins a CAA Tournament rematch, so don’t go clearing space on your virtual mantle just yet, Brodsky!)
RAY MOVIN’ ON UP
Jalen Ray continued moving up Hofstra’s all-time scoring list Friday, when his 25 points increased his career total to 1,104 points and lifted him past Ameen Tanksley into 33rd place. He needs four points this afternoon to move past Richie Swartz into 32nd place, 25 points to move past Mike Moore into 31st place and 29 points to surpass Wandy Williams for 30th place.
29.) Nathaniel Lester 1,139
30.) Wandy Williams 1,132
31.) Mike Moore 1,128
32.) Richie Swartz 1,107
33.) JALEN RAY 1,104
34.) Ameen Tanksley 1,090
35.) Derrick Flowers 1,069
36.) Darius Burton 1,060
37.) Percy Johnson 1,045
38.) James Shaffer, 1,022
39.) John Irving 1,018
OVER THE AIR
Today’s game will be aired on FloHoops.com (subscription required). Hofstra will provide a radio feed and live stats at the Pride Productions hub.
SCOUTING DELAWARE
The Blue Hens, under fifth-year head coach Martin Ingelsby, are 4-5 overall and 2-2 in the CAA after Friday’s win.
The Dutchmen and Blue Hens had no common foes in non-league play.
The Dutchmen, who were picked first in the CAA preseason poll, are ranked 175th at KenPom.com — a drop of 22 points since Friday. Oof. The Blue Hens, who were picked second, are ranked 249th, a gain of 20 points since Friday.
According to KenPom.com, the Dutchmen rank third in the CAA in offensive efficiency (101.1), a drop of two spots since Friday, and third in defensive efficiency (102.6). The Blue Hens are last in the CAA in offensive efficiency (96.9) and fifth in defensive efficiency (104.1), a gain of two spots since Friday.
The Blue Hens, who appeared primed to enter the season as CAA favorites before Justyn Mutts transferred to Virginia Tech and Nate Darling turned pro, are led in scoring by senior guard Ryan Allen (15.1 ppg) Junior Dylan Painter, a Villanova transfer, is averaging a double-double (12.0 ppg and 10.4 rebounds per game) following his huge game Friday afternoon. Kevin Anderson is averaging 12.0 ppg and a team-high 3.0 assists per game but has missed the last three games for Delaware, which was down to seven available scholarship players Friday (hey that sounds familiar).
KenPom.com predicts a 69-68 win for the Dutchmen. Per the wise guys in Vegas, for entertainment purposes only, the Dutchmen are 2.5-point favorites. The Dutchmen are 5-7 against the spread this season, including 0-5 in CAA play. Never bet, kids.
ALL-TIME VS. DELAWARE
Hofstra is 61-34 against Delaware in a series that began during the 1954-55 season. The Blue Hens are Hofstra’s most common foe. The Dutchmen and Delaware were rivals in the East Coast Conference and the North Atlantic Conference/America East before heading to the CAA, along with Drexel and Towson, for the 2001-02 season.
Delaware is looking to sweep the season series for the first time since the 2013-14 season, when the Blue Hens followed up their regular season wins by eliminating the Dutchmen from the CAA Tournament. Last year’s split marked the first time the teams split the season series since way back in 2007-08. Hofstra earned sweeps in each of the next three seasons, Delaware swept the next three season series and the Dutchmen swept the following five season series.
THINGS YOU CAN SHOUT ON TWITTER IF CALLS GO DO NOT GO HOFSTRA’S WAY
Elisabeth Shue bias! (The crush of every guy who grew up in the ‘80s was born in Delaware, also, no Cobra Kai spoilers, still two seasons behind thank you very much)
Delino DeShields bias! (The former big leaguer was born in Delaware)
Nasir Adderley bias! (The Chargers safety was a second-round pick out of Delaware in 2019, thereby giving the Blue Hens’ football program some publicity)
Devon Saddler bias! (He led Delaware to its most recent NCAA Tournament in 2014)
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