It's lights out for the Dutchmen if they don't win today! (Wait, we're no longer going crazy with each loss)
Good times, bad times, terrible times — you can always count on the Flying Dutchmen and Northeastern playing wildly entertaining basketball games. The Dutchmen’s hopes of an unbeaten CAA season evaporated during a second-half collapse Thursday afternoon, when Northeastern overcame a 19-point deficit to earn an 81-78 overtime win. The Dutchmen will (hopefully) look to avoid a sweep that would put them in an early-season hole this afternoon, when they are scheduled to face Northeastern in the back end of the home-and-home. Here’s a look back at the loss to the Huskies and the game against the…Huskies. (Yup, still weird)
THE MOST RECENT GAME SUMMARIZED IN ONE PARAGRAPH
Isaac Kante (19 points, eight rebounds) led five double-digit scorers for the Dutchmen, who raced out to a 12-point first-half lead, fell behind by a point, led by 17 points at intermission and extended the lead to 19 points early in the second half before it all fell apart in “thank goodness this didn’t happen in the CAA title game” fashion. The Dutchmen scored 51 points in the first 22:17 and just 27 points the rest of the way as they went 9-of-25 from the field — including 1-of-10 from 3-point land — while committing six turnovers after taking their final 19-point lead. Caleb Burgess matched his career-highs with 15 points and eight assists and, like Kante, finished 7-of-10 from the field. But the rest of the Dutchmen were a combined 16-of-43. Jalen Ray was just 5-of-19 from the field, including 2-of-9 from inside the 3-point arc, and finished with 15 points. He missed the potential game-tying 3-pointer at the overtime buzzer. Tareq Coburn had 13 points while KVonn Cramer produced a double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) in his first career start. The Dutchmen allowed Northeastern to go 20-of-34 from the field after halftime, including 8-of-17 from beyond the arc.
3 STARS OF THE GAME (vs. Northeastern 1/7)
3: Isaac Kante
2: Caleb Burgess
1: KVonn Cramer
SEASON STANDINGS
Isaac Kante 17
Jalen Ray 17
Tareq Coburn 13
Caleb Burgess 8
KVonn Cramer 4
Kevin Schutte 1
COACHSPEAK: “Tale of two halves. Probably played our best half of the year in that first 20 minutes. Certainly followed up by our worst half of the year. Strange that a team could do that and play so well and then just lose their identity and come out that way in the second half.”—acting head coach Mike Farrelly
THE FLYING DUTCHMEN AFTER TEN GAMES
With the loss Thursday, the Dutchmen fell to 6-4, which is tied for the 28th-best start in school history. Fourteen other teams began 6-4, including last year’s CAA champions. Here is how some notable Hofstra teams have fared through 10 games.
NCAA TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1975-76: 5-5
1976-77: 7-3
1999-2000: 6-4
2000-01: 7-3
2019-20 (IT COUNTS TO US): 6-4
NIT TEAMS
1998-99: 6-4
2004-05: 9-1 (most recent 9-1 start, loss to Syracuse in 10th game was first of season)
2005-06: 8-2
2006-07: 6-4
2015-16: 6-4
2018-19: 7-3 (most recent 7-3 start, marked fourth win in the 16-game winning streak)
NCAA DIVISION II TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1958-59: 6-4
1961-62: 9-1
1962-63: 7-3
1963-64: 9-1
Some other notable eight-game starts:
2013-14: 3-7 (most recent 3-7 start)
2008-09: 8-2 (most recent 8-2 start)
2007-08: 2-8 (most recent 2-8 start)
2003-04: 4-6 (most recent 4-6 start)
2002-03: 1-9 (most recent 1-9 start)
2001-02: 5-5 (most recent 5-5 start, at .500 for the last time)
1994-95: 2-8 (Jay Wright’s first team)
1993-94: 1-9 (VBK’s last team)
1960-61: 10-0 (most recent 10-0 start)
1959-60: 10-0
1955-56: 10-0
1947-48: 9-1 (loss to Brooklyn Polytech in 10th game was first of season)
The Dutchmen have never opened a season 0-10.
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.
HEY NINETEEN (wasn’t enough)
The Dutchmen led 51-32 when Northeastern began its comeback. The 19-point lead is the biggest squandered lead in a loss by Hofstra since Feb. 4, 2016, when the Dutchmen led UNC Wilmington by 20 points in the first half of a 70-67 loss. Good news: The Dutchmen returned the favor by overcoming an 18-point deficit in the first half of the rematch, which they won 70-69 on Feb. 25, 2016. The double-digit blown lead was the first for the Dutchmen since they led Delaware by 10 points in the first half of a 73-71 loss on Jan. 23, 2020.
OK MAYBE DON’T GET TO THE WORKIN’ OVERTIME PART
The Dutchmen played an overtime game for the first time since Mar. 11, 2019, when they outlasted Delaware, 78-74, in the CAA semifinals. The 44 games in between overtime contests is the longest for the Dutchmen since they went a whopping 97 games between overtime contests from Dec. 1, 2001 through Jan. 5, 2004. The Dutchmen are 5-10 in overtime games since Joe Mihalich arrived prior to the 2013-14 season and 21-16 overall in overtime during the CAA era (2001-present).
1010101010 LOSES
The Dutchmen had five players in double figures for the second straight game Thursday. It marked the first time they put five players in double figures in back-to-back-games since Mar. 2-10, 2019, when Justin Wright-Foreman, Eli Pemberton, Desure Buie, Jacquil Taylor and Jalen Ray all scored in double figures in the regular season finale against Delaware and the CAA quarterfinals against James Madison. Unfortunately for the Dutchmen, Thursday also marked the first time they’ve put five players in double figures in a loss since Nov. 19, 2017, when Wright-Foreman, Pemberton, Rokas Gustys, Kenny Wormley and Stafford Trueheart all scored 10 or more points in an 89-78 loss to Auburn.
ONE DOUBLE-DOUBLE STREAK ENDS…
Isaac Kante led the Dutchmen in both scoring and rebounding Thursday, but his streak of double-doubles ended at four games. It was the longest streak of double-doubles by a Hofstra player since Rokas Gustys had eight in a row from Feb. 7-Mar. 5, 2016.
…ANOTHER DOUBLE-DOUBLE STREAK BEGINS?
Freshman KVonn Cramer recorded a double-double in his first career start Thursday, when he finished with exactly 10 points and 10 rebounds. It was the second double-double this season for Cramer, making him the first Hofstra freshman with multiple double-doubles in his first 10 games since one of the He Who Shall Not Be Nameds had three double-doubles in the seven games he played in November 2012 before…well, you know.
CALEB BURGEONING
Sophomore point guard Caleb Burgess continued his star turn Thursday, when he finished with 15 points and eight assists. It was the second straight game he’s had exactly 15 points and eight assists. Burgess is the first Hofstra player with at least 15 points and eight assists in back-to-back games since Deron Powers had 21 points and eight assists in a 96-80 loss to Elon on Jan. 12, 2017 and 20 points and eight assists in n 84-76 loss to UNC Wilmington on Jan. 14, 2017.
RAY MOVIN’ ON UP
Jalen Ray continued moving up Hofstra’s all-time scoring list Thursday, when his 15 points increased his career total to 1,065 points and lifted him past Darius Burton into 35th place. He needs five points this afternoon to move past Derrick Flowers into 34th place. Ray has gained at least a half-spot on the list in each of the last four games. He vaulted past John Irving with his 23-point effort against Richmond on Dec. 22, which tied Ray with James Shaffer for 37th place all-time. Ray broke that tie by scoring seven points against William & Mary on Jan. 2 and moved past Percy Johnson for 36th place by scoring 21 points against the Tribe in the rematch last Sunday.
33.) Ameen Tanksley 1,090
34.) Derrick Flowers 1,069
35.) JALEN RAY, 1,065
36.) Darius Burton 1,060
37.) Percy Johnson 1,045
38.) James Shaffer, 1,022
39.) John Irving 1,018
NOT RAY’S BEST DAY
Despite moving past Burton, Ray scuffled against Northeastern, which limited him to 5-of-19 shooting. Ray is the first Hofstra player to hit five or fewer field goals in 19 or more attempts since Desure Buie was 5-of-20 in a 72-59 win over Drexel on Jan. 25, 2020.
MORE HOFSTRA HARDWARE
Isaac Kante kept the Player of the Week award in the family last week, when he was (spoiler alert) named the CAA Player of the Week after collecting 28 points and 28 rebounds (hey, 28-28 is a good football score!) and posting double-doubles in the series sweep of William & Mary. Kante succeeded Jalen Ray, who won the previous two Player of the Week honors. It’s the first time players from one school have earned at least a share of Player of the Week honors three straight weeks since Feb. 15-29, 2016, when Hofstra also did it with Rokas Gustys (Feb. 15), Juan’ya Green (shared with Northeastern’s Quincy Ford Feb. 22) and Green (Feb. 29). Yeah that’s right.
TAREQ TOES THE LINE
Tareq Coburn hit just one field goal on his way to a 12-point performance against William & Mary last Sunday. Coburn was 1-of-3 from the field but 9-of-9 from the free throw line. Somewhat appropriately, his one field goal was 3-pointer on which he was fouled before he converted the free throw for the rare 4-point play. Coburn is the first Hofstra player to reach double digits while hitting one or fewer field goals since Mike Moore, who scored 11 points while going 1-of-7 from the field and 8-of-8 from the free throw line in that glorious 87-74 win over George Mason on Jan. 5, 2011. Coburn’s performance from the line also marked the most makes without a miss by a Hofstra player since Eli Pemberton hit all 10 of his free throws in a 78-62 win over Delaware on Feb 22, 2020.
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 NORTHEASTERN
The Huskies, under 15th-year head coach Bill Coen, are 4-5 overall and 3-0 in the CAA after Thursday’s comeback win.
The Dutchmen and Huskies had no common foes in non-league play.
The Dutchmen, who were picked first in the CAA preseason poll, are ranked 149th at KenPom.com. The Huskies, who were picked seventh, are ranked 156th.
According to KenPom.com, the Dutchmen rank first in the CAA in offensive efficiency (103.0) and third in defensive efficiency (101.8). The Huskies are sixth in the CAA in offensive efficiency (99.6) and first in defensive efficiency (99.0).
Coen apparently cloned Jordan Roland in the form of Shaquille Walters and Jason Strong, both of whom went 7-for-10 from the field, including 4-of-5 from 3-point land, in Thursday’s victory. Walters finished with 20 points and seven rebounds and is now averaging 10.4 points and a team-high 6.8 rebounds per game. Strong’s 18-point effort also nudged his scoring average into double figures at 10.3 ppg. Tyson Walker, who was named to the preseason all-CAA second team, had 11 points and nine assists Thursday and leads Northeastern with 15.7 points and 5.7 assists per game. Freshman forward Jahmyl Telfort, the reigning CAA rookie of the week, scored nine points Thursday and is averaging 12.1 ppg.
KenPom.com predicts a 70-69 loss for the Dutchmen. Per the wise guys in Vegas, for entertainment purposes only, the Dutchmen are 1-point underdogs. The Dutchmen are 5-5 against the spread this season but 0-3 in CAA play.
ALL-TIME VS. NORTHEASTERN
Hofstra is 26-24 against Northeastern in a series that began during the 1949-50 season. All but three of the meetings have come in conference play since the 1994-95 season, when Hofstra joined the North Atlantic Conference. The Dutchmen are looking to avoid being swept in the regular season series for the first time since 2014-15.
THE BARONE BOWL
The Barone Bowl was established by me and Northeastern graduate Mike Brodsky during the 2009-10 season, after Northeastern and Hofstra dropped football within two weeks of one another (Hofstra’s decision, of course, was reached after a multi-year study, wink wink nudge nudge). Did you know? Hofstra hosted Northeastern last season in our first Winter Homecoming!
The Barone Bowl pays homage to the episode of Everybody Loves Raymond in which a Hofstra kicker boots a 68-yard field goal against Northeastern but Frank Barone catches the ball and refuses to give it up. Apparently that wasn’t the type of publicity either school liked. Anyway.
Northeastern leads the Barone Bowl series, 14-12, but lost possession of the trophy last spring because Hofstra swept the regular season series before dethroning the Huskies as champs. A win today would allow Hofstra to retain the trophy, unless the two teams meet in the title game again, in which case the trophy goes to the winner of that game. This, unfortunately, is a purely symbolic trophy, one which you will not find displayed by either school. But you can find me and Brodsky talking about it on Twitter!
THE BARONE BOWL, SPONSORED BY BARBASOL
Not really, but Brodsky and I are always open to talking sponsorship deals! Nineteen of the 34 games Hofstra and Northeastern have played since 2005-06 — when the Huskies joined the CAA — have been decided by six points or fewer or in overtime, including five of the last nine. And two of the four recent games that were decided by a wider margin were the last two CAA title games, both of which were tight contests well into the second half. Included in this current stretch of close finishes are a pair of buzzer-beating wins for the Dutchmen, who beat Northeastern 75-72 on Justin Wright-Foreman’s running 35-footer on Jan. 5, 2019 and 74-72 on Eli Pemberton’s layup on Jan. 9, 2020.
THINGS YOU CAN SHOUT ON TWITTER IF CALLS GO DO NOT GO HOFSTRA’S WAY
Peter Wolf bias! (He was born in the Bronx but joined up with his J. Geils Band, uhh, bandmates in Boston)
Cabot Center bias! (All of Northeastern’s basketball games are being played there this season to avoid having to play multiple sports at Matthews Arena during the pandemic)
First World Series game bias! (Cabot Center is built where Hunting Avenue Grounds hosted the first Fall Classic game in 1903)
Boris Djerassi bias! (Per Wikipedia, his national championship in the hammer throw in 1975 is the only national title in Northeastern history)
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