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The Flying Dutchmen capped a terrific back-and-forth game with a well-timed defensive stand Sunday afternoon, when they held James Madison scoreless for the final 3:45 and scored the final eight points in an 87-80 win. The Dutchmen will look to mount a winning streak this afternoon, when they are slated (hopefully) to visit Towson in a rematch of the 1992 ECC title game (that’s for you, Litos). Here’s a look back at the win over the Dukes and a look ahead to the Tigers.
THE MOST RECENT GAME SUMMARIZED IN ONE PARAGRAPH
Aaron Estrada (20 points, seven rebounds, seven assists) once again flirted with a triple-double for the Dutchmen, who overcame a lean bench and early foul trouble as well as a series of first-half deficits to beat James Madison in a key early-season CAA game. The Dutchmen, playing without Zack Cooks and with Omar Silverio benched after drawing two fouls in the first minute, trailed by eight points three times in the opening 20 minutes before a see-saw second half in which there were 12 lead changes and seven ties. Silverio’s two free throws with 2:59 left provided the tying and go-ahead point for the Dutchmen, who came up with a series of defensive stops the rest of the way. Darlinstone Dubar had a block — which led to a layup by Abayomi Iyiola — and a steal on consecutive trips before Jalen Ray’s steal led to a pair of free throws by Estrada that extended the lead to 85-80. Dubar had 19 points, four rebounds and four assists while Iyiola (15 points, 15 rebounds) posted his third double-double of the season. Ray finished with 15 points and sank back-to-back 3-pointers to open the second half. Caleb Burgess, pressed into duty with Silverio sidelined, had seven points and two assists in 27 minutes.
3 STARS OF THE GAME (vs. James Madison, 1/9)
3: Aaron Estrada
2: Darlinstone Dubar
1: Abayomi Iyiola
SEASON STANDINGS
Darlinstone Dubar 22
Aaron Estrada 21
Jalen Ray 16
Zach Cooks 13
Abayomi Iyiola 9
Omar Silverio 5
Kvonn Cramer 4
WAS THIS A UNICORN SCORE?
Yes! Can you believe our good unicorn score fortunes? I’d say the last time this happened, the Dutchmen won the CAA, but they didn’t record such an uninterrupted spate of unicorn score wins in 2019-20. There are no shortage of near 87-80 finals in the Dutchmen’s recent past, including the 89-81 win over Arkansas on Dec. 18 as well as, no kidding, an 87-81 overtime win over James Madison on Feb. 5, 2018. The Dutchmen also beat Florida Atlantic 88-80 on Dec. 3, 2016 and earned a pair of 86-80 wins — over Appalachian State and William & Mary — during the 2015-16 season. But no 87-80 wins until Sunday. Woot!
The Dutchmen have recorded eight straight unicorn score victories and (checks notes) eight unicorn score victories this season.
The Dutchmen recorded no unicorn scores last season after recording 13 unicorn scores in 2019-20 and 10 unicorn scores in 2018-19. 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.
11/24/21: 87-49 over Molloy
11/27/21: 98-84 over Detroit Mercy
12/1/21: 81-77 over Princeton
12/4/21: 88-69 over Bucknell
12/12/21: 102-52 over John Jay
12/18/21: 89-81 over Arkansas
12/22/21: 77-71 over Monmouth
1/9/22: 87-80 over James Madison
THE FLYING DUTCHMEN AFTER FIFTEEN GAMES
With Sunday’s win, the Dutchmen improved to 9-6, which is tied for the 34th-best start in program history. It’s the second straight time the Dutchmen have opened 9-6 but just the fourth time overall in program history. Here is how some notable Hofstra teams have fared through 15 games.
NCAA DIVISION I TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1975-76: 8-7
1976-77: 10-5
1999-2000: 10-5
2000-01: 11-4
2019-20 (IT COUNTS TO US): 11-4 (most recent 11-4 start)
NIT TEAMS
1998-99: 10-5
2004-05: 10-5
2005-06: 12-3
2006-07: 11-4
2015-16: 10-5 (most recent 10-5 start)
2018-19: 12-3 (most recent 12-3 start, win in 15th game marked ninth win in the 16-game winning streak)
NCAA DIVISION II TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1958-59: 10-5
1961-62: 14-1 (most recent 14-1 start)
1962-63: 10-5
1963-64: 12-3
Some other notable 15-game starts:
2013-14: 4-11 (most recent 4-11 start, Joe Mihalich’s first team)
2011-12: 6-9 (most recent 6-9 start)
2009-10: 8-7 (most recent 8-7 start)
2007-08: 3-12 (most recent 3-12 start)
2001-02: 7-8 (most recent 7-8 start)
1995-96: 7-8 (lost buzzer-beater to Northeastern to fall under .500 for good)
1994-95: 3-12 (Jay Wright’s first team)
1993-94: 1-14 (VBK’s last team, only 1-14 start in program history)
1973-74: 2-13 (only 2-13 start in program history)
1968-69: 5-10 (only 5-10 start in program history)
1960-61: 13-2 (only 13-2 start in program history)
1959-60: 13-1 (Hofstra’s winningest team, percentage-wise; win in 14th game was third win of season-ending 13-game winning streak)
One season was completed in fewer than 15 games: The 1937-38 team finished 10-4.
Hofstra has never been 15-0 or 0-15 through 15 games.
Full records not available for the following seasons: 1936-37, 1941-42, 1942-43, 1945-46, 1948-49, 1949-50, 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.
NUMBER TEN THROUGH FIFTEEN
With Sunday’s win, Speedy Claxton improved to 9-6 as head coach. He is the fourth coach to open 9-6 at Hofstra, following in the footsteps of Joe Harrington in 1979-80 and Mike Farrelly last season. Overall, eight coaches have had winning records through 15 games in their first season (or the first season of their second stints). Jack McDonald steered the Dutchmen to a 12-3 start in the first (and only) season of his second stint while Frank Reilly (1947-48) began 10-5 and Butch van Breda Kolff began 14-1 in his first stint (1955-56). Paul Lynner opened 10-5 in 1962-63 and Mo Cassara was 10-5 in 2010-11.
IT’S THE LAST ONE THAT COUNTS
The Dutchmen took their biggest lead Sunday with their final two points, a pair of free throws by Abayomi Iyiola with 30 seconds left. It marked the first time the Dutchmen have won a game by fewer than 10 points and taken their biggest lead with their final points since Jan. 30, 2016, when Rokas Gustys hit a pair of free throws with 20 seconds left to close out a 70-64 win over Drexel.
AWARDS FOR AARON
Aaron Estrada was named the CAA’s Player of the Week after his big game against James Madison. Estrada, who also earned the award for the weeks ending Dec. 6 and Dec. 20, is the first three-time Player of the Week honoree this season. This marks the first time a player has been the sole recipient of at least three CAA Player of the Week awards within the season’s first nine weeks since — who else — Justin Wright-Foreman won four solo awards and shared another within the first nine weeks of the 2018-19 campaign. Nathan Knight shared the CAA Player of the Week award three times in the first nine weeks of the 2019-20 season.
Twelve Hofstra players have won CAA Player of the Week honors since 2013-14, which was Joe Mihalich’s first season as head coach. No other CAA school has more than 10 Player of the Week honorees in that span.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK CURSE?
You’ve heard of the Manningcast curse. Is there a Player of the Week curse for Estrada? The star guard struggled in his first game following each of his first two awards, first by being limited to six points on 2-of-10 shooting in 27 minutes — his third-fewest of the season — in the Dutchmen’s 79-62 loss to Stony Brook on Dec. 8 and then by scoring nine points while committing four fouls in a season-low 21 minutes of the 77-71 win over Monmouth on Dec. 22. We’ll be tracking this one closely this afternoon!
THE 20/7/7 CLUB
Estrada certainly wasn’t hexed Sunday afternoon, when he finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. It was the second time this season he’s had at least 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in a game. He had 22 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in the 89-81 win over Arkansas on Dec. 18. Estrada is the first Hofstra player since 2010-11 — the first season in which player game logs are available at College Basketball Reference — to have two 20/7/7 games. Charles Jenkins (26 points, eight rebounds, eight assists against Farmingdale State on Nov. 13, 2010), Juan’ya Green (30 points, eight rebounds, seven assists against William & Mary on Jan. 24, 2016) and Eli Pemberton (26 points, seven rebounds, seven assists against Elon on Jan. 30, 2020) are the only other players with one 20/7/7 game in the last 12 seasons.
THE 15/15 CLUB
Abayomi Iyiola joined a select club Sunday, when he scored 15 points and pulled down 15 rebounds. Iyiola is the first Hofstra player with at least 15 points and at least 15 rebounds in a game since Isaac Kante had 16 points and 16 rebounds against Drexel last Feb. 7. He is the fourth player since 2010-11 with a 15/15 game, joining David Imes and Rokas Gustys, the latter of whom is the only one wit multiple 15/15 games. Gustys posted such 12 such efforts — seven during the 2015-16 season, one in 2016-17 and four in 2017-18.
QUICK HOOK
Omar Silverio headed to the bench Sunday after picking up two fouls in the first 32 seconds. It was the quickest substitution of a Hofstra player in at least the last five-plus seasons, though it marked the second time this season Speedy Claxton has made a change less than a minute into the game. Claxton subbed Kvonn Cramer for Abayomi Iyiola 59 seconds after the opening tip against Iona on Nov. 16.
BIG BOOST FROM BURGESS
Silverio spent the remainder of the first half on the bench, which opened up an opportunity for Caleb Burgess — lately the last player in the rotation — to play major minutes. Burgess, who started every game last season and played at least 29 minutes in each of the final 21 games, played a season-high 27 minutes Sunday. That was three minutes more than he played combined in the Dutchmen’s last six games against Division I foes, a stretch that included a DNP against Monmouth on Dec. 22.
OVER THE AIR
If today’s game is played, it will be carried live on CBS Sports Network, which is channel 215 in the Cablevision/Optimum/Altice is our overlord universe. Hofstra will provide a radio feed as well as live stats at the Pride Productions hub.
SCOUTING TOWSON
The Tigers, under 11th-year head coach Pat Skerry, are 10-5 this season and 1-1 in CAA play after holding off Northeastern, 70-67, on Sunday afternoon.
The Dutchmen and Tigers had one common foe in non-league play. Hofstra beat Monmouth 77-71 on Dec. 22 while Towson fell to the Hawks 79-71 on Nov. 13. Almost the same score!
This afternoon’s game pits the top two teams in the CAA, per KenPom.com. The Dutchmen, who were picked to finish fourth in the CAA preseason poll, are ranked 123rd at KenPom.com. The Tigers, who were picked to finish eighth, are ranked 109th.
According to KenPom.com. the Dutchmen rank second in the CAA in offensive efficiency (109.9) and sixth in defensive efficiency (105.4). The Tigers rank first in offensive efficiency (110.1) and fourth in defensive efficiency (103.7). Nationally, Towson and Hofstra are separated by just two spots — 55th and 57th, respectively — in offensive efficiency.
Senior guard Cam Holden, a transfer from Tennessee-Martin who is playing through a broken jaw, leads the Tigers with 14.1 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Junior guard Nicolas Timberlake (13.7 points per game) and graduate senior Terry Nolan Jr. (11.3 points per game), a transfer from Bradley, are also averaging in double figures while junior guard Jason Gibson is averaging 9.9 points per game. Junior forward Charles Thompson is averaging 5.1 rebounds per game.
KenPom.com predicts a 77-73 loss for the Dutchmen. Per the wise guys in Vegas, for entertainment purposes only, the Dutchmen are 3-point underdogs. The Dutchmen are 8-5 against the spread this season.
ALL-TIME VS. TOWSON
Hofstra is 46-27 against Towson in a series that began during the 1982-83 season, when both schools were in the East Coast Conference. The Dutchmen swept last season’s series, which consisted of back-to-back games at the Arena due to the pandemic. The Dutchmen earned a 71-58 win on Jan. 23 before edging Towson, 74-69, the next day. The sweep was the fifth in the last seven years for the Dutchmen.
This afternoon marks the fourth anniversary of the Dutchmen’s dramatic 76-73 win at Towson, The Dutchmen trailed 67-57 with a little more than five minutes left but stormed back and won when Jalen Ray sank a 3-pointer just before the buzzer. The game-winning basket was set up by a gorgeous rebound and dish out by Hunter Sabety, who hit Justin Wright-Foreman in stride before Wright-Foreman passed to the wide-open Ray.
Hofstra and Towson opposed one another in the ECC and the North Atlantic Conference/America East before moving together to the CAA for the 2001-02 school year. Hofstra has faced only two opponents as often as it’s faced Towson: Longtime conference rivals Delaware and Drexel.
THINGS YOU CAN SHOUT ON TWITTER IF CALLS GO DO NOT GO HOFSTRA’S WAY
The wounds of 30 years ago still hurt bias! (We weren’t here for it, but all ECC pain is inherited)
SR-71 got some bumper music on Sunday Night Football a few weeks ago bias! (Any excuse to get a fresh SR-71 reference in here)
Stacy Keibler bias! (Per Wikipedia, which is never wrong, the former WWE wrestler went to Towson)
Figure out your name bias! (Towson was formally known as Towson State as well as Maryland State Teachers College at Towson)
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