Saturday, March 8, 2025

I'll Be Quirky: Hofstra vs. Monmouth (CAA Tournament second round)

More feeling like Mac and Frank and less feeling like Dee and Dennis tonight, please. 


As the ancient philosophers used to say: You can’t earn an NCAA Tournament berth by winning five conference tournament games in five days if you don’t win on day one — preferably in the easiest and least stressful fashion possible. As long as Jean Aranguren’s ankle is OK, the 11th-seeded Flying Dutchmen accomplished all their objectives Friday afternoon, when they never trailed in a 77-55 win over 14th-seeded North Carolina A&T.


The pursuit of the seemingly impossible continues tonight, when the Dutchmen face sixth-seeded Monmouth in the final second-round game at 8:30 PM. Remember how much it sucked to have to wait for Hofstra to finally play as the three seed at 8:30 PM? This day-long anticipation is much better than that.


Anyway, as has somehow remained the routine throughout conference play (so far so good), I ran down the boilerplate material from Friday’s win in a (very) late night Keep It Perky. Today will be about the individual news and notes from that win as well as some CAA Tournament historical nuggets and a preview of the Hawks. Enjoy!


WE’RE STREAKING!

Do consecutive wins over the same team constitute a winning streak? They do when you haven’t won consecutive games since before Christmas. By beating North Carolina A&T in the last two games, the Dutchmen have earned back-to-back wins for the first time in CAA play and the first time since they won three in a row over Arkansas State, St. Joseph’s (NY) and Norfolk State from Dec. 1-9. Wow! Spanning two presidential administrations! Another way to put it: The Dutchmen were the last CAA team to author back-to-back league wins this season, Yet another way to put it: The Dutchmen went 87 days in between winning streaks, marks the longest the Dutchmen have gone without back-to-back wins in a single season since the 2012-13 team went the final 111 days of that miserable season without recording consecutive victories.


WIRE-TO-WIRE WIN

The Dutchmen never trailed Friday afternoon. It was their second wire-to-wire win this season and their first since a 114-48 win over Division III St. Joseph’s (NY) on Dec. 6. It was also their first wire-to-wire win over a Division I foe since the Dutchmen earned an 81-49 victory over North Carolina A&T on Feb. 10, 2024.


TWICE AS NICE

The Dutchmen beat North Carolina A&T in the first round of the CAA Tournament six days after they defeated the Aggies, 70-49, in the regular season finale for both clubs. It was the first time a team has won both it regular season finale and CAA Tournament opener against the same team since the 2013-14 season, when Northeastern defeated Drexel to close out the regular season slate before eliminating the Dragons in a quarterfinal clash. Teams that won the regular season finale lost an immediate tournament rematch four straight times in between. The teams that win the regular season finale are now 11-7 in an immediate tournament rematch.


The Dutchmen are 5-1 in CAA Tournament openers against a team whom they faced in the regular season finale with wins over Towson in 2002, UNC Wilmington in 2009, Georgia State in 2019 and James Madison in 2015 and a loss to Charleston in 2022. The wins over North Carolina A&T mark the third time the Dutchmen have swept the finale and tournament rematch (UNC Wilmington and Georgia State).


A PRETTY GOOD HALF

The Dutchmen led 39-19 at the half Friday afternoon. The 20-point halftime lead was their largest since the Dutchmen led Division III St. Joseph’s (NY) 53-27 on Dec. 6 and their biggest lead over a Division I foe since they went into the locker room with a 34-15 lead over North Carolina A&T on Feb. 10, 2014. In addition, the 19 points allowed in th first half were the fewest surrendered by the Dutchmen in a half since they gave up 18 second-half points to Northeastern in a 55-37 win on Jan. 4. You will not be surprised to read, then, that the 19 first-half points by North Carolina A&T were the fewest scored by a Hofstra opponent in the first half since Northeastern scored 19 points in the first half of the Dutchmen’s 55-37 win on Jan. 4!


TOOK A WHILE TO GET TO TEN

A little wordy, but it does the trick! North Carolina A&T didn’t break into double figures Friday afternoon until Jahnathan Lamothe’s layup with 7:25 left in the first half pulled the Aggies within 15-10. It was the deepest into a game the Dutchmen have held an opponent in single digits since Jan. 25, when Campbell didn’t break into double figures until there was 7:11 left in the first half. Things…things did not go so great after that.


CRUZ TAKES CONTROL

Cruz Davis was a one-man team for the first seven-plus minutes Friday afternoon, when he scored the Dutchmen’s first eight points to stake them to an 8=2 lead before Silas Sunday dunked with 12:50 left. Davis’ streak was the longest consecutive stretch of points by a Hofstra player to begin a game since Tyler Thomas scored the Dutchmen’s first nine points in an 87-73 win over Delaware on Dec. 29, 2022.


NO FIRST HALF FADE

We had a pretty good feeling things would proceed smoothly Friday afternoon when the Dutchmen fared fine in the final two minutes of the first half, during which they outscored North Carolina A&T 4-2 while going 2-of-4 from the field and limiting the Aggies to 1-of-4 shooting. Most importantly, Michael Graham sank a jumper just before the buzzer, which gave the Dutchmen points in their final possession of the first half for just the third time in their last 12 games. Graham dunked against Campbell on Jan. 25 and German Plotnikov had a putback against Stony Brook on Feb. 27. Overall this season in CAA play, the Dutchmen have been outscored 63-50 in the final two minutes of the first half in 19 league games, during which their opponent has shot 21-of-50 from the field (42.0 percent) in the last two minutes and scored on their final possession seven times. The Dutchmen have shot 21-of-57 from the field (36.8 percent) in the last two minutes of the first half and scored on their last possession six times.


GERMAN FOR STARTERS

German Plotnikov, the lone returning player who made a start last season for the Dutchmen, had the best game of his three-year career Friday afternoon, when he set career-highs with 23 points, seven 3-pointers and 10 rebounds while adding three steals, one assist and one block in 33 minutes. It was the first double-double for Plotnikov, who played his 93rd career game Friday. The 23 points exceeded Plotnikov’s previous high of 20 points, set twice previously against North Carolina A&T on Feb. 10, 2024 and Northeastern on Feb. 17, 2024. The 10 rebounds were two more than his previous single-game best, set against Division III St. Joseph’s (NY) on Nov. 6, 2023, and three more than his previous single-game best against a Division I foe set five times previously and matched in the final two games of the regular season against Stony Brook and North Carolina A&T. And the seven 3-pointers easily beat Plotnikov’s previous best of four 3-pointers, set three times previously. He also had multiple steals for the fourth straight game and the seventh time in the last 11 games after he recorded multiple steals just eight times in his first 82 career games. Plotnikov, who made his eighth straight start Friday, has scored in 23 of the last 24 games in which he’s played after scoring just once in the first six games.


PEAKING PLOTNIKOV

German Plotnikov’s big game Friday afternoon continued a timely hot stretch for the senior, who has 43 points and 24 rebounds in the last three games. The 43 points are the most for Plotnikov in a three-game stretch since he had 45 points from Feb. 10-20, 2024 while the 24 rebounds are the most he’s ever recorded in a three-game span. 


SEVEN WISHES

German Plotnikov did most of his damage from 3-point land Friday afternoon, when he was 7-of-11 from beyond the arc. The seven 3-pointers were the most by a Hofstra player since KiJan Robinson had eight 3-pointers in a 114-46 win over Division III St. Joseph’s (NY) and the most by a Hofstra player against a Division I foe since Darlinstone Dubar drained seven 3-pointers in an 89-68 loss to then-no. 21 Duke on Dec. 12, 2023. 


A FINE FIRST DOUBLE-DOUBLE 

All double-doubles are good, but how about a first career double-doubles where the player sets new single-game highs in BOTH scoring and rebounding? German Plotnikov did that Friday afternoon, when he finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds in his first career double-double. He’s the first Hofstra player to set career-highs in both scoring and rebounding in his first double-double since Cruz Davis had 28 points and 10 rebounds in a 93-68 win over Delaware on Jan. 23.


CRUZ-IN

Cruz Davis had another solid game Friday afternoon, when he scored 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting — including 3-of-8 from 3-point land — to go along with four rebounds and a team-high eight assists. Davis did almost all his damage in the first half, when he had 18 of the Dutchmen’s 39 points and nearly outscored North Carolina A&T (19 points) by himself. It was the fourth straight double-digit scoring effort for Davis, who has 72 points, 18 rebounds and 24 assists in that span after collecting just 10 points, five rebounds and seven assists against Hampton and Monmouth from Feb, 15-20. Davis has reached double figures 21 times in 32 games this season after scoring at least 10 points just five times over the previous two seasons for Iona and St. John’s. The Dutchmen are now 12-9 when Davis scores in double figures.


TJ TO THE EXTREME

TJ Gadsden, who missed the previous three games, had his best game in weeks — if not months — Friday afternoon, when he had eight points and five rebounds in 12 second half-minutes. Gadsden, who entered when Jean Aranguren appeared to roll his ankle with 12:34 left, scored at least eight points for the fifth time this season and collected at least five rebounds for the seventh time. But Friday marked the first time Gadsden had at least eight points and five rebounds in the same game since way back on Nov. 16, when he scored nine points and pulled down a season-high 12 rebounds in the 75-71 overtime win over UMass. Gadsden has scored in double figures just twice this season after scoring at least 10 points in 11 of 25 games last season for Canisius.


GRAHAM CRACKIN’

Michael Graham helped ensure the Dutchmen wouldn’t squander another big early lead Friday afternoon, when he finished with six points and six rebounds in 22 minutes. Graham had four points and all six rebounds in the first half before he collected his final points with a dunk just 1:18 into the second half. He exited for good with 13:24 left. Graham finished 3-of-5 from the field Friday and is shooting 62.0 percent (67-for-108) in 19 CAA games, a stretch that includes two games against William & Mary in which he didn’t attempt a shot as well as a 3-of-12 game against Northeastern on Feb. 6. The Dutchmen are now 11-11 when Graham plays at least 20 minutes, including 6-9 in CAA play.


BLUE JEAN

The Dutchmen hope they dodged an injury scare with Jean Aranguren, who exited after he appeared to roll his ankle with 12:34 left. Aranguren, who finished with six points on 2-of-9 shooting while adding five assists, two rebounds and one steal in 23 minutes, headed to the locker room but finished the game on Hofstra’s bench. The abbreviated appearance snapped a two-game surge for Aranguren, who had 37 points on 16-of-31 shooting along with 17 reboudns and eight assists against Stony Brook on Feb. 27 and North Carolina A&T last Saturday. Aranguren has scored in single digits in four of the Dutchmen’s last seven games after reaching double figures in 15 straight games from Dec. 9 through Feb. 8. Overall this season, Aranguren has scored in double figures 25 times in 33 games after reaching double figures just nine times in 33 games last season with Iona.


POTENT PARNELL

Eric Parnell continued establishing himself as a key member of the Dutchmen’s rotation Friday afternoon, when he scored three points on 1-of-2 shooting while collecting a career-high four assists and tying his career-high with four rebounds over 28 minutes. The four assists doubled Parnell’s previous single-game best, set in a 75-52 loss to Campbell on Feb. 1. Parnell has 25 points over 91 minutes in the last four games — a span that includes a scoreless performance against Stony Brook on Feb. 27 — after scoring just 35 points over 82 minutes in the first 11 games in which he played.


SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY

Silas Sunday was solid in limited duty Friday afternoon, when he had four points and three rebounds before fouling out in 11 minutes. The disqualification was the first for Sunday since Nov. 16, when the Dutchmen beat UMass 75-71 in overtime, while the 11 minutes were Sunday’s fewest since he played just one minute in a 61-60 loss to William & Mary on Feb. 13. Sunday has played at least 10 minutes in 25 of 32 games this season after logging 10 minutes 17 times in 32 games last season.


FARMER AID

Khalil Farmer set a career-high with his fourth straight start Friday afternoon, when he had three points on 1-of-3 shooting while adding two rebounds and one steal in 20 minutes. Farmer was in danger of being held scoreless for the second straight game before he sank a 3-pointer with 3:32 left. He has just eight points on 3-of-13 shooting -- including 2-of-9 from 3-point land — in three games since he score a career-high 19 points in a 78-65 win over Delaware on Feb. 22. Farmer has scored in 22 of the last 27 games in which he’s played after he didn’t score in his first two games of the season.


HERE’S TO YOU, MR, ROBINSON

KiJan Robinson had his most active game in a month Friday afternoon, when he finished with five points on 1-of-5 shooting while adding one rebound and one assist in nine minutes. The five points were the most for Robinson since he had six points in a 75-52 loss to Campbell on Feb, 1 while the nine minutes were his most since Robinson logged 14 minutes in a 77-68 loss to Northeastern on Feb. 6. Robinson has just 24 points over 87 minutes in the last 12 games he’s played, a span in which he was held scoreless four times. He was held scoreless just twice in the Dutchmen’s first 18 games, a span in which Robinson averaged 8.1 points and 21 minutes per game.


DECADY’S CAMEO

Joshua DeCady continued to see limited duty Friday afternoon, when he was scoreless on 0-of-3 shooting while recording one rebound and one block in nine minutes. DeCady has scored 12 points over 83 minutes in his last nine games since he scored a career-high 15 points over 20 minutes in the 74-63 win over Not Twitter Guy on Jan. 31. He has played in a career-high 13 straight games after appearing in just 12 of the Dutchmen’s first 19 games.


HELLO, HENRIQUEZ

With the game well in hand, sophomore walk-on Jaydon Henriquez got to play the final 46 seconds Friday afternoon, when he committed one foul. It was the first action for Henriquez since Dec. 6, when he scored two points over the final four minutes of the 114-46 win over Division III St. Joseph’s (NY).


OVER THE AIR

Tonight’s game is slated to be carried live on FloHoops.com (subscription required, click here for options). Let’s hope it doesn’t kick out in the second half, or at all, like yesterday. Hofstra will provide a radio feed as well as live stats at the Pride Productions hub.


TOURNEY TESTED

With Friday afternoon’s victory, the Dutchmen have won at least one CAA Tournament game in each of the last three seasons and 16 times in 24 seasons overall since joining the league in 2001-02. 


THIS ONE GOES TO ELEVEN

With the Dutchmen’s win Friday afternoon, the no. 11 seed improved to 5-13 all-time in the CAA Tournament. The Dutchmen are trying to become the second no. 11 seed to win multiple games in the tournament and the first since Towson did so in 2009, when the Tigers advanced to the semifinals of a 12-team tournament by upsetting sixth-seeded Drexel and third-seeded Northeastern before falling to second-seeded George Mason. James Madison (2010) and William & Mary (2011) are the other no. 11 seeds to win a first-round game. 


SCOUTING MONMOUTH

The Hawks, under 14th-year head coach King Rice, finished the regular season 12-19 overall and 10-8 in CAA play. Monmouth was tied for fifth with Campbell but is seeded sixth by virtue of its head-to-head loss to the Camels.


The Dutchmen and Hawks had one common opponent in non-conference play. The Dutchmen edged Seton Hall 49-48 on Nov. 13 before Monmouth snapped its season-opening eight-game losing streak by upsetting the Pirates 63-51 on Nov. 30.


In CAA play, both teams won their lone regular season meetings against North Carolina A&T. The Dutchmen swept Delaware, which split with the Hawks, and were swept by Stony Brook, whom Monmouth swept. The Dutchmen beat Not Twitter Guy, who split with Monmouth. The Dutchmen split with Northeastern, whom the Hawks beat, and defeated UNC Wilmington, which won its lone meeting with the Hawks. The Dutchmen lost to Drexel, which split with Monmouth, and Towson, which swept the Hawks, Hofstra dropped its lone meetings with Charleston and Hampton, both of whom Monmouth beat. The Dutchmen were swept by Campbell and William & Mary, each of whom won their lone meetings against the Hawks.


The Dutchmen, who were picked to finish fourth in the CAA preseason poll, are ranked 216th at KenPom.com, which is an improvement of 15 spots from their season low the morning of Feb. 22. The Hawks, who were picked to finish eighth, are ranked 275th, a drop of 61 spots from their preseason ranking but a 29-spot improvement from their season-worst ranking entering play Nov. 30.


According to KenPom.com, the Dutchmen rank 13th in the CAA in conference-only offensive efficiency (100.2 points per 100 possessions) and second in defensive efficiency (101.1 points per 100 possessions) while averaging 63.7 possessions per 40 minutes, the 11th-most in the league. The Hawks rank sixth in the CAA in offensive efficiency (107.4 points per 100 possessions) and 11th in defensive efficiency (109.3 points per 100 possessions) while averaging 66.6 possessions per 40 minutes, the sixth-most in the league. IRON MAIDEN BIAS!


The Hawks return eight players from last year’s team. True sophomore Abdi Bashir Jr., whom Rice is begging other teams not to tamper with until at least after the season, earned first-team all-CAA honors after leading the league with 20.3 points per game. Junior Madison Durr, who opened his career with two seasons at The Citadel, is averaging 12.9 points per game and a team-high 3.1 assists per game. Imagine going from The Citadel to the Jersey shore, that must be a bends-inducing experience. True junior Jack Collins is averaging 8.9 points per game and a team-high 5.84 rebounds per game along while ranking second on the Hawks with 2.9 assists per game. True sophomore Cornelius Robinson Jr. is averaging 7.1 points per game and is second on the team with 5.8 rebounds per game. (Robinson has two fewer total rebounds than Collins)


KenPom.com predicts a 68-64 win for the Dutchmen. Per the wise guys in Vegas, for entertainment purposes only, the Dutchmen are 3 1/2-point favorites. The Dutchmen are 14-16 against the spread this season.


ALL-TIME VS. MONMOUTH

Hofstra is 8-8 all-time against Monmouth in a series that began in 1983-84. The Hawks knotted the series in the lone regular season meeting between the teams this season on Feb, 20, when they overcame a 16-point first-half deficit to earn a 68-62 win. Monmouth didn’t lead until Andrew Ball sank the tie-breaking 3-pointer with 22 seconds left to cap his individual 7-0 run. Ball didn’t score before or after that. Fun! German Plotnikov scored 19 points — a season-high he exceeded Friday afternoon — in defeat for the Dutchmen.


THINGS YOU CAN SHOUT ON TWITTER (OR BLUESKY) IF CALLS GO DO NOT GO HOFSTRA’S WAY

You used to share a campus with a high school bias! (Per Wikipedia, which is never wrong, Monmouth Junior College was founded in 1933 at Long Branch High School)

Jack Collins is the modern-day Andrei Semenov bias! (Collins has played all three of his collegiate seasons at Monmouth, which translates to, like, 10 years in the NIL era)

Wendy Boglioli bias! (Boglioli swam at Monmouth and won a gold medal as part of the United States 4x100 freestyle relay team in the 1976 Summer Olympics)

Give us the rum ham bias! (Good things happen when you get rum ham near the Jersey Shore…we’re due)

Friday, March 7, 2025

Keep It Perky: North Carolina A&T postgame (CAA Tournament first round)

The Dutchmen just recorded their first 77-55 win since beating Drexel in a 1961 postseason tournament. That's good! It was also their last win of the season. (C'mon, frogurt, don't be cursed)


For the first time in nearly three months, the Flying Dutchmen have a winning streak — and at the most opportune time possible. The 11th-seeded Dutchmen opened CAA Tournament play with a rare stress-free win this afternoon, when they raced out to an early 10-point lead and were never seriously threatened in a 77-55 wire-to-wire win over 14th-seeded North Carolina A&T.


The win extended the Dutchmen’s season for at least one more night and earned them a second-round date at 8:30 PM Saturday night with sixth-seeded Monmouth — a taller task, but certainly better than the alternative.


In the meantime, we’re now 19-for-19 in CAA games presenting the postgame boilerplate material in Keep It Perky form. I’m just as surprised as you are. The individual news and news from Friday’s win and the Monmouth preview will be posted overnight. Enjoy!


THE MOST RECENT GAME SUMMARIZED IN ONE PARAGRAPH

Cruz Davis staked the Flying Dutchmen to an insurmountable lead by scoring all but one of his 19 points in the first half before German Plotnikov (who set career-highs with 23 points, seven 3-pointers and 10 rebounds) capped off his best game with a big second half that finished off the Aggies. Davis scored the first eight points in a game-opening 12-2 run for the Dutchmen, though the surge took more than nine minutes because the teams combined to go 6-for-31 with seven turnovers. The Dutchmen missed 10 straight shots after Davis began the game with a 3-pointer (spoiler alert!). North Carolina A&T crept within 17-13 NICE FOOTBALL SCORE by Jalal McKie with 6:38 left, but Plotnikov answered with back-to-back 3-pointers to begin a half-ending 22-6 run in which the Dutchmen scored on eight straight possessions and nine of their final 10 overall. The lead never slipped below 20 points in the second half for the Dutchmen, who led by as many as 32 before emptying the bench. Plotnikov capped his first career double-double by scoring 15 second-half points (on 5-of-6 shooting from 3-point land) and collecting four rebounds over the final 20 minutes. He also had three steals, one assist and one block in 33 minutes. Davis led the Dutchmen with eight assists while TJ Gadsden, playing for the first time since Feb. 20, had his best game in weeks with eight points and five rebounds, all in 13 second-half minutes. Michael Graham had six points and six rebounds in 22 minutes while Jean Aranguren finished with six points and five assists in 23 minutes before exiting with an ankle injury. He was on the bench for the end of the game, which may bode well for his availability Saturday. 


3 STARS OF THE GAME (vs. North Carolina A&T, 3/7)

3: German Plotnikov

2: Cruz Davis

1: TJ Gadsden 


SEASON STANDINGS

Jean Aranguren 56

Cruz Davis 46

Michael Graham 23

German Plotnikov 15

Jaquan Sanders 15

KiJan Robinson 9

TJ Gadsden 8

Khalil Farmer 7

Silas Sunday 6

Eric Parnell 4

Joshua DeCady 3


WAS THIS A UNICORN SCORE?

No! But it’s the first 77-55 win since way back on Mar. 3, 1961, when the Dutchmen beat Drexel by that score in the Middle Atlantic Conference tournament. My parents weren’t even teenagers yet! I’m going to take it as a good sign that this is the first 77-55 win for the Dutchmen since a victory over Drexel and do my best to ignore the fact that…the Dutchmen’s season ended the next day with a one-point loss to Albright. La la la I can’t hear you.


The Dutchmen have recorded seven unicorn score victories this season and 60 unicorn score victories since the start of the 2018-19 season, when we first started tracking unicorn scores.


2024-25: Seven unicorn scores

2023-24: Seven unicorn scores

2022-23: 12 unicorn scores

2021-22: 11 unicorn scores

2020-21: Zero unicorn scores (really)

2019-20: 13 unicorn scores

2018-19: 10 unicorn scores


Of the Dutchmen’s eight non-unicorn score wins this season, three were repeats by which Hofstra hadn’t won since the pre-Division I days. The 78-65 win over Delaware on Jan. 23 was the Dutchmen’s first 78-65 win since Dec. 8, 1962 while the 49-48 victory over Seton Hall on Nov. 13 was, of course, the Dutchmen’s first by a 49-48 score since the 1945-46 season. Quirky!


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. You may also know it as a “Scorigami,” a term popularized in the NFL.


WHO HAD THE KEITH HERNANDEZ?

Cruz Davis wasted no time putting the Dutchmen ahead for good this afternoon, when his 3-pointer with 19:36 left in the first half snapped a scoreless tie and, err, put the Dutchmen ahead for good. It’s the earliest Keith Hernandez of the season and the earliest Keith Hernandez since Jan. 25, 2024, when Darlinstone Dubar opened the scoring with a layup to give the Dutchmen a lead they’d never relinquish in a 64-55 victory over William & Mary. Davis is the third player this season with at least three Keith Hernandezes and the eighth in history (or at least since the 2022-23 season).


Jean Aranguren tie-breaking layup vs. Old Westbury, 11/4/24 (19:47 left 2H)

Silas Sunday go-ahead layup vs. Iona, 11/8/24 (17:49 left 1H)

Jean Aranguren go-ahead layup vs. Seton Hall, 11/13/24 (2:19 left 2H)

Jean Aranguren tie-breaking free throw vs. UMass, 11/16/24 (4:58 left OT)

Cruz Davis tie-breaking layup vs. Rice, 11/29/24 (:59 left OT)

Michael Graham tie-breaking layup vs. Arkansas State, 12/1/24 (:00 left 2H)

Jean Aranguren tie-breaking layup vs. St. Joseph’s, 12/6/24 (19:30 left 1H)

KiJan Robinson go-ahead 3-pointer vs. Norfolk State, 12/9/24 (10:33 left 1H)

Michael Graham tie-breaking layup vs. Northeastern, 1/4/25 (19:14 left 2H)

Jean Aranguren go-ahead nostalgic 3-point play vs. UNC Wilmington, 1/11/25 (:31.1 left 2H)

German Plotnikov tie-breaking layup vs. Delaware, 1/23/25 (15:21 left 1H)

Cruz Davis go-ahead 3-pointer vs. Not Twitter Guy, 1/30/25 (15:20 left 1H)

Michael Graham tie-breaking layup vs. Delaware, 2/22/25 (18:39 left 1H)

Eric Parnell go-ahead 3-pointer vs. North Carolina A&T, 3/1/25 (5:25 left 1H)

Cruz Davis tie-breaking 3-pointer vs. North Carolina A&T, 3/7/25 (19:36 left 1H)


SEASON STANDINGS 

Jean Aranguren 5

Cruz Davis 3

Michael Graham 3

Eric Parnell 1

German Plotnikov 1

KiJan Robinson 1

Silas Sunday 1


ALL-TIME STANDINGS (or at least since the 2022-23 season)

Tyler Thomas 16

Darlinstone Dubar 14

Jean Aranguren 5

Aaron Estrada 4

Cruz Davis 3

Michael Graham 3

German Plotnikov 3

Warren Williams 3

Silas Sunday 2

Jacco Fritz 2

Jaquan Carlos 2

Eric Parnell 1

KiJan Robinson 1

Bryce Washington 1


The Keith Hernandez is bestowed upon the player who scores the points that put the Dutchmen ahead for good in a victory. The stat pays homage to Hernandez, the World Series-winning Cardinals and Mets first baseman who had a record 129 game-winning RBIs when the stat was inexplicably discontinued after the 1988 season.


THE FLYING DUTCHMEN AFTER THIRTY-TWO GAMES

With this afternoon’s win, the Dutchmen improved to 15-17 this season. This ties the 2024-25 team for the 14th-best record in school history through 32 games…or tied for the fifth-worst record in school history through 32 games. This is the first time the Dutchmen have opened 15-17 since 2016-17 and just the second time overall in school history. Here is how some notable Hofstra teams have fared through 32 games:


NCAA DIVISION I TOURNAMENT TEAMS

2019-20 (IT COUNTS TO US): 24-8 (most recent 24-8 start, beat Drexel in the CAA quarterfinals)


The 1975-76 team, Hofstra’s first to reach the NCAA Tournament, completed its season in 30 games (18-12), as did the 1976-77 team (23-7). The 1999-2000 NCAA Tournament team completed its season in 31 games (24-7), as did the 2000-01 team (26-5). 


All four Hofstra teams to reach the NCAA Tournament at the Division II level completed their seasons in 30 games or fewer. The 1958-59 team finished 20-7 while the 1961-62 team ended up 24-4, the 1962-63 team finished 23-7 and the 1963-64 team went 23-6.


NIT TEAMS

1998-99: 22-10 (season ended with a loss to Rutgers in the first round of the NIT)

2005-06: 26-6 (beat Saint Joseph’s, 77-75, in the second round of the NIT)

2006-07: 22-10 (season ended with a loss to DePaul in the first round of the NIT)

2015-16: 24-8 (beat William & Mary in the CAA semifinals, final win of season)

2018-19: 26-6 (most recent 26-6 start, beat James Madison in the CAA quarterfinals)

2022-23: 24-8 (most recent 24-8 start, win in 32nd game marked final win of 12-game winning streak that ended in the CAA Tournament semifinals)


The 2004-05 NIT team completed its season at 21-9.


Some other notable 32-game records — in fact, all of them!

2021-22: 21-11 (season ended with a loss to Charleston in the CAA quarterfinals)

2016-17: 15-17 (season ended with loss to Delaware in CAA first round)

2014-15: 20-12 (beat James Madison in CAA quarterfinals, final win of season)

2013-14: 10-22 (beat UNC Wilmington in CAA first round, final win of season)

2012-13: 7-25 (season ended with loss to Delaware in CAA quarterfinals, worst 32-game record in school history)

2011-12: 10-22 (season ended with loss to Georgia State in CAA first round)

2010-11: 21-11 (lost to Old Dominion in CAA semifinals, final win of season)

2009-10: 19-13 (beat Georgia State in CAA first round, final win of season)

2008-09: 21-11 (season ended with loss to Old Dominion in CAA quarterfinals)

2001-02: 12-20 (season ended with loss to VCU in CAA semifinals)


Hofstra has never been (deep breath) 32-0, 31-1, 30-2, 29-3, 28-4, 27-5, 25-7, 23-9, 18-14, 17-15, 16-16, 14-18, 13-19, 11-21, 9-23, 8-24, 6-26, 5-27, 4-28, 3-29, 2-30, 1-31 or 0-32 through 32 games.


Seventy-one seasons were completed in fewer than 32 games:


1936-37 (7-10)

1937-38 (10-4)

1938-39 (10-8)

1939-40 (12-9)

1940-41 (13-7)

1941-42 (15-6)

1942-43 (15-6)

1943-44 (7-12)

1944-45 (8-13)

1945-46 (12-7)

1946-47 (18-6)

1947-48 (13-6)

1948-49 (18-8)

1949-50 (17-9)

1950-51 (18-11)

1951-52 (26-3)

1952-53 (20-7)

1953-54 (15-9)

1954-55 (19-7)

1955-56 (22-4)

1956-57 (11-15)

1957-58 (15-8)

1958-59 (20-7)

1959-60 (23-1)

1960-61 (21-4)

1961-62 (24-4)

1962-63 (23-7)

1963-64 (23-6)

1964-65 (11-14)

1965-66 (16-10)

1966-67 (12-13)

1967-68 (13-12)

1968-69 (12-13)

1969-70 (13-13)

1970-71 (18-8)

1971-72 (11-14)

1972-73 (8-16)

1973-74 (8-16)

1974-75 (11-13)

1975-76 (18-12)

1976-77 (23-7)

1977-78 (8-19)

1978-79 (8-19)

1979-80 (14-14)

1980-81 (12-15)

1981-82 (12-16)

1982-83 (18-9)

1983-84 (14-14)

1984-85 (14-15)

1985-86 (17-13)

1986-87 (10-18)

1987-88 (6-21)

1988-89 (14-15)

1989-90 (13-15)

1990-91 (14-14)

1991-92 (20-9)

1992-93 (9-18)

1993-94 (9-20)

1994-95 (10-18)

1995-96 (9-18)

1996-97 (12-15)

1997-98 (19-12)

1998-99 (22-9)

1999-2000 (24-7)

2000-01 (26-5)

2002-03 (8-21)

2003-04 (14-15)

2004-05 (21-9)

2007-08 (12-18)

2017-18 (19-12)

2020-21 (13-10)


(Well) more than half the previous Hofstra seasons were completed by this point.


Full records not available for the following seasons: 1936-37, 1941-42, 1942-43.


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 ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-TWO

With Saturday’s win, Speedy Claxton improved to 81-51 (.614) as head coach. That’s the fourth-best known winning percentage for a Hofstra coach through his first 132 games at the helm.


Butch van Breda Kolff I 97-35 (.735, 132nd game was the sixth game of his sixth season in 1960-61)

Frank Reilly 95-37 (.720, 132nd game was the third game of his sixth season in 1952-53)

Paul Lynner 83-49 (.629, 132nd game was the 22nd game of his fifth season in 1966-67)

SPEEDY CLAXTON 81-51 (.614, 132nd game was the 32nd game of his fourth season in 2024-25)

Joe Mihalich 69-63 (.523, 132nd game was the 31st game of his fourth season in 2016-17)

Roger Gaeckler 68-64 (.515, 132nd game was the 30th and final game of his fifth season in 1976-77)

Dick Berg 67-65 (.508, 132nd game was the 22nd game of his fifth season in 1984-85)

Butch van Breda Kolff II 65-67 (.492, 132nd game was the 18th game of his fifth season in 1992-93)

Tom Pecora 65-67 (.492, 132nd game was the 12th game of his sixth season in 2005-06)

Jay Wright 63-69 (.477, 132nd game was the 19th game of his fifth season in 1998-99)


Game no. 132 is a bittersweet one as a Roger Gaeckler-coached team falls in the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year via the Flying Dutchmen’s 90-83 loss to Notre Dame. I’m sure the Dutchmen will return to the NCAA Tournament before the 21st century and before I’m in my late 20s! Speaking of my 20s and the 21st century, further down below, Tom Pecora wins his 132nd game at the helm and climbs out of the bottom two for the first time by tying Butch van Breda Kolff, who lost his 132nd game at the helm in his second stint, for eighth place. Pecora and VBK II are two games ahead of Pecora’s fellow perpetual slacker Jay Wright, who also wins his 132nd game Perpetual slackers!


The records are incomplete for Jack McDonald’s first stint from 1936 through 1943 as well as the tenure of Jack Smith (1943-46).


Smith finished 27-32 in his three seasons while Mo Cassara finished 38-59 in his three seasons. Three coaches had one-season tenures lasting at Hofstra. McDonald went 18-6 in the lone season of his second stint in 1946-47 while Joe Harrington went 14-14 in 1979-80 and Mike Farrelly went 13-10 in 2020-21.