Winning two out of three down the stretch means the Dutchmen get a double bye to the tournament, right? Right?
At least we got to see the Flying Dutchmen off with a victory. A challenging regular season ended on a positive note Saturday, when the Dutchmen gradually pulled away from North Carolina A&T in a 70-49 victory.
And now we hope for at least one more I’ll Be Perky following Friday’s CAA Tournament first-round game against…North Carolina A&T. In the meantime, we somehow make it 18-for-18 in regular season games (whoohoo!) with the postgame boilerplate material in Keep It Perky form. The individual news and news from Saturday’s win and the preview of the North Carolina A&T rematch will be posted in the morning. Enjoy!
THE MOST RECENT GAME SUMMARIZED IN ONE PARAGRAPH
Jean Aranguren (20 points, nine rebounds) nearly posted a double-double, Cruz Davis (14 points, eight assists, seven rebounds) flirted with a triple-double and Senior Day honorees Michael Graham and German Plotnikov each had solid games as the Dutchmen beat North Carolina A&T. The Aggies led for more than nine consecutive minutes in the first half before Eric Parnell scored six points as the Dutchmen went ahead for good control with a 15-2 run. The familiar end-of-half issues cropped up for the Dutchmen, who went 0-for-2 with three turnovers in the final 1:44 as the Aggies scored the final six points to close within 25-22. Graham scored nine points as the Dutchmen opened the second half with an 11-6 run. After the Aggies scored four of the next five points, the Dutchmen iced the victory with a 19-6 surge in which Davis (six points) and Aranguren (five points) combined for 11 points. The Dutchmen led by at least 15 points for the final six-plus minutes. Parnell had 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting from 3-point land while Graham had 11 points and six rebounds. Plotnikov finished with seven points and seven rebounds while Silas Sunday had a nice line with six points and nine rebounds.
3 STARS OF THE GAME (vs. North Carolina A&T, 3/1)
3: Jean Aranguren
2: Cruz Davis
1: Eric Parnell
SEASON STANDINGS
Jean Aranguren 56
Cruz Davis 44
Michael Graham 23
Jaquan Sanders 15
German Plotnikov 12
KiJan Robinson 9
Khalil Farmer 7
TJ Gadsden 7
Silas Sunday 6
Eric Parnell 4
Joshua DeCady 3
WAS THIS A UNICORN SCORE?
Yes! Whoohoo! We got another one! I figured there had to be a 70-49 win somewhere in the history books, but the Dutchmen came within one point of such a final just once before in a 69-49 win over Williams during the 1955-56 season. But no 70-49 victories before last Saturday!
This is the Dutchmen’s seventh unicorn score of the season.
11/4/24: 89-62 over Old Westbury
11/8/24: 90-76 over Iona
12/6/24: 114-48 over St. Joseph’s
1/4/25: 55-37 over Northeastern
1/23/25: 93-68 over Delaware
1/30/25: 74-63 over Not Twitter Guy
3/1/25: 70-49 over North Carolina A&T
This is also the Dutchmen’s 60th unicorn score victory 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
At least seven unicorn scores in every season except the season without one. 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?
Welcome to the club, Eric Parnell! The sophomore got his Stonecutters membership card Saturday afternoon, when he hit the 3-pointer that put the Dutchmen ahead for good at 15-14 with 5:25 left in the first half. Parnell is the fifth player to record his first career Keith Hernandez this season and the 14th player to record a Keith Hernandez 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)
SEASON STANDINGS
Jean Aranguren 5
Michael Graham 3
Cruz Davis 2
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
Michael Graham 3
German Plotnikov 3
Warren Williams 3
Cruz Davis 2
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-ONE GAMES
With Saturday’s win, the Dutchmen improved to 14-17 this season. This means the 2024-25 team has the 19th-best record in school history through 31 games…or the fifth-worst record in school history through 31 games. In a quirky bit of history, this is the first time the Dutchmen have ever opened 14-17! It’s the second straight time the Dutchmen have had a record through ‘X’ games for the first time in school history. Here is how some notable Hofstra teams have fared through 30 games:
NCAA DIVISION I TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1999-2000: 24-7 (season ended with an 86-66 loss to Oklahoma State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, only 24-7 start)
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, best 31-game record in program history)
2019-20 (IT COUNTS TO US): 23-8 (most recent 23-8 start, beat James Madison in regular season finale to clinch second straight CAA regular season title)
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). 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: 22-9 (lost to Drexel in America East semifinals)
2005-06: 25-6 (beat Nebraska, 73-62, in the first round of the NIT)
2006-07: 22-9 (most recent 22-9 start, 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 (most recent 25-6 start, beat Delaware in regular season finale to clinch the outright CAA regular season title)
2022-23: 23-8 (most recent 23-8 start, win in 31st game marked 11th win of 12-game winning streak that continued into the CAA Tournament)
The 2004-05 NIT team completed its season at 21-9.
Some other notable 31-game records — in fact, all of them!
2017-18: 19-12 (most recent 19-12 start, season ended with a loss to UNC Wilmington in the CAA quarterfinals)
2016-17: 15-16 (only 15-16 start, 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, last win of season)
2014-15: 19-12 (lost to James Madison in regular season finale)
2013-14: 9-22 (only 9-22 start, beat James Madison in regular season finale, Joe Mihalich's first season)
2012-13: 7-24 (lost to Towson in regular season finale, worst 31-game record in program history)
2011-12: 10-21 (only 10-21 start, beat UNC Wilmington in regular season finale, last win of season)
2010-11: 21-10 (beat William & Mary in CAA quarterfinals, last win of season)
2009-10: 18-13 (only 18-13 start, beat Georgia State in regular season finale)
2008-09: 21-10 (beat UNC Wilmington in CAA first round, last win of season)
2001-02: 12-19 (only 12-19 start, beat George Mason in CAA quarterfinals, hee hee, last win of season)
1997-98: 19-12 (season ended with loss to Delaware in America East semifinals)
Hofstra has never been 31-0, 30-1, 29-2, 28-3, 27-4, 20-11, 17-14, 16-15, 13-18, 11-20, 8-23, 6-24, 6-25, 5-26, 4-27, 3-28, 2-29, 1-30 or 0-31 through 31 games.
Sixty-six seasons were completed in fewer than 31 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)
2002-03 (8-21)
2003-04 (14-15)
2004-05 (21-9)
2007-08 (12-18)
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-ONE
With Saturday’s win, Speedy Claxton improved to 80-51 (.611) as head coach. That’s the fourth-best known winning percentage for a Hofstra coach through his first 131 games at the helm.
Butch van Breda Kolff I 96-35 (.733, 131st game was the fifth game of his sixth season in 1960-61)
Frank Reilly 94-37 (.718, 131st game was the second game of his sixth season in 1952-53)
Paul Lynner 82-49 (.626, 131st game was the 21st game of his fifth season in 1966-67)
SPEEDY CLAXTON 80-51 (.611, 131st game was the 31st game of his fourth season in 2024-25)
Joe Mihalich 68-63 (.519, 131st game was the 30th game of his fourth season in 2016-17)
Roger Gaeckler 68-63 (.519, 131st game was the 29th game of his fifth season in 1976-77)
Dick Berg 67-64 (.511, 131st game was the 21st game of his fifth season in 1984-85)
Butch van Breda Kolff II 65-66 (.496, 131st game was the 17th game of his fifth season in 1992-93)
Tom Pecora 64-67 (.489, 131st game was the 11th game of his sixth season in 2005-06)
Jay Wright 62-69 (.473, 131st game was the 18th game of his fifth season in 1998-99)
Game no. 131 represents the biggest milestone for Roger Gaeckler, who remains in a tie for sixth place — his highest spot ever in the standings —with Joe Mihalich as ’76-77 Flying Dutchmen earn their second straight NCAA Tournament berth by beating La Salle (and Joe Mihalich!) 92-81 in the ECC championship game. Alas, this is as good as it gets for Gaeckler, who will climb no higher as the magical run ends with a first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Notre Dame before the bottom falls out the next two seasons, Anyway! Everything else stays the same, though Butch van Breda Kolff falls below .500 in his second stint. At the bottom, Tom Pecora stays two games ahead of fellow perpetual slacker Jay Wright as each wins his 131st game at the helm. 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.
No comments:
Post a Comment