Keep It Perky: UNC Wilmington

Watch this. You can actually pinpoint the second Christian May rips our hearts in half. And.....now.

Well, if we’ve learned anything from the Flying Dutchmen this season, Saturday’s 70-66 loss to UNC Wilmington will either spark an untimely losing skid for America’s streakiest team or a red-hot run that takes them into Washington, D.C. with visions of net-cutting dancing in our heads. Who are we kidding? We’ll be harboring those visions either way.

As will hopefully remain the case for the rest of the season however long it lasts, here’s the Keep It Perky featuring the usual postgame boilerplate material. (Though much earlier than usual!) The individual news and notes from the loss to the Seahawks and a preview of Hampton will be posted tomorrow. Enjoy!

THE MOST RECENT GAME SUMMARIZED IN ONE PARAGRAPH

The Flying Dutchmen led by as many as nine points in the second half and had the defending champs on the ropes, but UNC Wilmington survived the standing eight count a la Larry Holmes against Renaldo Snipes GOOGLE IT CRAIN and displayed its mettle by scoring the game’s final six points over the last 1:59. That was the second NICE FOOTBALL SCORE run of the game for the Seahawks, who opened the afternoon on a 7-0 spurt. The Dutchmen inched back and took a trio of brief leads before UNC Wilmington ended the half wit a 34-32 lead. The Dutchmen scored nine of the first 12 points of the second half and took their first multi-possession lead at 41-37 following a pair of free throws by Cruz Davis with 15:06 left, after which the Seahawks scored five straight points. A free throw by German Plotnikov started a 10-0 run for the Dutchmen, who went ahead 51-42 on a pair of free throws by Preston Edmead with 10:07 left. Patrick Wessler missed a layup on UNC Wilmington’s next possession, but Victory Onuetu tapped the ball too far out of the paint and Wessler hit a second-chance layup to begin an 18-7 run for the Seahawks, who went ahead on Nolan Hodge’s two free throws with 4:14 left. That began a seven-possession sequence in which the teams scored on every trip down the floor and swapped the lead four times. Edmead and Joshua DeCady hit the go-ahead 3-pointers fro the Dutchmen, but Christian May answered each time and gave UNC Wilmington the lead for good at 67-66 on a 3-pointer. UNC Wilmington was just 3-for-6 from the line the rest of the way but the Dutchmen missed their last four shots, including a pair of potential go-ahead baskets by Davis following May’s go-ahead basket, a potential game-tying jumper by Davis with 36 seconds remaining and DeCady’s potential game-tying 3-pointer with seven seconds left. Davis (22 points), Edmead (21 points) and DeCady (14 points) combined for all but nine of the Dutchmen’s points. Edmead was 6-of-13 shooting, including 3-of-6 from 3-point land, while adding four assists and four rebounds. Davis was 7-of-23 from the field, including 3-of-9 from beyond the arc. DeCady had 11 of his points in the first half. Victory Onuetu collected seven rebounds off the bench. Plotnikov scored just the one point as he went without a field goal attempt in 35 minutes.

3 STARS OF THE GAME (vs. UNC Wilmington, 2/14)

3: Preston Edmead

2: Cruz Davis

1: Joshua DeCady

SEASON STANDINGS

Cruz Davis 60

Preston Edmead 44

Biggie Patterson 18

German Plotnikov 9

Joshua DeCady 8

Silas Sunday 8

Victory Onuetu 6

Joshua Aaron Reaves 3

Jaeden Roberts 3

A.J. Wills 2

Alex Tsynkevich 1

THE FLYING DUTCHMEN AFTER TWENTY-SEVEN GAMES

The Dutchmen fell to 17-10 with Saturday afternoon’s loss. This ties the 2025-26 team for the 22nd-best record in school history through 27 games. Quirky: Due to six seasons ending with the 26th game, these Dutchmen are actually higher on the all-time list with a loss through 27 games than they were through 26 games (tied for the 23rd-best record of all-time at 17-9). This is the first time the Dutchmen have opened 17-10 since 2014-15 and just the third time overall in program history. That snaps a quirky streak for the Dutchmen who were 13-9, 14-9, 15-9, 16-9 and 17-9 this season for the first time since 2021-22. Here is how some notable Hofstra teams have fared through 27 games:

NCAA DIVISION I TOURNAMENT TEAMS

1975-76: 16-11 (win in 27th game came in ECC Tournament opener and marked fourth win of six-game winning streak that carried Dutchmen into the NCAAs)

1976-77: 21-6 (win in 27th game came in ECC Tournament opener and marked seventh win of nine-game winning streak that carried Dutchmen into the NCAAs)

1999-2000: 21-6 (the 66-57 win over Drexel in 27th game gave the Dutchmen the outright America East regular season championship, most recent 21-6 start) 

2000-01: 23-4 (win in 27th game capped regular season and marked 15th win in program-record, single-season 18-game winning streak, most recent 23-4 start, tied for best 27-game record)

2019-20 (IT COUNTS TO US): 20-7 (most recent 20-7 start, win in 27th game was sixth win of eight-game winning streak)

NIT TEAMS

1998-99: 19-8 (first 19-8 start)

2004-05: 20-7 (win in 27th game came in regular season finale and was sixth win of seven-game winning streak)

2005-06: 22-5 (win in 27th game came in regular season finale)

2006-07: 19-8

2015-16: 19-8 

2018-19: 22-5 (most recent 22-5 start)

2022-23: 19-8 (most recent 19-8 start, win in 27th game marked seventh win of 12-game winning streak that continued into the CAA Tournament)

NCAA DIVISION II TOURNAMENT TEAMS

1958-59: 20-7 (season ended with third-round loss in NCAAs)

1961-62: 23-4 (won first-round NCAA game for final win of VBK’s first stint, tied for best 27-game record)

1962-63: 21-6 (win in NCAA opener was 10th win of 11-game winning streak, first 21-6 start)

1963-64: 22-5 (won NCAA opener, first 22-5 start)

Some other notable 27-game records:

2024-25: 12-15 (most recent 12-15 start, loss in 27th game marked fifth loss of Speedy Claxton-era record six-game losing streak)

2023-24: 16-11 (most recent 16-11 start)

2021-22: 18-9 (most recent 18-9 start)

2016-17: 13-14 (most recent 13-14 start)

2013-14: 8-19 (most recent 8-19 start, Joe Mihalich’s first team)

2012-13: 6-21 (most recent 6-21 start, tied for worst 27-game record in school history)

2009-10: 14-13 (most recent 14-13 start, over .500 for good)

2007-08: 11-16 (only 11-16 start)

2002-03: 7-20 (most recent 7-20 start, lost regular season finale)

2001-02: 10-17 (most recent 10-17 start, loss in 27th game marked sixth loss of Tom Pecora-era record-tying eight-game losing streak)

1996-97: 12-15 (season ended w/loss in NAC quarterfinals)

1995-96: 9-18 (most recent 9-18 start, season ended w/loss in NAC outbracket game)

1994-95: 10-17 (beat Maine in NAC outbracket game for final win, Jay Wright’s first year)

1993-94: 7-20 (beat Chicago State to begin ECC Tournament run, VBK’s last year)

1992-93: 9-18 (lost season finale)

1991-92: 19-8 (103-87 win over UMBC in 27th game ended regular season, locked up no. 1 seed in ECC title game & was eighth win in nine-game winning streak that ended in ECC title game, also the final 100-point game for Hofstra until 2010-11)

1990-91: 14-13 (lost regular season finale)

1989-90: 13-14 (won regular season finale)

1988-89: 13-14 (won regular season finale)

1987-88: 6-21 (season ended w/loss in ECC first round, tied for worst 27-game record in school history, final game for Dick Berg)

1986-87: 10-17 (lost regular season finale)

1985-86: 15-12 (only 15-12 start, won regular season finale)

1983-84: 14-13 (won regular season finale)

1982-83: 18-9 (season ended w/loss in ECC first round)

1980-81: 12-15 (season ended w/loss in ECC first round)

1979-80: 14-13 (final win of season, final win for Joe Harrington)

1978-79: 8-19 (lost season finale, final game for Roger Gaeckler)

1977-78: 8-19 (lost season finale)

1952-53: 20-7 (lost season finale, first 20-7 start)

Hofstra has never been 27-0, 26-1, 25-2, 24-3, 5-22, 4-23, 3-24, 2-25, 1-26 or 0-27 through 27 games.

Thirty-two seasons were completed in fewer than 27 games:

1936-37 (10-7)

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)

1947-48 (13-6)

1948-49 (18-8)

1949-50 (17-9)

1953-54 (15-9)

1954-55 (19-7)

1955-56 (22-4)

1956-57 (11-15)

1957-58 (15-8)

1959-60 (23-1)

1960-61 (21-4)

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)

2020-21 (13-10)

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 SIXTY

With Saturday afternoon’s loss, Speedy Claxton fell to 98-62 (.613) as head coach. That’s tied for the third-best known winning percentage for a Hofstra coach through his first 160 games at the helm.

Butch van Breda Kolff I 120-40 (.750, 160th game was the ninth game of his seventh season in 1961-62) 

Frank Reilly 115-45 (.719, 160th game was the fourth game of his seventh season in 1953-54) 

Paul Lynner 98-62 (.613, 160th game was the 25th and final game of his sixth season in 1967-68) 

SPEEDY CLAXTON 98-62 (.613, 160th game was the 27th game of his fifth season in 2025-26)  

Joe Mihalich 85-75 (.531, 160th game was the 27th game of his fifth season in 2017-18) 

Tom Pecora 85-75 (.531, 160th game was the seventh game of his sixth season in 2006-07) 

Dick Berg 82-78 (.513, 160th game was the 21st game of his sixth season in 1985-86)  

Jay Wright 82-78 (.513, 160th game was the 15th game of his fifth season in 1998-99) 

Roger Gaeckler 76-84 (.475, 160th game was the first game of his seventh season in 1978-79) 

Butch van Breda Kolff II 73-87 (.456, 160th game was the 19th game of his sixth season in 1993-94)  

Ties aplenty and a trio of milestones in game no. 160 as Speedy Claxton slips back into a tie for third with Paul Lynner, whose 1967-68 team wins its season finale. Quirky: It’s the second of five straight season-ending wins for Lynner and the Flying Dutchmen, but none of those victories came in a tournament setting. Joe Mihalich and Tom Pecora remain tied for fifth place all-time with wins in game no. 160. Pecora’s 2006-07 team moves over .500 for good. And Dick Berg and Jay Wright remain tied for seventh by recording wins in their 160th games strolling the Hofstra sidelines. Roger Gaeckler’s seventh and final season begins with a loss to South Carolina while Butch van Breda Kolff’s final team opens its charge to the ECC title on Feb. 5, 1994 by beating Central Connecticut State, 84-76, in the first men’s basketball game I ever covered. And it came against my parents’ alma mater to boot! A little quirky and cosmic.

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.