Eat ALL of our (long-sleeved giveaway) shirts! And our shorts and our old turnips but NOT our lemons, baby, the tree is back where it belongs (let's hope for more than a week).
IT HAS HAPPENED! The first win over Stony Brook in a mere 758 days was triply meaningful Saturday night for the Flying Dutchmen, who not only earned their 20th win of the season but also clinched a double bye in the CAA Tournament while securing the no. 3 seed by outlasting our pesky pals to the east, 67-58.
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. The individual news and notes from the win over the Seawolves and a preview of the regular season finale against Drexel will be posted in the AM. Enjoy!
THE MOST RECENT GAME SUMMARIZED IN ONE PARAGRAPH
Cruz Davis was limited to eight points and Preston Edmead battled early foul trouble, but Biggie Patterson (17 points, 11 rebounds off the bench) and German Plotnikov (15 points) took over as the go-to options in the first before teaming up with Edmead in the second to fend off Stony Brook. Plotnikov scored the Dutchmen’s first eight points and Patterson collected 11 points during a 16-10 run that extended the Dutchmen’s lead to 31-21 with 3:45 left. But Stony Brook tied the score by ending the half on an 11-1 run before Andrej Shoshkikj’s 3-pointer 37 seconds into the, err, second gave the Seawolves a 35-32 lead. The Dutchmen outscored Stony Brook 6-0 while forcing four turnovers over the next six-plus minutes, a stretch in which the Seawolves missed four free throws while going 0-of-7 from the field and the Dutchmen endured nine straight empty trips (how many straight empty trips?). Shoshkikj ended the drought with a layup to pull Stony Brook within 39-37, but Davis responded with a nostalgic 3-point play for the Dutchmen, who scored on five of their final six possessions immediately after the Seawolves closed within three points or fewer. Edmead’s 3-pointer with 9:33 left put the Dutchmen up 51-46 and began a 12-4 stretch that included eight points by Edmead and ended with Patterson draining a 3-pointer to lengthen the lead to 60-50 with 6:05 left. Stony Brook got no closer than five the rest of the way. Patterson’s double-double was his fourth of the season and his third off the bench while Plotnikov, who went 4-of-4 from the free throw line in the second half, added seven rebounds, one steal and one block. Edmead, who sat out the final 10:53 of the first half, scored 11 of his 14 points in the last 9:33. Davis, who failed to reach double digits for just the second time this season, had six assists, two rebounds and two steals but committed five turnovers. Silas Sunday was scoreless for the first time this season but racked up eight rebounds and a career-high four blocks while adding one steal. Victory Onuetu had seven points and seven rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench while Joshua DeCady added six points (hmm did he extend his streak of Keith Hernandezes?), two steals, one rebound and one assist.
3 STARS OF THE GAME (vs. Stony Brook, 2/28)
3: Biggie Patterson
2: German Plotnikov
1: Preston Edmead
SEASON STANDINGS
Cruz Davis 66
Preston Edmead 47
Biggie Patterson 23
German Plotnikov 12
Silas Sunday 9
Joshua DeCady 8
Victory Onuetu 6
Joshua Aaron Reaves 3
Jaeden Roberts 3
A.J. Wills 2
Alex Tsynkevich 1
WAS THIS A UNICORN SCORE?
No! Bummer but we can’t complain too much after heading into Saturday off two straight unicorn score wins. The Dutchmen’s previous 67-58 win was over Drexel on Jan. 19, 2008. So the Dutchmen racked up a non-unicorn score win in the game BEFORE they played Drexel. Semi-quirky, at least!
The Dutchmen have recorded six unicorn score victories this season and 66 unicorn score victories since the start of the 2018-19 season, when we first started tracking unicorn scores.
2025-26: Six 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
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?
Joshua DeCady is just out here making Keith Hernandez history on the regular. DeCady, who waited longer than anyone in history (or at least since the 2022-23 season) to record his first career Keith Hernandez, collected his third straight Keith Hernandez on Saturday night by hitting the go-ahead 3-pointer that gave the Dutchmen the lead for good at 37-35 with 17:50 left in the game. It’s the first Keith Hernandez recorded in the second half since Cruz Davis’ nostalgic 3-point play against Quinnipiac on Dec. 21. Wow! Spanning two years! DeCady’s third Keith Hernandez came in his 53rd game, which is somewhat surprisingly only the second-deepest into a career a player has recorded his third Keith Hernandez. German Plotnikov recorded his third Keith Hernandez in his 85th game with the Dutchmen on Jan. 23, 2025. DeCady is now one of just 10 players with at least three Keith Hernandezes — as well as just the second player to record three straight Keith Hernandezes. Darlinstone Dubar had three straight Keith Hernandezes from Feb. 11-16, 2023 and then again from Feb. 24 through Mar. 10, 2024. Like DeCady’s current streak, Dubar’s first run of three straight Keith Hernandezes came in three consecutive games.
German Plotnikov go-ahead 3-pointer vs. Molloy, 11/10/25 (18:47 left 1H)
Preston Edmead go-ahead 3-pointer vs. Bucknell, 11/14/25 (13:30 left 2H)
Biggie Patterson tie-breaking free throw vs. La Salle, 11/28/25 (1:35 left 2H)
Preston Edmead tie-breaking 3-pointer vs. Merrimack, 11/29/25 (15:25 left 1H)
Biggie Patterson tie-breaking 3-pointer vs. Pennsylvania, 11/30/25 (18:03 left 2H)
Cruz Davis tie-breaking 3-pointer vs. Pittsburgh, 12/7/25 (8:38 left 1H)
Cruz Davis tie-breaking free throw vs. Old Westbury, 12/10/25 (19:50 left 1H)
German Plotnikov go-ahead 3-pointer vs. Syracuse, 12/13/25 (:31.9 left 2H)
Cruz Davis nostalgic 3-point play vs. Quinnipiac, 12/21/25 (3:54 left 2H)
Preston Edmead go-ahead 3-pointer vs. Campbell, 12/29/25 (12:05 left 1H)
German Plotnikov tie-breaking 3-pointer vs. Drexel, 1/3/26 (18:27 left 1H)
German Plotnikov go-ahead 3-pointer vs. Towson, 1/8/26 (3:33 left 1H)
A.J. Wills tie-breaking 3-pointer vs. Monmouth, 1/10/26 (4:31 left OT)
Cruz Davis tie-breaking 3-pointer vs. Monmouth, 1/31/26 (19:50 left 1H)
Cruz Davis tie-breaking 3-pointer vs. Northeastern, 2/5/26 (12:38 left 1H)
Cruz Davis tie-breaking jumper vs. Towson, 2/7/26 (16:21 left 1H)
Biggie Patterson tie-breaking jumper vs. Charleston, 2/12/26 (6:44 left 1H)
Joshua DeCady go-ahead 3-pointer vs. Hampton, 2/19/26 (15:29 left 1H)
Joshua DeCady tie-breaking 3-pointer vs. Northeastern, 2/21/26 (6:00 left 1H)
Joshua DeCady go-ahead 3-pointer vs. Stony Brook, 2/28/26 (17:50 left 2H)
SEASON STANDINGS
Cruz Davis 6
German Plotnikov 4
Joshua DeCady 3
Preston Edmead 3
Biggie Patterson 2
A.J. Wills 1
ALL-TIME STANDINGS (or at least since the 2022-23 season)
Tyler Thomas 16
Darlinstone Dubar 14
Cruz Davis 9
German Plotnikov 7
Jean Aranguren 5
Aaron Estrada 4
Joshua DeCady 3
Preston Edmead 3
Michael Graham 3
Warren Williams 3
Biggie Patterson 2
Silas Sunday 2
Jacco Fritz 2
Jaquan Carlos 2
A.J. Wills 1
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 GAMES
The Dutchmen improved to 20-10 with Saturday night’s win. This ties the 2025-26 team for the 13th-best record in school history through 2309 games. This is the first time the Dutchmen have opened 20-10 since 2021-22 and the fourth time overall in program history. All four 20-10 starts have come since 2008-09. Here is how some notable Hofstra teams have fared through 30 games:
NCAA DIVISION I TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1975-76: 18-12 (season ended with an 80-78 loss to Connecticut in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, which left me as the most disappointed two-year-old toddler in the Nutmeg State, first NCAA Tournament as a D-I program, only 18-12 start in program history)
1976-77: 23-7 (season ended with a 90-83 loss to Notre Dame in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, most recent 23-7 start)
1999-2000: 24-6 (America East champs! Win in 30th game was a 76-69 victory over Delaware at Hofstra Arena that clinched the Dutchmen’s first NCAA Tournament berth since *checks notes* 1977)
2000-01: 26-4 (America East champs again! Win in 30th game was a 68-54 victory over Delaware at Hofstra Arena that marked the final win in program-record, single-season 18-game winning streak and sent the Dutchmen to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year, only 26-4 start in school history)
2019-20 (IT COUNTS TO US): 22-8 (loss in 30th game snapped an eight-game winning streak and was the final loss of the season)
NIT TEAMS
1998-99: 22-8 (win over Vermont in America East quarterfinals was final win of season)
2004-05: 21-9 (season ended with 53-44 loss to Saint Joseph’s, only 21-9 start in school history)
2005-06: 24-6 (loss in 30th game came against UNC Wilmington in CAA championship game, but don’t worry, the Dutchmen will definitely get an at-large bid six days from now)
2006-07: 22-8 (won regular season finale, final win of season)
2015-16: 22-8 (won regular season finale to clinch no. 1 seed in the CAA Tournament)
2018-19: 24-6 (most recent 24-6 start, win in 30th game clinched tie for the CAA regular season title)
2022-23: 22-8 (most recent 22-8 start, win in 30th game marked 10th win of 12-game winning streak that continued into the CAA Tournament)
NCAA DIVISION II TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1962-63: 23-7 (season ended with 78-71 win over Mount St. Mary’s in an NCAA Tournament game)
The 1958-59 team, Hofstra’s first to reach the NCAA Tournament, completed its season in 27 games (20-7), while the 1961-62 team, Hofstra’s second to reach the NCAA Tournament, completed its season in 28 games (24-4) and the 1963-64 team completed its season in 29 games (23-6).
Some other notable 30-game records — in fact, all of them!
2024-25: 13-17 (only 13-17 start)
2023-24: 19-11 (most recent 19-11 start)
2017-18: 19-11 (won regular season finale for final win of season)
2016-17: 14-16 (only 14-16 start)
2013-14: 8-22 (only 8-22 start, Joe Mihalich’s first team)
2012-13: 7-23 (only 7-23 start, worst 30-game record in school history)
2011-12: 9-21 (only 9-21 start)
2010-11: 20-10 (won regular season finale)
2009-10: 17-13 (most recent 17-13 start, win in 30th game marked fifth win of seven-game winning streak)
2008-09: 20-10 (won regular season finale)
2007-08: 12-18 (season ended with 81-66 loss to Towson in a CAA Tournament outbracket game, only 12-18 start)
2001-02: 11-19 (only 11-19 start, 72-52 win over Towson in CAA Tournament first-round game ended Tom Pecora-era record-tying eight-game losing streak)
1997-98: 19-11 (win over Hartford in America East quarterfinal was final win of season)
1985-86: 17-13 (season ended with 80-76 loss to Drexel in ECC championship game)
Hofstra has never been 30-0, 29-1, 28-2, 27-3, 25-5, 16-14, 15-15, 10-20, 6-24, 5-25, 4-26, 3-27, 2-28, 1-29 or 0-30 through 30 games.
Sixty seasons were completed in fewer than 30 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)
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)
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)
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)
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 SIXTY-THREE
With Saturday night’s win, Speedy Claxton improved to 101-62 (.620) as head coach. Did you know? No baseball team has ever gone 101-62 in a season and now no one will because Rob Manfred did a Rob Manfred thing by getting rid of play-in games. Anyway! That’s the third-best known winning percentage for a Hofstra coach through his first 163 games at the helm.
Butch van Breda Kolff I 123-40 (.755, 163rd game was the 12th game of his seventh season in 1961-62)
Frank Reilly 117-46 (.718, 163rd game was the seventh game of his seventh season in 1953-54)
SPEEDY CLAXTON 101-62 (.620, 163rd game was the 30th game of his fifth season in 2025-26)
Paul Lynner 98-65 (.601, 163rd game was the third game of his seventh season in 1968-69)
Joe Mihalich 88-75 (.540, 163rd game was the 30th game of his fifth season in 2017-18)
Tom Pecora 87-76 (.534, 163rd game was the 10th game of his sixth season in 2006-07)
Dick Berg 84-79 (.515, 163rd game was the 24th game of his sixth season in 1985-86)
Jay Wright 84-79 (.515, 163rd game was the 18th game of his fifth season in 1998-99)
Roger Gaeckler 79-84 (.485, 163rd game was the fourth game of his seventh season in 1978-79)
Butch van Breda Kolff II 75-88 (.460, 163rd game was the 21st game of his sixth season in 1993-94)
Speedy Claxton moves three games ahead of Paul Lynner, whose 1968-69 team opens 0-3, which means Claxton will end this season ahead of Lynner even if the Dutchmen lose their next two games — which to be absolutely clear we hope they do not. Joe Mihalich snaps the tie with Tom Pecora for fifth place as the 2017-18 team wins its final game in the regular season finale (sigh) and the 2006-07 Dutchmen offer another reminder they’re not the ’05-06 Dutchmen by getting blown out in Syracuse. Imagine that. Syracuse used to beat Hofstra! Jay Wright climbs back into a tie with Dick Berg for seventh while the 1978-79 team moves to 3-1, its high-water mark for the season. And I have finally seen a winning streak at Hofstra as Butch van Breda Kolff’s final team beats Rhode Island, 77-69, on Feb. 17, 1994! That was a big deal since the Rams made the NCAA tournament the year before, when they lost to eventual national champion and my pre-Hofstra favorite team, North Carolina. Back-to-back wins over Fordham AND Rhode Island. Invite us to the Atlantic 10, you cowards!
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.
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