(Note: I have been terribly derelict about posting game
recaps this season, partially because I’ve been busy with work and fatherhood
but mostly because this season has been devastatingly depressing. However, I
hate the idea of not properly archiving these games, so to speak, so I came up
with a compromise that will allow me to chronicle #HofstraPun the season in a
basic, quick-hit fashion. So welcome to The Good, The Bad & The Quirky. Or, as I like to
call it, TGTBATQ. Pretty self-explanatory, and probably something I
should consider employing from the start next year so that I don’t fall into
this trap again. Enjoy!)
THE GOOD: The Flying Dutchmen lost to Northeastern, the
wire-to-wire regular season leader, by five points for the second time in 21
days. But unlike in Boston, where Northeastern led the entire time, the
Dutchmen had the Huskies reeling for a 20-minute stretch spanning the halves in
which Hofstra outscored Northeastern 39-21 to turn an eight-point deficit into
a 10-point lead with 10:12 to play.
The rally was fueled by of all people, walk-on point guard
Adam Savion, who played a career-high 24 minutes. He entered with 11:20 left in
the first and the Dutchmen down 11-3. With Savion manning the point, the
Dutchmen finished the half on a 21-8 run. Overall, the Dutchmen outscored
Northeastern 42-31 with Savion on the floor. Those numbers are a bit
misleading—he played almost 11 consecutive minutes in the second half, during
which time the Dutchmen came back from a one-point deficit, built their
10-point lead and then fell behind by two points—but there’s no denying the
spark he provided with Stevie Mejia in foul trouble and Taran Buie once again
misfiring at will.
The Dutchmen also got unexpected contributions from reserve
big men Daquan Brown and Moussa Kone, who were each 3-of-3 from the field. Kone
added five rebounds. Stephen Nwaukoni had another big game with 11 points and a
career-high tying 13 rebounds. Mejia had 11 points (on 4-of-5 shooting), three
assists and two steals.
THE BAD: Well, there was that whole blowing a 10-point lead
to the eventual regular season champion thingie. Mejia played a season-low 22
minutes because of his foul trouble. David Imes had eight points, eight
rebounds and four assists but was just 2-of-9 from the field. The Dutchmen shot
a wretched 11-of-22 from the free throw line and missed the front end of a
one-and-one three times in the second half. Buie was just 4-of-18 from the
field and had a potential game-tying 3-pointer blocked by Quincy Ford with two
seconds left.
THE QUIRKY: Only the 2012-13 Dutchmen could wonder what-if
about two buzzer-beater desperation heaves that barely missed. Imes’ shot
from the opposite foul line rimmed in and out as the first half buzzer sounded
while Buie’s meaningless chuck at the end of the game actually got wedged in
between the backboard and the rim. Seriously. Only Hofstra, only this year. Oh,
and Mejia displayed some amusing senior leadership when he went up to
Northeastern sophomore Danny Walker before each of his free throw attempts with
1:20 left and the Huskies up four. Walker missed both. (Well, it was amusing to
me, anyway)
3 STARS OF THE GAME (vs. Northeastern, 2/5)
3: Stephen Nwaukoni
2: Stevie Mejia
1: Adam Savion
SEASON STANDINGS***
31: Stevie Mejia
31: Taran Buie
23: Stephen Nwaukoni
14: David Imes
7: Jordan Allen
5: Moussa Kone
3: Daquan Brown
2: Matt Grogan
1: Adam Savion
***21 points vacated
Email Jerry at defiantlydutch@yahoo.com
or follow Defiantly Dutch at http://twitter.com/defiantlydutch.
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