THE MOST RECENT GAME SUMMARIZED IN ONE PARAGRAPH
Jalen Ray (5-for-9 from 3-point land) continued his resurgence with a team-high 19 points and five assists as the Dutchmen led for the final 35-plus minutes in West Long Branch. Monmouth raced out to a quick 6-0 lead, but Ray drained his first two 3-point attempts to start a 14-3 run that put the Dutchmen ahead for good. Another 3-pointer by Ray gave the Dutchmen their first double-digit lead at 24-14 fewer than eight minutes into the game. The Dutchmen maintained a lead of at least 10 points for the next 24-plus minutes before Monmouth completed an 18-4 run to pull within 71-68 with 2:53 left. But Marcus McClary missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer following a turnover by Aaron Estrada and Kvonn Cramer, pressed into duty when Abayomi Iyiola fouled out, hit a layup on the other end. Darlinstone Dubar sealed the win by hitting all four of his free throws in the final minute. Dubar finished with 15 points and five rebounds while Omar Silverio had 15 points and four assists. Iyiola (nine points, 11 rebounds) flirted with another double-double and added a pair of steals.
3 STARS OF THE GAME (vs. Monmouth, 12/22)
3: Jalen Ray
2: Darlinstone Dubar
1: Abayomi Iyiola
SEASON STANDINGS
Darlinstone Dubar 20
Aaron Estrada 15
Jalen Ray 14
Zach Cooks 13
Abayomi Iyiola 7
Omar Silverio 5
Kvonn Cramer 4
WAS THIS A UNICORN SCORE?
Yes! We’ve gone from being unable to secure a unicorn score to racking them up every game. No complaints there. The Dutchmen posted a trio of 78-71 wins from 1988-89 through 1992-93 and earned a pair of 76-71 wins — including the upset of Richmond exactly a year to the day of the Monmouth win — but never recorded a 77-71 victory before beating the Hawks.
The Dutchmen have recorded seven straight unicorn score victories and (checks notes) seven unicorn score victories this season.
The Dutchmen recorded no unicorn scores last season after recording 13 unicorn scores in 2019-20 and 10 unicorn scores in 2018-19. 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.
11/24/21: 87-49 over Molloy
11/27/21: 98-84 over Detroit Mercy
12/1/21: 81-77 over Princeton
12/4/21: 88-69 over Bucknell
12/12/21: 102-52 over John Jay
12/18/21: 89-81 over Arkansas
12/22/21: 77-71 over Monmouth
THE FLYING DUTCHMEN AFTER THIRTEEN GAMES
With last Wednesday’s win, the Dutchmen improved to 8-5, which is tied for the 29th-best start in program history. It’s the first time the Dutchmen have opened 8-5 since the 2016-17 season and the 14th time overall in program history. The 8-5 record is the Dutchmen’s most common record through 13 games. Here is how some notable Hofstra teams have fared through 13 games.
NCAA DIVISION I TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1975-76: 6-7
1976-77: 9-4
1999-2000: 8-5
2000-01: 9-4
2019-20 (IT COUNTS TO US): 9-4 (most recent 9-4 start)
NIT TEAMS
1998-99: 8-5
2004-05: 10-3
2005-06: 10-3
2006-07: 9-4
2015-16: 9-4
2018-19: 10-3 (most recent 10-3 start, win in 13th game marked seventh win in the 16-game winning streak)
NCAA DIVISION II TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1958-59: 9-4
1961-62: 12-1
1962-63: 9-4
1963-64: 12-1 (most recent 12-1 start)
Some other notable 13-game starts:
2020-21: 7-6 (most recent 7-6 start)
2013-14: 4-9 (most recent 4-9 start, Joe Mihalich’s first team)
2012-13: 3-10 (most recent 3-10 start, final loss in eight-game losing streak)
2011-12: 6-7 (most recent 6-7 start)
2002-03: 2-11 (most recent 2-11 start)
2001-02: 6-7 (Tom Pecora’s first team, under .500 for good)
1996-97: 5-8 (most recent 5-8 start)
1994-95: 2-11 (Jay Wright’s first team)
1993-94: 1-12 (VBK’s last team, most recent 1-12 start)
1991-92: 7-6 (over .500 for good)
1986-87: 7-6 (last time over .500)
1966-67: 7-6 (last time over .500)
1959-60: 12-1 (Hofstra’s winningest team, percentage-wise; win in 13th game was second win of season-ending 13-game winning streak)
1955-56: 12-1 (suffered first loss in 13th game)
Hofstra has never been 13-0, 11-2 or 0-13 through 13 games.
Full records not available for the following seasons: 1936-37, 1941-42, 1942-43, 1945-46, 1948-49, 1949-50, 1951-52, 1954-55, 1957-58.
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 THIRTEEN
With Wednesday’s win, Speedy Claxton improved to 8-5 as head coach. Only Claxton and Mo Cassara have opened 8-5 at Hofstra. Six other coaches had winning records through 13 games in their first season (or the first season of their second stints). Jack McDonald steered the Dutchmen to a 10-3 start in the first (and only) season of his second stint while Frank Reilly (1947-48) began 10-3 and Butch van Breda Kolff began 12-1 in his first stint (1955-56). Paul Lynner opened 9-4 in 1962-63 while Joe Harrington began 7-6 in his lone season with the Dutchmen in 1980-81.
FIVE IS FINE
Jalen Ray hit five 3-pointers last Wednesday, the fourth time this season he’s drained at least five 3-pointers and the 15th time he's done so in his career. Among Hofstra players, only Justin Wright-Foreman (17 games with at least five 3-pointers) has more games with at least five 3-pointers since 2010-11, the first season in which player game logs are available at College Basketball Reference.
ONE AWAY FROM A NICE ROUND NUMBER
Jalen Ray enters tonight with 1,499 points, leaving him (does the math) one point shy of becoming the 12th player in school history to reach 1,500 points. Ray is 179 points away from surpassing Norman Richardson for 11th place on the all-time Hofstra scoring list.
FIFTEEN AND FIVE IS ALSO FINE
Darlinstone Dubar finished with 15 points and five rebounds last Wednesday, which marked the team-high fourth time this season he’s had at least 15 points and five rebounds in a single game. Isaac Kante led the Dutchmen last season with 11 games in which he had at least 15 points and five rebounds.
WINNING THE NON-CONFERENCE SEASON
With their three straight wins to close out non-league play, the Dutchmen improved to 8-5 and ensured they’ll once again enter the CAA schedule with a winning record. This marks the eighth straight season in which the Dutchmen hit the CAA schedule with a winning record and the 14th time they’ve done so in 21 seasons in the CAA. (League games that were played in the middle of the non-conference schedule were not counted but are listed separately)
2004-05: 8-1 (.889) 1-0 CAA
2018-19: 10-3 (.769)
2005-06: 6-2 (.750) 2-0 CAA
2008-09: 8-3 (.727) 1-0 CAA
2019-20: 9-4 (.692)
2014-15: 9-4 (.692)
2015-16: 8-4 (.667)
2006-07: 7-4 (.636) 1-0 CAA
2021-22: 8-5 (.615)
2016-17: 8-5 (.615)
2017-18: 7-5 (.583)
2009-10: 7-5 (.583) 1-0 CAA
2020-21: 4-3 (.571)
2010-11: 6-5 (.545) 1-0 CAA
OVER THE AIR
Tonight’s game will be carried live on FloHoops.com (subscription required). Hofstra will provide a radio feed as well as live stats at the Pride Productions hub.
HOFSTRA AND THE CAA
As noted in the above, err, note. this is Hofstra’s 21st season in the CAA. Remarkably, the 21-year tenure in the CAA is the longest Hofstra has been in one league in Division I. The Flying Dutchmen spent 20 years in the ECC counting the 1992-93 season, when Hofstra played an independent schedule but was still considered a member of the ECC along with Central Connecticut State. In between exiting the ECC and joining the CAA, the Flying Dutchmen spent seven years in the North Atlantic Conference/America East.
THE DUTCHMEN IN CAA OPENERS
The Dutchmen are 12-8 in the first game of league play since joining the CAA in 2001-02 and have won their last four CAA openers — including last season, of course, when they edged William & Mary 61-56 in Hempstead. First-year Hofstra head coaches are 2-2 in their CAA opener, with Mo Cassara and Mike Farrelly earning wins and Tom Pecora and Joe Mihalich absorbing losses.
The Dutchmen are playing William & Mary in the CAA opener for the third time. The Tribe earned a 90-87 win on Dec. 30, 2017.
SCOUTING WILLIAM & MARY
The Tribe, under third-year head coach Dane Fischer, are 1-12 this season following an 88-66 loss to Valparaiso last Wednesday. William & Mary’s lone win came over non-Division I Mary Baldwin on Nov 27. Only two of the Tribe’s 12 losses have been by fewer than 10 points.
The Dutchmen and Tribe had no common opponents in non-league play.
The Dutchmen, who were picked to finish fourth in the CAA preseason poll, are ranked 117th at KenPom.com. The Tribe, which was picked to finish 10th, is ranked 342nd.
According to KenPom.com. the Dutchmen rank first in the CAA in offensive efficiency (108.3) and sixth in defensive efficiency (103.0). The Tribe rank last in both offensive efficiency (89.8) and defensive efficiency (108.4).
Sophomore guard Connor Kochera, who was named to the preseason all-CAA second team, leads the Tribe with 11.8 points per game and ranks second with 5.2 rebounds per game. Sophomore forward Ben Wight ranks second in scoring (11.2 points per game) and first in rebounds (6.0 rebounds per game). Senior forward Quinn Blair is third in both scoring (10.1 points per game) and rebounding (4.2 rebounds per game).
KenPom.com predicts a 79-66 win for the Dutchmen. Per the wise guys in Vegas, for entertainment purposes only, the Dutchmen are 13-point favorites. The Dutchmen are 7-4 against the spread this season.
ALL-TIME VS. WILLIAM & MARY
Hofstra is 25-14 against William & Mary in a series that began when the Dutchmen joined the CAA prior to the 2001-02 season. The Dutchmen swept last season’s series, which consisted of back-to-back games at the Arena due to the pandemic. The Dutchmen earned a 61-56 win on Jan. 2 before beating the Tribe, 82-73, the next day. It was the second sweep in the last three seasons for the Dutchmen.
The Hofstra-William & Mary series has lately been one of the CAA’s most exciting and competitive rivalries. Eleven of the last 19 games between the teams have been decided by six points or fewer or in overtime, including back-to-back barnburners in the CAA Tournament in 2015 (shudders) and 2016.
THINGS YOU CAN SHOUT ON TWITTER IF CALLS GO DO NOT GO HOFSTRA’S WAY
Nathan Knight is the new Kevin Garnett bias! (He did have a double-double in his first NBA start Tuesday night)
Joe Smith bias! (Missed a chance to use this for the Maryland game, but we’ll reference the former no. 1 overall pick by the Timberwolves here)
Ted Lasso bias! (A chance to mention Bill Lawrence without mentioning Scrubs again!)
Tony Shaver’s marvelous mustache bias! (The classics never go out of style)
No comments:
Post a Comment