A fast start? A halftime lead? A winning streak? All in this economy? Apparently! It wasn’t a thing of beauty, but the Flying Dutchmen took care of business Thursday night with a wire-to-wire 64-55 win over William & Mary. The task will likely get tougher this afternoon, when The Gang Goes To The Jersey Shore to visit Monmouth. Here’s a look back at the win over the Tribe and a look ahead to the Hawks.
THE MOST RECENT GAME SUMMARIZED IN ONE PARAGRAPH
Tyler Thomas reached a pair of career milestones, but his shooting struggles continued and German Plotnikov (a career-high 15 points) authored a breakout performance as the Dutchmen did what they needed to do against William & Mary. Plotnikov had a 3-pointer as the Dutchmen hit their first three shots during a 8-0 run. Darlinstone Dubar scored seven unanswered points to start a 9-0 surge that extended the Dutchmen’s lead to 19-6 before Gabe Dorsey responded with a 14-4 run — seriously, it was one-on-five — to pull William & Mary within 23-20 with 5:09 left. Jaquan Carlos answered with a 3-pointer for the Dutchmen, who never led by fewer than four the rest of the way even as the game devolved into a rock fight only Tom Pecora and Bruiser Flint could love. And maybe not even them. Plotnikov had a team-high five points and Thomas reached the 2,000-point mark for his career and the 1,000-point mark at Hofstra on consecutive baskets on the two baskets he hit during a 14-6 second-half run that extended the lead to 50-34 with 12:45 left. William & Mary had a chance to close the gap to five or six points with under three minutes left but turned the ball over on one possession before missing three shots on its next possession. The Dutchmen iced the win by going 5-of-7 from the free throw line over the last minute. Plotnikov finished 6-of-7 from the field, including 4-of-4 from inside the 3-point line. Dubar had 14 points, four rebounds and three assists while Jaquan Carlos (eight points, nine rebounds, six assists) got more than halfway to all the categories in a triple-double. Jacco Fritz had seven points and a season-high 11 rebounds. Thomas scored 13 points but was just 4-of-17 from the field, including 1-of-12 from 3-point land. Bryce Washington added seven points off the bench.
3 STARS OF THE GAME (vs. William & Mary, 1/25)
3: German Plotnikov
2: Jaquan Carlos
1: Jacco Fritz
SEASON STANDINGS
Darlinstone Dubar 41
Tyler Thomas 37
Jaquan Carlos 21
Jacco Fritz 9
Bryce Washington 5
German Plotnikov 4
KiJan Robinson 2
Silas Sunday 1
Plotnikov’s first 3-star honor!
WAS THIS A UNICORN SCORE?
No! Somewhat surprisingly this is just the second 64-55 win in program history and the first in more than 70 years — since waaaaaaaaaay back during the 1951-52 season, when the Dutchmen beat Bridgeport by that very score. My parents might not have even been in preschool yet! Even more surprisingly, this is the third time since 2018-19 — the first season in which we began tracking unicorn scores — that the Dutchmen have recorded a victorious final score for the first time since the 1951-52 season. Now that’s quirky.
The Dutchmen have earned four unicorn score victories this season after recording 13 unicorn score victories last season, 11 unicorn score victories in 2021-22, no unicorn score victories in 2020-21, 13 unicorn score victories in 2019-20 and 10 unicorn score victories 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. You may also know it as a “Scorigami,” a term popularized in the NFL.
WHO HAD THE KEITH HERNANDEZ?
Darlinstone Dubar did it again and wasted no time in doing so Thursday night, when he opened the scoring 13 seconds into the game to give the Dutchmen a lead they’d never relinquish. It’s the earliest Keith Hernandez this season by the Dutchmen and the second-earliest Keith Hernandez in history (or at least since last season) behind only Dubar’s game-opening layup eight seconds into a 66-52 win over Drexel last Feb. 13.
Darlinstone Dubar go-ahead layup vs. St. Joseph’s (NY), 11/6/23 (14:30 left 1H)
Jaquan Carlos tie-breaking 3-pointer vs. Buffalo, 11/20/23 (19:33 left 1H)
Tyler Thomas tie-breaking free throw vs. Wright State, 11/21/23 (4:16 left 2H)
Darlinstone Dubar tie-breaking jumper vs. High Point, 11/22/23 (4:47 left OT)
Darlinstone Dubar tie-breaking layup vs. South Florida, 11/30/23 (19:42 left 1H)
Jacco Fritz tie-breaking jumper vs. Iona, 12/6/23 (12:37 left 1H)
Tyler Thomas tie-breaking 3-pointer vs. Norfolk State, 12/16/23 (13:45 left 2H)
Tyler Thomas go-ahead 3-pointer vs. Delaware, 1/6/24 (17:46 left 1H)
Bryce Washington go-ahead 3-pointer vs. Hampton, 1/18/24 (5:24 left 1H)
Darlinstone Dubar go-ahead jumper vs. Stony Brook, 1/22/24 (6:52 left 2H)
Darlinstone Dubar tie-breaking layup vs. William & Mary, 1/25/24 (19:47 left 1H)
SEASON STANDINGS
Darlinstone Dubar 5
Tyler Thomas 3
Bryce Washington 1
Jacco Fritz 1
Jaquan Carlos 1
ALL-TIME STANDINGS (or at least since last season)
Tyler Thomas 13
Darlinstone Dubar 10
Aaron Estrada 4
Warren Williams 3
Jaquan Carlos 2
German Plotnikov 2
Bryce Washington 1
Jacco Fritz 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 TWENTY GAMES
With Thursday’s win, the Dutchmen improved to 11-9. This ties the 2023-24 team for the 36th-best record in school history through 20 games. Once again, this is the first time the Dutchmen have opened 11-9 since 1990-91 — my senior year of high school — and the seventh time overall in school history. The Dutchmen have been 8-8, 8-9, 10-9 and 11-9 this season all for the first time since that 1990-91 season. Here is how some notable Hofstra teams have fared through 20 games:
NCAA DIVISION I TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1975-76: 10-10 (loss in 20th game was final regular season loss)
1976-77: 14-6
1999-2000: 15-5
2000-01: 16-4 (marked eighth win in program-record 18-game winning streak)
2019-20 (IT COUNTS TO US): 14-6 (most recent 14-6 start)
NIT TEAMS
1998-99: 13-7
2004-05: 14-6
2005-06: 16-4 (most recent 16-4 start)
2006-07: 15-5 (most recent 15-5 start)
2015-16: 14-6
2018-19: 17-3 (most recent 17-3 start, win in 20th game marked 13th win in the 16-game winning streak)
2022-23: 12-8 (most recent 12-8 start, loss in 20th game was final loss of the regular season before a 12-game winning streak)
NCAA DIVISION II TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1958-59: 15-5
1961-62: 18-2 (most recent 18-2 start)
1962-63: 14-6
1963-64: 17-3 (first 17-3 start)
Some other notable 20-game records:
2021-22: 13-7 (most recent 13-7 start)
2016-17: 9-11 (most recent 9-11 start; loss in 20th game marked final loss of Mihalich-era record six-game losing streak)
2013-14: 7-13 (most recent 7-13 start, Joe Mihalich’s first team)
2012-13: 5-15 (most recent 5-15 start)
2007-08: 6-14 (most recent 6-14 start)
2003-04: 8-12 (most recent 8-12 start)
2001-02: 9-11 (Tom Pecora’s first team)
1996-97: 10-10 (most recent 10-10 start, last time at .500)
1995-96: 7-13 (loss in 20th game marked sixth loss of Jay Wright-era record nine-game losing streak)
1994-95: 6-14 (first 6-14 start, win in 20th game marked final win of three-game winning streak, the first winning streak of Wright’s first year)
1993-94: 3-17 (only 3-17 start, VBK’s final team)
1991-92: 12-8 (win in 20th game was first in nine-game winning streak that ended in ECC title game)
1987-88: 4-16 (only 4-16 start, loss in 20th game was 10th loss of program-record 12-game losing streak)
1960-61: 18-2 (first 18-2 start)
1959-60: 19-1 (most recent 19-1 start & Hofstra’s winningest team, percentage-wise; win in 20th game was ninth win of season-ending 13-game winning streak)
1955-56: 19-1 (first 19-1 start, VBK’s first year)
1944-45: 8-12 (win in penultimate game was final win of season)
1940-41: 13-7 (won regular season finale)
Hofstra has never been 20-0, 2-18, 1-19 or 0-20 through 20 games.
More quirky quirkiness: With 11-9 now having been achieved, the only other 20-game record combinations the Dutchmen haven’t experienced this century aside from the above-mentioned records are 19-1, 18-2, 10-10, 4-16 and 3-17.
Six seasons were completed in fewer than 20 games:
1936-37: 10-7
1937-38: 10-4
1938-39: 10-8
1943-44: 7-12
1945-46: 12-7
1947-48: 13-6
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 EIGHTY-SEVEN
With Thursday’s win, Speedy Claxton improved to 57-30 (.655) as head coach. That’s tied for the second-best known winning percentage for a Hofstra coach through his first 87 games at the helm.
Frank Reilly 58-29 (.667, 87th game was the 16th game of his fourth season in 1950-51)
Paul Lynner 57-30 (.655, 87th game was the third game of his fourth season in 1965-66)
SPEEDY CLAXTON 57-30 (.655, 87th game was the 19th game of his third season in 2023-24)
Butch van Breda Kolff I 56-31 (.644, 87th game was the 12th game of his fourth season in 1958-59)
Dick Berg 45-42 (.517, 87th game was the fifth game of his fourth season in 1983-84)
Joe Mihalich 44-43 (.506, 87th game was the 20th game of his third season in 2015-16)
Butch van Breda Kolff II 43-44 (.494, 87th game was the second game of his fourth season in 1991-92)
Mo Cassara 36-51 (.414, 87th game was the 22nd game of his third season in 2012-13)
Roger Gaeckler 35-52 (.402, 87th game was the 15th game of his fourth season in 1975-76)
Jay Wright 34-53 (.391, 87th game was the fifth game of his fourth season in 1997-98)
Tom Pecora 33-54 (.379, 87th game was the 26th game of his third season in 2003-04)
Some quirky history here as I believe this is the first time Speedy Claxton has tied Paul Lynner since Claxton’s third game at the helm. Joe Mihalich also moves over 500 for good.
The records are incomplete for Jack McDonald’s first stint from 1936 through 1943 as well as the tenure of Jack Smith (1943-46). But not Frank Reilly (1947-55) anymore!
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.
WIRE-TO-WIRE WIN
The Dutchmen never trailed Thursday night. It was their fourth wire-to-wire win of the season and their first since a 62-57 victory over Iona on Dec. 6. The Dutchmen had nine wire-to-wire wins last season — their most since at least the 2005-06 season, which is as far back as play-by-play logs go at the Hofstra site.
THE DEFENSE DIDN’T REST
The Dutchmen allowed fewer than 60 points for the third time this season and have now won 47 straight games when surrendering fewer than 60 points. The Dutchmen last lost when giving up fewer than 60 points on Feb. 10, 2014, when they fell to James Madison, 59-53.
STILL A SECOND-HALF TEAM
The Dutchmen didn’t need to mount a comeback Thursday, but they were once again more prolific in the second half (36 points) than in the first half (28 points). The Dutchmen have now scored 820 points in the second half this season (an average of 41 points per second half) after scoring just 675 points in the first half (an average of 33.8 points per first half). I’d have to imagine that’s one of the biggest discrepancies in Division I. (These figures don’t include the nine points the Dutchmen scored in overtime of the 97-92 win over High Point on Nov. 22)
BEST-OF-SEVEN
If the CAA season was a best-of-seven…well, that’d be weird, but the Dutchmen would have a winning season right now? The Dutchmen are just the third CAA team in the last 10 seasons to win three in a row following a 1-3 start in league play. Towson did so in 2019-20 before North Carolina A&T did so last year.
THOMAS’ 1-2 MILESTONE
Tyler Thomas made a quirky bit of history unlikely to ever be repeated at Hofstra or anywhere else Thursday night, when he scored his 2,000th career point and his 1,000th point at Hofstra on consecutive baskets in the second half. Thomas, who finished with 1,002 points in three seasons at Sacred Heart, hit a turnaround baseline jumper with 16:29 left for his 2,000th and 2,001st career points and his 998th and 999th points at Hofstra. Per Hofstra SID Stephen Gorchov, Thomas is one of just eight active Division I players with 2,000 points. Thomas then sank a turnaround jumper in the lane with 13:20 remaining for his 1,000th and 1,001st points at Hofstra (and his 2,002nd and 2,003rd points of his college career). Thomas, the 42nd player at Hofstra to score 1,000 points, scored two more points to finish the game with (carries the one, drops the remainder) 1,003 points.
39.) Percy Johnson 1,045
40.) James Shaffer 1,022
41.) John Irving 1,018
42.) TYLER THOMAS 1,003
HOW THEY GOT TO 1,000 POINTS
Tyler Thomas became the 10th player since 2005-06 (as far back as play-by-play data goes at Hofstra’s site) to reach 1,000 points via a layup or jumper since I could only get the 16 most recent members of the club dating back to 2005-06, the furthest back play-by-play data goes at Hofstra’s site. Four players have reached 1,000 points with a 3-pointer while three did so via a free throw. The list!
3-POINTER
Darlinstone Dubar, 1/6/24
Aaron Estrada, 1/28/23
Eli Pemberton, 12/1/18
Loren Stokes, 12/30/05
2-POINTER
Tyler Thomas. 1/25/24
Jalen Ray, 12/22/20
Desure Buie, 1/4/20
Justin Wright-Foreman, 1/7/18
Rokas Gustys, 1/5/18
Brian Bernardi, 1/2/17
Mike Moore, 2/11/12
Charles Jenkins, 2/28/09
Carlos Rivera, 1/27/07
Antoine Agudio, 3/20/06
FREE THROW
Ameen Tanksley, 2/25/16 (completing a nostalgic 3-point play)
Juan’ya Green, 2/7/16
Nathaniel Lester, 2/1/12
A THOUSAND HERE, A THOUSAND THERE
Tyler Thomas is the second player to transfer to Hofstra and score 1,000 points for the Dutchmen after scoring 1,000 points at his first collegiate stop. Juan’ya Green scored 1,131 points in two seasons at Niagara before collecting 1,186 points at Hofstra.
A THOUSAND TIMES TWO (part one)
Darlinstone Dubar, of course, recorded his 1,000th point for Hofstra on Jan. 6. Dubar and Tyler Thomas are the first set of Hofstra teammates to have 1,000 points for the Dutchmen since 2019-20, when Eli Pemberton and Desure Buie starred on the CAA and eventual national champions (prove me wrong, children!).
A THOUSAND TIMES TWO (part two)
Darlinstone Dubar and Tyler Thomas are also the first set of Hofstra teammates to reach the 1,000-point milestone in the same season since 2017-18, when Rokas Gustys and Justin Wright-Foreman did so in consecutive games from Jan. 5-7.
DUBAR MOVIN’ ON UP
Darlinstone Dubar moved into 34th place on the all-time Hofstra scoring list Monday, when his 14 points increased his career total to 1,110 points and lifted him past Richie Swartz. Dubar is 19 points away from moving past Mike Moore for 33rd place, 23 points away from surpassing Wandy Williams for 32nd place and 40 points away from moving ahead of Nathaniel Lester for 31st place.
30.) Ted Jackson 1,159
31.) Nathaniel Lester 1,139
32.) Wandy Williams 1,132
33.) Mike Moore 1,128
34.) DARLINSTONE DUBAR 1,110
35.) Richie Swartz 1,107
GERMAN FOR STARTERS
German Plotnikov’s move to the starting lineup has been a winning move for both the Dutchmen — who are 3-0 since Plotnikov swapped spots with Bryce Washington — and Plotnikov. The junior scored a career-high 15 points Thursday after setting career-highs in minutes in the previous two games. Plotnikov has 33 points in the last three games, a span in which he’s shooting 65 percent (13-of-20) from the field, including 8-of-10 from inside the 3-point line. He shot 50 percent (18-of-36) from the field in his first 13 games this season, including 12-of-20 from inside the 3-point line. The 33 points are also the most Plotnikov has scored in a three-game span.
A NEW FACE
With his 15 points Thursday night, German Plotnikov became the first player other than Darlinstone Dubar or Tyler Thomas to lead the Dutchmen in scoring this season. He’s also the first player other than Dubar, Thomas or Aaron Estrada to lead the Dutchmen in scoring outright since Amar’e Marshall had a team-high 24 points in the 85-66 loss to then-no. 4 Purdue on Dec. 7, 2022. Warren Williams shared the team lead in scoring twice later in the season.
JAQUAN THE STAT-STUFFER
Jaquan Carlos, as Tom Pecora used to say about Loren Stokes, stuffed the stat sheet Thursday night, when he finished with eight points, nine rebounds and six assists. It marked the fourth time this season Carlos has finished with at least five points, five rebounds and five assists in a game and the ninth time he has done so in the last two seasons. Only four players — Juan’ya Green (23), Aaron Estrada (19), Desure Buie (11) and Justin Wright-Foreman (10) — have more such games since the 2010-11 season, the start of the Play Index era at College Basketball Reference. The nine rebounds were also a season-high for Carlos and his most since he tied a career-high with 10 rebounds against Hampton last Feb. 16.
FRITZ SHOPPING AT 7/11
Jacco Fritz snapped a four-game slump Thursday, when he finished with seven points and a season-high 11 rebounds while also adding two assists, two blocks and two steals. Fritz entered Thursday with just 21 points and 13 rebounds in his previous four games. The 11 rebounds were a season-high for Fritz and his most since he pulled down 12 rebounds for Canisius against Toledo on Dec. 10, 2022.
D-STONE DEALING
Darlinstone Dubar continued his impressive season Thursday, when he finished with 14 points. Dubar has scored in double figures in all 20 games this season, which is his longest single-season stretch of consecutive double-figure efforts, and in 22 straight games overall dating back to the 88-86 overtime win over Rutgers in the first round of the NIT on Mar. 14.
TOUGH SLEDDING FOR THOMAS
Tyler Thomas notched a pair of career milestones and scored in double figures for the 43rd time in the last 45 games and the 48th time overall in the last two seasons Thursday night, but he but still continued to struggle by finishing with 13 points while going 4-of-17 from the field, including 1-of-12 from 3-point land. It’s the second time this season Thomas has made four or fewer field goals while hoisting at least 17 shots — he was 4-of-20 from the field in the 74-56 loss to UNLV on Dec. 21 — and the first time since at least the 2010-11 season that a Hofstra player has made one or fewer 3-pointers while taking at least 12 shots from beyond the arc.
Thomas has scored just 38 points while shooting 14-of-47 from the field over the last three games. He has two 3-pointers in that span, which marks just the second time he’s made two or fewer 3-pointers in a three-game span since he arrived at Hofstra. Thomas was 2-for-12 from beyond the arc from Nov. 19=26, 2022.
TARDY THOMAS
Tyler Thomas didn’t score his first points Thursday night until he sank a pair of free throws with 7:11 left in the first half. It was the second-latest Thomas has gotten into the scoring column in his 55 games at Hofstra, ahead of only Monday night, when he was scoreless until hitting a 3-pointer with 5:07 left in the first half.
BRYCE THE GLUE GUY
Bryce Washington had a solid game off the bench Thursday, when he finished with seven points and was the only reserve to score. The Dutchmen improved to 10-1 this season when Washington scores at least seven points, They are 1-8 when he scores fewer than seven points.
OVER THE AIR
Today’s game will be carried live on Flo Hoops. For subscription options, click here. Hofstra will also provide a radio feed as well as live stats at the Pride Productions hub.
SCOUTING MONMOUTH
The Hawks, under 13th-year head coach King Rice, are 10-10 this season and 3-4 in CAA play following a 72-65 loss to Stony Brook on Thursday. It was the fourth loss in the last five games for Monmouth following a 2-0 start in the league.
The Dutchmen and Hawks had one common opponent in non-conference play. Both teams lost to Princeton (no shame there), with the Dutchmen falling 74-67 on Nov. 10 and Princeton beating Monmouth, 82-57, eight days later.
In CAA play, both teams have beaten Hampton and lost to Charleston, The Dutchmen beat Stony Brook, which beat Monmouth, and lost to Northeastern, whom the Hawks beat.
The Dutchmen, who were picked to finish fourth in the CAA preseason poll, are ranked 139th at KenPom.com (and have managed to fall following each of the three wins in their current streak). The Hawks, who were picked to finish 11th, are ranked 201st.
According to KenPom.com, the Dutchmen rank ninth in the CAA in conference-only offensive efficiency (105.1 points per 100 possessions) and third in defensive efficiency (102.4 points per 100 possessions) while averaging 68.4 possessions per 40 minutes, the third-most in the league. The Hawks rank eighth in the CAA in offensive efficiency (105.2 points per 100 possessions) and seventh in defensive efficiency (105.2 per 100 possessions — hey that’s a tie!) while averaging 67.2 possessions per 40 minutes, the sixth-most in the league.
Graduate student Xander Rice, who was a preseason all-CAA honorable mention selection, leads the Hawks with 21.1 points per game, the third-best mark in the CAA. Rice, the son of King played the previous four seasons at Bucknell. Sophomore Jack Collins ranks second on Monmouth with 10.9 points per game and 6.6 rebounds per game. Graduate student Nikita Konstantynovskyi, who played two years apiece at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and Tulsa, ranks third on the team with 9.3 points per game and is second in rebounding at 7.5 rebounds per game.
KenPom.com predicts an 72-71 win for the Dutchmen. Sounds tense! Per the wise guys in Vegas, for entertainment purposes only, the Dutchmen are 3 1/2-point favorites. The Dutchmen are 7-12 against the spread this season.
ALL-TIME VS. MONMOUTH
Hofstra is 8-6 all-time against Monmouth in a series that began in 1983-84. The Dutchmen have won seven straight games against the Hawks, whom they swept last season in the first clashes as conference rivals. Tyler Thomas and Warren Williams scored 18 points apiece in a 77-57 win at the Arena on Jan. 11, 2023 before Thomas scored 23 points in a wire-to-wire 86-57 win on the Jersey Shore on Feb. 11.
THINGS YOU CAN SHOUT ON TWITTER IF CALLS GO DO NOT GO HOFSTRA’S WAY
Father and son bias! (I think this is going to be a tougher grind than the time the Dutchmen played Detroit Mercy and Mike and Antoine Davis)
Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music bias! (This extremely cool sounding building just opened at Monmouth)
The Situation Bias! (The guy who portrayed that character on Jersey Shore attended Monmouth)
Dee and Dennis had the worst night of their lives on the Jersey Shore bias! (Know your Sunny, kids)
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