I'm not saying Hofstra and Stony Brook are arguing over marrying first cousins, but...
There’s still a lot of work to do to turn around a once-promising season, but the Dutchmen dodged what really might have been the most demoralizing loss in memory Thursday night, when they overcame an 18-point deficit to beat Hampton 86-77. The Dutchmen will look to continue climbing out of their early-season hole tonight, when they visit Stony Brook in a nationally televised game. Here’s a look back at the win over the Pirates and a look ahead to our friendly rivals the Seawolves.
THE MOST RECENT GAME SUMMARIZED IN ONE PARAGRAPH
The Flying Dutchmen got off to another miserable start and came discouragingly close to not only hitting rock bottom but digging deeper and finding whatever sediment lies below, but Darlinstone Dubar scored 14 points to keep the Dutchmen within striking distance in the first half before Bryce Washington, German Plotnikov and Jaquan Carlos helped complete the comeback during a 59-point (!!!) second half. Hampton, which entered the game as the no. 347 team in the nation at KenPom.com, never trailed in a first half in which it led by as many as 18 points. The Pirates led 42-27 at intermission and scored the first basket of the second half before Dubar scored nine points in a 17-0 run that took just 4:02. Hampton responded with a 14-7 run in which it went 4-for-5 from 3-point land, but Washington, Carlos and Plotnikov hit 3-pointers in a 27-second span to give the Dutchmen their first lead at 60-58. Because nothing can be easy this season, the Pirates scored the next five points and seven of the next nine before a 72-second span in which there was one tie and two lead changes, the last on Washington’s go-ahead 3-pointer from the corner with 5:24 left. Twenty-four seconds later, Hampton’s Kyrese Mullen picked up his fifth foul by elbowing Dubar, which also earned Mullen a flagrant two and an ejection. The Dutchmen mounted a six-point play via two free throws apiece by Thomas and Dubar and a jumper by Thomas before Hampton — because nothing is easy this year — scored the next five points. Plotnikov and Thomas had baskets on consecutive possessions and the Dutchmen iced the win by going 6-of-8 from the line over the final 1:41. Dubar (27 points, 10 rebounds) not only posted his seventh double-double of the season, he also had a team-high four assists and two blocks and shared the team lead with two steals. Carlos (13 points) and Plotnikov (10 points) scored all their points in the second half while Washington (nine of his 11 points) and Thomas (12 of his 14 points) also heated up after halftime. KiJan Robinson barely missed making it six players in double figures by collecting eight points, all in the first half.
3 STARS OF THE GAME (vs. Hampton, 1/18)
3: Darlinstone Dubar
2: Bryce Washington
1: German Plotnikov
SEASON STANDINGS
Darlinstone Dubar 38
Tyler Thomas 36
Jaquan Carlos 17
Jacco Fritz 8
Bryce Washington 5
KiJan Robinson 2
German Plotnikov 1
Silas Sunday 1
WAS THIS A UNICORN SCORE?
Was seriously starting to worry I’d never get to ask this again this season. Anyway, no! This is the second 86-77 win in program history…and the first since Mar. 4, 1994, when the Dutchmen beat Chicago State 86-77 in the first round of the ECC Tournament. You know, that season began terribly and ended with a championship. Cripes this is gonna get me believing again, isn’t it.
The Dutchmen have earned four unicorn score victories this season after recording 12 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?
History! Bryce Washington joined the Keith Hernandez club by sinking the go-ahead 3-pointer the Dutchmen up 70-68 with 5:24 left. Washington collected his first Keith Hernandez in his 44th game with Hofstra. Welcome to the group, Bryce. We’ll present you an oversized Keith Hernandez 1986 Topps Record Breakers card. (That would actually be pretty cool)
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)
SEASON STANDINGS
Tyler Thomas 3
Darlinstone Dubar 3
Bryce Washington 1
Jacco Fritz 1
Jaquan Carlos 1
ALL-TIME STANDINGS (or at least since last season)
Tyler Thomas 13
Darlinstone Dubar 8
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 EIGHTEEN GAMES
With Thursday’s win, the Dutchmen improved to 9-9. This ties the 2023-24 team for the 41st-best record in school history through 17 games. This is the first time the Dutchmen have opened 9-9 since 2016-17 — this ends a two-game streak of the dutchmen recording a 16- and 17-game record for the first time since my senior year of high school, though they were also 9-9 in 1990-91 — and the 11th time overall in school history. Here is how some notable Hofstra teams have fared through 18 games:
NCAA DIVISION I TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1975-76: 9-9
1976-77: 13-5
1999-2000: 13-5
2000-01: 14-4 (marked fifth win in program-record 18-game winning streak)
2019-20 (IT COUNTS TO US): 13-5 (most recent 13-5 start)
NIT TEAMS
1998-99: 12-6
2004-05: 12-6
2005-06: 14-4 (most recent 14-4 start)
2006-07: 13-5
2015-16: 12-6 (most recent 12-6 start)
2018-19: 15-3 (most recent 15-3 start, win in 18th game marked 12th win in the 16-game winning streak)
2022-23: 11-7 (most recent 11-7 start)
NCAA DIVISION II TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1958-59: 13-5
1961-62: 16-2 (most recent 16-2 start)
1962-63: 12-6
1963-64: 15-3
Some other notable 18-game starts:
2016-17: 9-9 (last time at .500, let’s not repeat that this time around)
2013-14: 6-12 (most recent 6-12 start, Joe Mihalich’s first team)
2012-13: 5-13 (most recent 5-13 start)
2003-04: 8-10 (most recent 8-10 start)
1997-98: 10-8 (most recent 10-8 start)
1995-96: 7-11 (most recent 7-11 start, loss in 18th game was fourth loss of Jay Wright-era record nine-game losing streak)
1994-95: 4-14 (most recent 4-14 start, Jay Wright’s first team)
1993-94: 2-16 (only 2-16 start, worst 18-game start in school history, VBK’s last team)
1987-88: 4-14 (loss in 18th game was ninth loss of program-record 12-game losing streak)
1981-82: 11-7 (win in 18th game was the fourth straight but immediately preceded an eight-game losing streak)
1964-65: 9-9 (last time at .500)
1960-61: 16-2 (first 16-2 start)
1959-60: 17-1 (most recent 17-1 start & Hofstra’s winningest team, percentage-wise; win in 17th game was seventh win of season-ending 13-game winning streak)
1956-57: 9-9 (last time at .500)
1955-56: 17-1 (first 17-1 start, first year of VBK’s first stint)
1938-39: 10-8 (lost season finale)
Hofstra has never been 18-0, 3-15, 1-17 or 0-18 through 18 games.
Two seasons were completed in fewer than 18 games:
1937-38: 10-4
1936-37: 7-10
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 EIGHTY-FIVE
With Thursday’s win, Speedy Claxton improved to 55-30 (.647) as head coach. That’s the third-best known winning percentage for a Hofstra coach through his first 85 games at the helm.
Paul Lynner 57-28 (.671, 85th game was the first game of his fourth season in 1965-66)
Frank Reilly 57-28 (.671, 85th game was the 14th game of his fourth season in 1950-51)
SPEEDY CLAXTON 55-30 (.647, 85th game was the 18th game of his third season in 2023-24)
Butch van Breda Kolff I 54-31 (.635, 85th game was the 10th game of his fourth season in 1958-59)
Dick Berg 44-41 (.518, 85th game was the third game of his fourth season in 1982-83)
Joe Mihalich 42-43 (.494, 85th game was the 18th game of his third season in 2015-16)
Butch van Breda Kolff II 41-44 (.482, 85th game was the 28th and final game of his third season in 1990-91)
Mo Cassara 36-49 (.424, 85th game was the 20th game of his third season in 2012-13)
Roger Gaeckler 33-52 (.388, 85th game was the 13th game of his fourth season in 1975-76)
Jay Wright 32-53 (.376, 85th game was the third game of his fourth season in 1996-97)
Tom Pecora 31-54 (.365, 85th game was the 24th game of his third season in 2003-04)
Paul Lynner and Frank Reilly have the first known tie atop the standings since I started ranking all the coaches through however many games Speedy Claxton has coached. First known tie, of course, because I didn’t have Reilly’s correct record until this season. This is also the last time Joe Mihalich will be under .500 as Hofstra’s head coach, which is pretty impressive considering he was 10-23 in his first rebuilding season in 2013-14.
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.
CALL IT A COMEBACK (because it was, part one)
The third time was the charm for the Dutchmen, who took the lead after falling into a double-digit first-half hole — just as they did in a 71-68 loss to Northeastern on Jan. 11 and a 69-68 loss to Campbell on Jan. 13 — but held on to complete their comeback from an 18-point deficit. That ties the largest known comeback of the Defiantly Dutch era, set previously when the Dutchmen overcame an 18-point deficit in a 96-85 win over Canisius on Nov. 13, 2015 and matched fewer than four months later in a 70-69 win over UNC Wilmington on Feb. 25, 2016. I’m sure the Dutchmen got the last laugh over UNC Wilmington that season, no need to look up what happened thereafter.
CALL IT A COMEBACK (because it was, part two)
The Dutchmen entered the locker room down 42-27 before kicking the comeback into high gear in the second half. The 15-point deficit was the largest the Dutchmen have overcome since they trailed UNC Wilmington by 16 points at halftime of the 70-69 win on Feb. 25, 2016.
A SHARP SECOND HALF
The Dutchmen roared back by scoring 59 points in the second half. The 59-point half matched the most prolific of the season for the Dutchmen, who scored 59 points in the first half of a 102-68 win over Buffalo on Nov. 20.
RUN RUNAWAY
Speaking of the Buffalo win…the Dutchmen spotted Hampton the first two points of the second half before tying the game by scoring 17 straight points. The run was the second-longest of the season for the Dutchmen behind only the 19-0 run they mounted in the first half of the 102-68 win over their long-ago ECC rivals.
1010101010 WINS
The Dutchmen had five players score in double figures Thursday, when starters Darlinstone Dubar (27 points), Tyler Thomas (14 points), Jaquan Carlos (13 points) and German Plotnikov (10 points) were joined by new sixth man Bryce Washington (11 points). It was the second time this season five players have scored in double figures for the Dutchmen, who also had five double-digit scorers in the 101-48 win over Division III St. Joseph’s (NY) on Nov. 6, and the first time they’ve done so against a Division I opponent since the 88-86 overtime win over Rutgers in the first round of the NIT last Mar. 14. The Dutchmen are now 8-0 under Speedy Claxton when at least five players score in double figures.
COLLECTING FREEBIES
Remember when the Dutchmen shot free throws as often and as well as anyone in the country? Well, they enter today ranked 358th in the nation in free throw rate at KenPom.com, but that’s after going 20-for-23 from the line Thursday night. The attempts and makes from the free throw line were each the second-highest figures of the season for the Dutchmen, who were 25-of-30 from the line in the 97-92 overtime win over High Point.
D-STONE’S CYCLE (plus one)
By one measure, Darlinstone Dubar may have had the most impressive individual game by a Hofstra player in at least the CAA era Thursday night. Dubar led the Dutchmen with 27 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two blocks while sharing the team lead with two steals. As far as I can tell, Dubar is the first player since at least the 2002-03 season to lead or share the team lead in all five of those statistical categories in the same game. Just two other players have led the Dutchmen in four statistical categories in the same game in that span. Stevie Mejia led the Dutchmen with 18 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals in a 61-43 loss to Georgia State on Feb. 13, 2013 while Aaron Estrada had 21 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and one block in a 76-73 win over Northeastern on Feb. 19, 2022. Pretty solid.
D-STONE DEALING
As just noted, Darlinstone Dubar continued his impressive season Thursday, when he finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds. Dubar has scored in double figures in all 18 games this season, which is his longest single-season stretch of consecutive double-figure efforts, and in 20 straight games overall dating back to the 88-86 overtime win over Rutgers in the first round of the NIT on Mar. 14.
DUBAR MOVIN’ ON UP
Darlinstone Dubar moved into 37th place on the all-time Hofstra scoring list Thursday, when his 27 points increased his career total to 1,066 points and lifted him past Percy Johnson and Darius Burton. Dubar is five points shy of moving past Derrick Flowers into 36th place and 25 points away from surpassing Ameen Tanksley for 35th place.
34.) Richie Swartz 1,107
35.) Ameen Tanksley 1,090
36.) Derrick Flowers 1,069
37.) DARLINSTONE DUBAR 1,066
38.) Darius Burton 1,060
39.) Percy Johnson 1,045
40.) James Shaffer 1,022
41.) John Irving 1,018
DOUBLE-DOUBLE FOR D-STONE
As you may have surmised by now, Darlinstone Dubar posted another double-double Thursday. The double-double was the second straight for Dubar and his sixth of the season. All six of Dubar’s double-doubles this season have come in his last 12 games after he had just two double-doubles in his first 73 games at Hofstra.
BRYCE THE GLUE GUY
Once again the Dutchmen went as Bryce Washington went Thursday. Washington, who hit the bench with German Plotnikov taking his spot in the starting lineup, provided a much-needed jolt off the bench by scoring 11 points — including nine in the second half, when he hit all three of his 3-pointers, including the go-ahead basket with 5:24 left. The Dutchmen are now 9-1 this season when Washington scores at least seven points and 0-8 when he doesn’t. The Dutchmen also won all four games last season in which Washington scored at least seven points.
GERMAN FOR STARTERS
German Plotnikov made his first Hofstra start Thursday, when he scored 10 points in a career-high 35 minutes. The 10 points tied a season-high for Plotnikov, who also had 10 points against St. Joseph’s (NY) on Nov. 6, and were his most against a Division I opponent since he scored 14 points against Stony Brook on Feb. 4, 2023. Plotnikov made 48 appearances off the bench before his first start, the second-most appearances prior to a start behind walk-on Matt Grogan, who came off the bench in his first 78 games before making his lone start on his Senior Day on Feb. 25, 2012.
NOT TWENTY IN TWENTY-FOUR FOR THOMAS
Tyler Thomas’ streak of 20-point games ended at five Thursday night, when he scored 14 points — including 12 in the second half — in the Dutchmen’s comeback win. Thomas has scored in double figures in 41 of his last 43 games and 46 times overall in the last two seasons. He has at least 20 points in 25 of 53 games with the Dutchmen.
NO THREES FOR THOMAS
Another streak ended for Tyler Thomas on Thursday night, when he went 0-for-7 from 3-point land. Thomas entered the game with at least one 3-pointer in each of his previous 46 games dating back to Nov. 26, 2022. The seven 3-point attempts without a make were the most by a Hofstra player since Aaron Estrada was 0-for-10 from beyond the arc in a 68-47 loss to Towson on Jan. 16, 2023.
TYLER 1K?
With his 14 points on Thursday, the countdown to Tyler Thomas potentially recording his 1,000th point for Hofstra officially hit high gear. Thomas has 979 points at Hofstra, which means he needs *does the math, drops the remainder* 21 points to become the 42nd player in school history to score 1,000 points. He had at least 21 points in each of the five games prior to Thursday, 21 times in 53 games at Hofstra and 36 times dating back to the start of his career with Sacred Heart in 2019-20.
A STIRRING CARLOS?
Jaquan Carlos bounced back from a nightmarish game against Campbell by scoring all 10 of his points in the second half Thursday. Carlos, who also had three assists, was 3-of-4 from the field, including 2-of-3 from 3-point land, after going 1-for-12, including 1-of-6 from beyond the arc, in the 69-68 loss to Campbell.
KIJAN CAN
With Carlos struggling along with the rest of the Dutchmen not named Darlinstone Dubar in the first half Thursday, freshman KiJan Robinson scored eight points while playing 12 minutes. Robinson didn’t appear after halftime and thus just missed making the 1010101010 Wins club a 101010101010 Wins club. That would have been quirky!
(NOT) PUTTING ON THE FRITZ
Speaking of quirky…starting center Jacco Fritz had no rebounds in 19 minutes Thursday. It’s the third time this season Fritz hasn’t recorded a rebound and the first time the Dutchmen have won such a game. The Dutchmen fell to George Washington 71-60 on Nov. 14 and lost to Saint Louis 71-68 on Dec. 9.
SIX IS TECHNICALLY MORE THAN FIVE
The Dutchmen got a much-needed assist in their comeback attempt with five minutes left Thursday night, when Hampton’s Kyrese Mullen drew his fifth foul by elbowing Darlinstone Dubar and was then assessed a technical for the flagrant-2 foul. It’s nice that there is now technology that allows these things to be called in real time! Looking at you, Tony Skinn. Anyway, that means the Dutchmen — clinging to a 70-68 lead — got a six-point play out of it when Dubar and Tyler Thomas hit the four free throws and Thomas followed with a layup 10 seconds later.
More importantly for our quirky purposes, it meant Mullen became the first CAA player to finish with six fouls — one more than the limit! — in a league game since at least 2010-11, the start of the Play Index era at College Basketball Reference. Remarkably, he was the 88th player to do so since 2010-11 an the fourth to pull off the feat this season. McNeese State’s Antavion Collum joined the club Saturday. Quirky!
OVER THE AIR
Tonight’s game — a 9 PM tip, which has to be the latest east coast tip ever, history! — will be carried live on CBS Sports Network, which is channel 215 in the Optimum/Altice Are Our Overlords Universe. Hofstra will provide a radio feed as well as live stats at the Pride Productions hub.
SCOUTING STONY BROOK
The Seawolves, under fifth-year head coach Geno Ford, are 9-9 this season and 2-3 in CAA play following a 71-68 loss to Delaware on Thursday night. Hey! Their records are the same as ours! Did we just become best friends?
The Dutchmen and Seawolves had one common opponent in non-conference play. The Dutchmen beat St. Joseph’s (NY) 101-48 on Nov. 6, four days before the Seawolves earned a 91-50 win over the local Division III foe. In CAA play, both teams have lost to Charleston. The Dutchmen lost to Northeastern, who fell to Stony Brook, and beat Delaware, who obviously beat the Seawolves.
The Dutchmen, who were picked to finish fourth in the CAA preseason poll, are ranked 136th at KenPom.com. That’s a 12-spot drop after a win, which frankly means the computers are catching up to what the eye test was saying in the three previous losses. The Seawolves, who were picked to finish ninth, are ranked 221st.
According to KenPom.com, the Dutchmen rank ninth in the CAA in conference-only offensive efficiency (104.0 points per 100 possessions) and fourth in defensive efficiency (104.6 points per 100 possessions) while averaging 69.0 possessions per 40 minutes, the third-most in the league. Nice. The Seawolves rank 10th in the CAA in offensive efficiency (103.6 points per 100 possessions) and seventh in defensive efficiency (105.1 per 100 possessions) while averaging 64.9 possessions per 40 minutes, the 11th-most in the league.
Graduate student Tyler Stephenson-Moore, who was selected to the preseason all-CAA second team, leads the Seawolves with 14.9 points per game. Graduate student Aaron Clarke, who played four seasons at Sacred Heart and spent three seasons as teammates with Tyler Thomas, is averaging 12.1 points per game. Graduate student Keenan Fitzmorris, who began his career at Stanford, is averaging 10.6 points per game. Sophomore guard Andre Snoddy, who played his first two seasons at Central Connecticut, leads Stony Brook with 6.3 reboudns per game while graduate student Chris Maidoh, who played four seasons at Fairfield, is averaging 6.2 rebounds per game.
KenPom.com predicts a 72-71 win for the Dutchmen. Per the wise guys in Vegas, for entertainment purposes only, the Dutchmen are 3-point favorites. The Dutchmen are 6-11 against the spread this season.
ALL-TIME VS. STONY BROOK
Hofstra is 26-6 all-time against Stony Brook, including 8-2 since the series resumed in 2014. The Dutchmen swept the first season series between the schools as CAA rivals last year, when Tyler Thomas had a double-double (29 points, 11 rebounds) in a 79-58 win at the Arena on Feb. 4 before Thomas scored 23 points to help stave off an upset bid by the Seawolves in a 68-65 win out east on Feb. 18.
THINGS YOU CAN SHOUT ON TWITTER IF CALLS GO DO NOT GO HOFSTRA’S WAY
We’ve won as many football games since the start of the school year as you bias! (Sorry, facts are facts)
Kim Barnes Arico bias! (The former St. John’s women’s basketball coach and current coach at the University of Michigan began her playing career at Stony Brook before transferring to Montclair State)
Former Tyler Thomas teammate bias! (We like alliteration so we’ll have to use this one if Aaron Clarke benefits from a call)
You never beat us in football bias! (Again, I’m sorry but facts are facts)
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