The Flying Dutchmen did it again Thursday night, when they dodged disaster against winless-in-the-CAA Hampton and mounted a comeback to edge the Pirates, 63-59. The Dutchmen, now in fourth place in the CAA by virtue of tiebreakers over Delaware and Towson, will look to continue their nail-biting ascent Saturday, when they visit North Carolina A&T. Make sure to stop by early in the morning for the in-depth Quirky breakdown of the win over Hampton and a preview of the fighting Montes, but in the meantime, here’s the boilerplate postgame material in the postgame Keep It Perky shoutout to Jess K. for the new-fangled name for the postgame I’ll Be Quirky)
THE MOST RECENT GAME SUMMARIZED IN ONE PARAGRAPH
Tyler Thomas (28 points) continued his scorching stretch and Silas Sunday came up with a handful of huge plays down the stretch as the Dutchmen avoided what would have been a demoralizing loss. The Dutchmen led just once in the first half — at 1-0 — and trailed twice by six points before Thomas and Jaquan Carlos scored the final five points of the half to knot the score at 27-27. Thomas scored eight points as the Dutchmen opened the second with a 16-8 run to take their biggest lead at 43-35 with 14:39 left, but Hampton responded with a 22-8 surge to go ahead 57-51 with 6:33 remaining. Darlinstone Dubar sank a pair of free throws to begin the game-ending 12-2 run by the Dutchmen, who took the lead for good at 59-57 when Sunday — who entered as Dubar shot his free throws — put back a miss of a Dubar 3-pointer with 3:48 left. Sunday blocked a potential game-tying layup by Jerry Deng 78 seconds later and Dubar hit a layup on the other end. Jordan Nesbitt responded with a layup for Hampton, but the Pirates were 0-for-3 with a turnover in a pair of possessions with a chance to tie or take the lead in the final 1:20. Thomas iced the win by sinking two free throws with seven seconds left before Nesbitt missed a shot to conclude a sequence in which Hampton missed 10 of its final 11 shots. Dubar scored 16 points while Jacco Fritz (nine points, eight rebounds) flirted with a double-double. Sunday had four points and a career-high seven rebounds in just 14 minutes while Jaquan Carlos finished with four points and seven rebounds.
3 STARS OF THE GAME (vs. Hampton, 2/8)
3: Tyler Thomas
2: Darlinstone Dubar
1: Silas Sunday
SEASON STANDINGS
Tyler Thomas 49
Darlinstone Dubar 46
Jaquan Carlos 25
Jacco Fritz 9
Bryce Washington 6
German Plotnikov 5
Silas Sunday 2
KiJan Robinson 2
WAS THIS A UNICORN SCORE?
No! Bummer but the streak of close relatively low-scoring unicorn scores ends at two. The Dutchmen previously earned a 63-59 win when they defeated St. Francis (NY) on Nov. 19, 2011.
The Dutchmen have earned six 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?
But there was history here! Welcome to the club, Silas Sunday, who put back an errant 3-pointer by Darlinstone Dubar to give the Dutchmen the lead for good at 59-57 with 3:48 remaining. Sunday is the third player this season to collect his first Keith Hernandez, joining fellow first-year big man Jacco Fritz as well as second-year Hofstra player Bryce Washington.
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 2H)
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)
Tyler Thomas go-ahead jumper vs. Stony Brook, 2/1/24 (:0.4 left 2H)
Jacco Fritz tie-breaking layup vs. Towson, 2/3/24 (2:16 left 2H)
Silas Sunday tie-breaking layup vs. Hampton, 2/8/24 (3:48 left 2H)
SEASON STANDINGS
Darlinstone Dubar 5
Tyler Thomas 4
Jacco Fritz 2
Silas Sunday 1
Bryce Washington 1
Jaquan Carlos 1
ALL-TIME STANDINGS (or at least since last season)
Tyler Thomas 14
Darlinstone Dubar 10
Aaron Estrada 4
Warren Williams 3
Jacco Fritz 2
Jaquan Carlos 2
German Plotnikov 2
Silas Sunday 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 TWENTY-FOUR GAMES
With Thursday’s win, the Dutchmen improved to 14-10. This ties the 2023-24 team for the 31st-best record in school history through 24 games. This is the first time the Dutchmen have opened 14-10 since 2017-18 and just the fourth time overall in school history. That’s pretty quirky! Here is how some notable Hofstra teams have fared through 24 games:
NCAA DIVISION I TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1975-76: 13-11 (win in 24th game marked first win of six-game winning streak that carried Dutchmen into the NCAAs)
1976-77: 18-6 (win in 24th game marked fourth win of nine-game winning streak that carried Dutchmen into the NCAAs)
1999-2000: 18-6
2000-01: 20-4 (win in 24th game marked 12th win in program-record 18-game winning streak)
2019-20 (IT COUNTS TO US): 17-7 (most recent 17-7 start)
NIT TEAMS
1998-99: 17-7
2004-05: 17-7
2005-06: 19-5 (most recent 19-5 start)
2006-07: 18-6 (most recent 18-6 start)
2015-16: 16-8
2018-19: 20-4 (most recent 20-4 start)
2022-23: 16-8 (most recent 16-8 start, win in 24th game marked fourth win of 12-game winning streak that continued into the CAA Tournament)
NCAA DIVISION II TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1958-59: 18-6
1961-62: 21-3 (most recent 21-3 start)
1962-63: 18-6 (seventh win of 11-game winning streak)
1963-64: 20-4
Some other notable 24-game records:
2021-22: 15-9 (most recent 15-9 start)
2016-17: 11-13 (most recent 11-13 start)
2013-14: 7-17 (most recent 7-17 start, Joe Mihalich’s first team)
2012-13: 6-18 (most recent 6-18 start)
2011-12: 8-16 (most recent 8-16 start)
2009-10: 12-12 (most recent 12-12 start)
2001-02: 10-14 (most recent 10-14 start, loss in 24th game marked third loss of Tom Pecora-era record-tying eight-game losing streak)
1995-96: 8-16 (win in 24th game snapped Jay Wright-era record nine-game losing streak)
1994-95: 8-16 (Jay Wright’s first year)
1993-94: 6-18 (win in 24th game was final win of regular season, VBK’s last year)
1991-92: 16-8 (win in 24th game was fifth in nine-game winning streak that ended in ECC title game)
1990-91: 13-11 (most recent 13-11 start)
1987-88: 5-19 (only 5-19 start, worst 24-game record in school history)
1986-87: 9-15 (only 9-15 start)
1981-82: 11-13 (loss in 24th game was sixth loss of eight-game losing streak)
1978-79: 8-16 (third loss of season-ending five-game losing streak)
1977-78: 8-16 (final win of season)
1974-75: 11-13 (won season finale)
1973-74: 8-16 (won season finale)
1972-73: 8-16 (lost season finale)
1971-72: 11-13 (third loss of season-ending four-game losing streak)
1970-71: 16-8 (win in 24th game was third win of season-ending five-game winning streak)
1968-69: 11-13 (last loss of season)
1967-68: 12-12 (last loss of season)
1962-63: 18-6 (win in 24th game was seventh win of 11-game winning streak)
1960-61: 21-3 (win in 24th game was final win of season)
1959-60: 23-1 (only 23-1 start & Hofstra’s winningest team, percentage-wise; win in season finale was 13th straight)
1955-56: 21-3 (first 21-3 start)
Hofstra has never been 24-0, 22-2, 4-20, 3-21, 2-22, 1-23 or 0-24 through 24 games.
Thirteen seasons were completed in fewer than 24 games:
1936-37: 10-7
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
1947-48: 13-6
1957-58: 15-8
2020-21: 13-10
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 NINETY-ONE
With Saturday’s win, Speedy Claxton improved to 60-31 (.659) as head coach. That’s tied for the best known winning percentage for a Hofstra coach through his first 90 games at the helm.
Paul Lynner 60-31 (.659, 91st game was the seventh game of his fourth season in 1965-66)
SPEEDY CLAXTON 60-31 (.659, 91st game was the 24th game of his third season in 2023-24)
Frank Reilly 59-32 (.648, 91st game was the 20th game of his fourth season in 1950-51)
Butch van Breda Kolff I 59-32 (.648, 91st game was the 16th game of his fourth season in 1958-59)
Dick Berg 47-44 (.516, 91st game was the ninth game of his fourth season in 1983-84)
Joe Mihalich 46-45 (.505, 91st game was the 24th game of his third season in 2015-16)
Butch van Breda Kolff II 44-47 (.484, 91st game was the sixth game of his fourth season in 1991-92)
Roger Gaeckler 37-54 (.407, 91st game was the 19th game of his fourth season in 1975-76)
Mo Cassara 37-54 (.407, 91st game was the 26th game of his third season in 2012-13)
Jay Wright 36-55 (.396, 91st game was the ninth game of his fourth season in 1997-98)
Tom Pecora 35-56 (.385, 91st game was the first game of his fourth season in 2004-05)
The three-way tie for first (including Speedy Claxton) through 90 games is now a two-way tie for first (including Speedy Claxton) through 91 games. Pretty elite company! Roger Gaeckler is at his highest spot yet while Tom Pecora’s win in the ’04-05 opener ensures all Hofstra coaches are not on pace to lose 100 games over a full Major League Baseball season, This is how I think.
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!
Smith finished 27-32 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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