Charlie Kelly, reacting to the ocean like we reacted to a victory Saturday!
IT HAS HAPPENED! The Flying Dutchmen finally halted their five-game skid Saturday afternoon, when they led wire-to-wire in a 73-57 win over Monmouth. Everyone, come back from the ledge! Especially me.
As will hopefully remain the case for the rest of the season however long it lasts, here’s the Keep It Perky featuring the usual postgame boilerplate material (with much more material than the previous five editions!). The individual news and notes from the win over the Hawks and a preview of Northeastern will be posted tomorrow. Enjoy! (Finally)
THE MOST RECENT GAME SUMMARIZED IN ONE PARAGRAPH
Cruz Davis (24 points) bounced back from his worst game of the season, Joshua Aaron Reaves (a season-high 17 points) continued his surprising emergence as a key rotation piece and Silas Sunday (12 points, 10 rebounds) had his best game of the year as the Dutchmen earned a much-needed victory. Davis, Reaves and Sunday combined for all of the Dutchmen’s points in a game-opening 21-5 run, a stretch in which Monmouth was 1-of-14 shooting with one turnover. A 3-pointer by Preston Edmead put the Dutchmen ahead by 16 again at 24-8 with 8:53 left before the Hawks ended the half on a 25-13 run in which they shot a blistering 11-of-14 from the field. But the Dutchmen entered the half with a 37-33 lead after Andrew Ball missed a 3-pointer (really!) on Monmouth’s last possession. The lead remained between four and eight points for the first five-plus minutes of the second half before Sunday hit a layup and German Plotnikov sank a 3-pointer to spark a 14-4 run that put the Dutchmen ahead by double digits for good. Davis was 4-of-7 from 3-point land after going 3-of-16 in his previous two games. Reaves was 4-of-5 from beyond the arc, the most 3-pointers he’s made against a Division I foe in almost two years, while Sunday recorded the first double-double of his career. Edmead had 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting and committed five turnovers, but he also had eight assists and four turnovers. Plotnikov (seven points) was the only other player to score for the Dutchmen.
3 STARS OF THE GAME (vs. Monmouth, 1/31)
3: Cruz Davis
2: Joshua Aaron Reaves
1: Silas Sunday
SEASON STANDINGS
Cruz Davis 52
Preston Edmead 36
Biggie Patterson 15
Silas Sunday 7
German Plotnikov 7
Victory Onuetu 6
Joshua DeCady 6
Joshua Aaron Reaves 3
Jaeden Roberts 3
A.J. Wills 2
Alex Tsynkevich 1
WAS THIS A UNICORN SCORE?
Nope! But it’s been so long since we got to do this, I don’t even care. This was at least the third 73-57 win for the Dutchmen, who previously earned a victory by that score when they beat Stony Brook on Dec. 5, 2006. That was not a league game, FYI.
The Dutchmen have recorded three unicorn score victories this season and 63 unicorn score victories since the start of the 2018-19 season, when we first started tracking unicorn scores.
2025-26: Three unicorn scores
2024-25: Seven unicorn scores
2023-24: Seven unicorn scores
2022-23: 12 unicorn scores
2021-22: 11 unicorn scores
2020-21: Zero unicorn scores (really)
2019-20: 13 unicorn scores
2018-19: 10 unicorn scores
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?
Sweet, we get to do this again too! Cruz Davis wasted little time snapping out of his two-game slump by opening the game with a 3-pointer that gave the Dutchmen the lead for good at (double checking here) 3-0 with 19:36 left in the first half. Davis is now tied with German Plotnikov atop the season standings and tied with Plotnikov for third place on the all-time list (or at least since 2022-23). It’s the second-earliest Keith Hernandez of the season for the Dutchmen and the earliest Keith Hernandez achieved via a basket. Davis opened the 92-23 win over Division III Old Westbury by hitting a pair of free throws with 19:50 left. The Dutchmen have now collected the Keith Hernandez via a 3-pointer or nostalgic 3-point play 12 times this season — or every time they went ahead on a field goal. Also quirky: The last two Keith Hernandezes have come against Monmouth, with Davis’ game-opening 3-pointer following the 3-pointer to open overtime by A.J. Wills, who didn’t play until late in the second half on Jan. 10. Super quirky!
German Plotnikov go-ahead 3-pointer vs. Molloy, 11/10/25 (18:47 left 1H)
Preston Edmead go-ahead 3-pointer vs. Bucknell, 11/14/25 (13:30 left 2H)
Biggie Patterson tie-breaking free throw vs. La Salle, 11/28/25 (1:35 left 2H)
Preston Edmead tie-breaking 3-pointer vs. Merrimack, 11/29/25 (15:25 left 1H)
Biggie Patterson tie-breaking 3-pointer vs. Pennsylvania, 11/30/25 (18:03 left 2H)
Cruz Davis tie-breaking 3-pointer vs. Pittsburgh, 12/7/25 (8:38 left 1H)
Cruz Davis tie-breaking free throw vs. Old Westbury, 12/10/25 (19:50 left 1H)
German Plotnikov go-ahead 3-pointer vs. Syracuse, 12/13/25 (:31.9 left 2H)
Cruz Davis nostalgic 3-point play vs. Quinnipiac, 12/21/25 (3:54 left 2H)
Preston Edmead go-ahead 3-pointer vs. Campbell, 12/29/25 (12:05 left 1H)
German Plotnikov tie-breaking 3-pointer vs. Drexel, 1/3/26 (18:27 left 1H)
German Plotnikov go-ahead 3-pointer vs. Towson, 1/8/26 (3:33 left 1H)
A.J. Wills tie-breaking 3-pointer vs. Monmouth, 1/10/26 (4:31 left OT)
Cruz Davis tie-breaking 3-pointer vs. Monmouth, 1/31/26 (19:50 left 1H)
SEASON STANDINGS
Cruz Davis 4
German Plotnikov 4
Preston Edmead 3
Biggie Patterson 2
A.J. Wills 1
ALL-TIME STANDINGS (or at least since the 2022-23 season)
Tyler Thomas 16
Darlinstone Dubar 14
Cruz Davis 7
German Plotnikov 7
Jean Aranguren 5
Aaron Estrada 4
Preston Edmead 3
Michael Graham 3
Warren Williams 3
Biggie Patterson 2
Silas Sunday 2
Jacco Fritz 2
Jaquan Carlos 2
A.J. Wills 1
Eric Parnell 1
KiJan Robinson 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-THREE GAMES
The Dutchmen improved to 14-9 with Saturday afternoon’s win. This ties the 2025-26 team for the 25th-best record in school history through 23 games. This is the first time the Dutchmen have opened 14-9 since 2021-22 and the 10th time overall in program history. Here is how some notable Hofstra teams have fared through 23 games:
NCAA DIVISION I TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1975-76: 12-11 (loss in 23rd game was the final loss of the regular season)
1976-77: 17-6 (win in 23rd game marked third win of nine-game winning streak that carried Dutchmen into the NCAAs)
1999-2000: 17-6 (loss in 23rd game snapped 10-game winning streak)
2000-01: 19-4 (win in 23rd game marked 11th win in program-record 18-game winning streak)
2019-20 (IT COUNTS TO US): 16-7 (most recent 16-7 start)
NIT TEAMS
1998-99: 16-7
2004-05: 16-7
2005-06: 18-5 (most recent 18-5 start)
2006-07: 17-6 (most recent 17-6 start)
2015-16: 16-7
2018-19: 19-4 (most recent 19-4 start, loss in 23rd game snapped the 16-game winning streak)
2022-23: 15-8 (most recent 15-8 start, win in 23rd game marked third win of 12-game winning streak that continued into the CAA Tournament)
NCAA DIVISION II TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1958-59: 18-5
1961-62: 20-3 (most recent 20-3 start)
1962-63: 17-6 (sixth win of 11-game winning streak)
1963-64: 19-4
Some other notable 23-game records:
2024-25: 12-11 (most recent 12-11 start, loss to Campbell in 23rd game was the start of the Claxton-era six-game losing streak that dropped the Dutchmen under .500 for good)
2023-23: 13-10 (most recent 13-10 start)
2020-21: 13-10 (the Dutchmen’s shortest season — at least in terms of games played — since 1957-58 ends with a 76-58 loss to Elon in the CAA Tournament semifinals)
2016-17: 10-13 (most recent 10-13 start)
2013-14: 7-16 (most recent 7-16 start, Joe Mihalich’s first team)
2012-13: 5-18 (most recent 5-18 start, tied for worst 23-game record in school history)
2009-10: 11-12 (most recent 11-12 start)
2007-08: 8-15 (most recent 8-15 start)
1995-96: 7-16 (loss in 23rd game marked last loss of Jay Wright-era record nine-game losing streak)
1994-95: 8-15 (Jay Wright’s first year)
1993-94: 5-18 (VBK’s last year)
1991-92: 15-8 (win in 23rd game was fourth in nine-game winning streak that ended in ECC title game)
1987-88: 5-18 (first 5-18 start in school history)
1986-87: 9-14 (most recent 9-14 start)
1981-82: 11-12 (under .500 for good, fifth loss of eight-game losing streak)
1978-79: 8-15 (first loss of season-ending five-game losing streak)
1971-72: 11-12 (under .500 for good, second loss of season-ending four-game losing streak)
1964-65: 11-12 (final win of season)
1960-61: 20-3
1959-60: 22-1 (only 22-1 start & Hofstra’s winningest team, percentage-wise; win in 23rd game was 12th win of season-ending 13-game winning streak)
1957-58: 15-8 (lost season finale)
1955-56: 20-3 (had only back-to-back losses in games 22-23)
1953-54: 14-9 (last loss of season)
1950-51: 13-10 (first 13-10 start and the only one until 2020-21)
Hofstra has never been 23-0, 21-2, 6-17, 4-19, 3-20, 2-21, 1-22 or 0-23 through 23 games.
Eleven seasons were completed in fewer than 23 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
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 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-SIX
With Saturday afternoon’s win, Speedy Claxton improved to 95-61 (.609) as head coach. That’s the fourth-best known winning percentage for a Hofstra coach through his first 156 games at the helm.
Butch van Breda Kolff I 116-40 (.744, 156th game was the fifth game of his seventh season in 1961-62)
Frank Reilly 112-44 (.718, 156th game was the 27th and final game of his sixth season in 1952-53)
Paul Lynner 96-60 (.615, 156th game was the 21st game of his sixth season in 1967-68)
SPEEDY CLAXTON 95-61 (.609, 156th game was the 23rd game of his fifth season in 2025-26)
Joe Mihalich 83-73 (.532, 156th game was the 23rd game of his fifth season in 2017-18)
Tom Pecora 81-75 (.519, 156th game was the third game of his seventh season in 2005-06)
Jay Wright 79-77 (.506, 156th game was the 11th game of his fifth season in 1998-99)
Dick Berg 78-78 (.500, 156th game was the 17th game of his sixth season in 1985-86)
Roger Gaeckler 76-80 (.487, 156th game was the 24th game of his sixth season in 1977-78)
Butch van Breda Kolff II 71-85 (.455, 156th game was the 15th game of his sixth season in 1993-94)
No movement in the standings through game no. 156, though Jay Wright records perhaps the biggest signature win of his tenure (so far!) on Dec. 27, 1998 by beating Pennsylvania, 67-62 in the championship game of the ECAC Holiday Festival at Madison Square Garden. That really was one of the first moments we all thought this might be happening. In a quirky bit of quirkiness, Frank Reilly’s sixth season ends with a loss to Dartmouth, the same school that beats the 1993-94 Dutchmen to hand Butch van Breda Kolff’s final team its 10th straight loss as it drops to 1-14. Dick Berg climbs back to .500 in game no. 156 while Roger Gaeckler’s 1977-78 team earns its final win of the season in his 156th game at the helm.
The records are incomplete for Jack McDonald’s first stint from 1936 through 1943 as well as the tenure of Jack Smith (1943-46).
Smith finished 27-32 in his three seasons while Mo Cassara finished 38-59 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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