Those of us of a certain age usually associate Fantastic Finishes with football. But Preston Edmead pulled some Tommy Kramer to Ahmad Rashad-like stuff last night (GOOGLE IT CRAIN).
There are no words. But there are so many of them. Especially holy crap.
Preston Edmead sank one of the greatest shots in school history, an off-balance 35-footer that banked off the backboard and through the net with 0.3 seconds left in overtime Monday night to lift the Flying Dutchmen to a 68-65 win over Towson and vault them into the CAA championship game tonight against Monmouth. The Hawks advanced to their first title game by pulling away from Campbell, 74-64, in the opening semifinal.
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. The individual news and notes from the incredible win over the Tigers and a preview of Monmouth and the CAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME will be posted at some point today. Enjoy!!!
THE MOST RECENT GAME SUMMARIZED IN ONE PARAGRAPH
Preston Edmead (22 points) helped shoulder the load for a stifled Cruz Davis in the first half before hitting the shot to end all shots to end an absolute instant classic basketball game in which neither team led by more than two possessions. The Dutchmen held a pair of six-point leads in th first half, when Edmead scored eight points, but Towson took a 28-27 lead at intermission by ending the first ended the half on a 16-9 run, during which the Dutchmen were 4-of-11 from the field with four turnovers. Davis, who missed his first six shots, dunked for the final points of the half and exited the locker room hot by scoring eight straight points for the Dutchmen during a 15-8 surge that put them ahead 42-36. But the Dutchmen hit just two of their next 11 shots, a span that included a stupid double technical foul on Davis and Mor Seck, and Dylan Williamson’s 7-0 run gave Towson a 51-49 lead with 4:45 left. Davis responded with a 3-pointer, after which the borderline superhuman Tyler Tejada split a pair of free throws to tie the score. Edmead drained a 3-pointer with 2:12 left but Tejada converted a nostalgic 3-point play 66 seconds later and Edmead and Tejada each missed jumpers in the final 34 seconds. There were two ties and two lead changes in overtime, when Davis fouled out with 3:40 left and Jaquan Womack’s putback knotted the score at 65-65 with 20 seconds left. Speedy Claxton didn’t call timeout and Edmead, draped by Williamson, launched the shot heard around the basketball world. Edmead added three rebounds and three assists while Davis finished with 18 points, five rebounds, four assists and one steal despite the slow start and early(ish) exit. Silas Sunday did his usual thing by scoring four points and pulling down 11 reboudns while not committing a foul in 32 minutes. Joshua DeCady had 10 points and six rebounds while German Plotnikov recorded nine points, four rebounds, one steal and one block. An additional tip of the cap to Tejada (29 points overall) and Williamson (15 points overall), who had 32 of Towson’s 37 points after halftime.
3 STARS OF THE GAME (vs. Towson, 3/9)
3: Preston Edmead
2: Cruz Davis
1: Silas Sunday
SEASON STANDINGS
Cruz Davis 71
Preston Edmead 52
Biggie Patterson 27
German Plotnikov 14
Silas Sunday 11
Joshua DeCady 8
Victory Onuetu 6
Joshua Aaron Reaves 3
Jaeden Roberts 3
A.J. Wills 2
Alex Tsynkevich 1
WAS THIS A UNICORN SCORE?
No! In fact, it might be the most non-unicorn score ever. The Dutchmen had at least six previous 68-65 wins, most recently over Stony Brook on Feb. 18, 2023. We’ll take one more non-unicorn score, just saying.
The Dutchmen have recorded seven unicorn score victories this season and 67 (six seven!) unicorn score victories since the start of the 2018-19 season, when we first started tracking unicorn scores.
2025-26: Seven 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?
You may already know this, but Preston Edmead snapped his Keith Hernandez drought in the most dramatic way possible by banking in an off-balance 35-foot 3-pointer to give the Dutchmen the lead for good at (double checking here) 68-65 with :0.3 left in overtime. The Keith Hernandez was the first for Edmead since Dec. 29. Wow, spanning two years! It was also the third Keith Hernandez recorded in the final second or later and the first since Michael Graham’s buzzer-beating layup lifted the Dutchmen past Arkansas State, 68-66, on Dec. 1, 2024. Whoa! Quirky! Tyler Thomas had the first Keith Hernandez in the final second on Feb. 1, 2024, when his jumper with 0.4 seconds left gave the Dutchmen a 71-70 victory over Stony Brook.
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)
Cruz Davis tie-breaking 3-pointer vs. Northeastern, 2/5/26 (12:38 left 1H)
Cruz Davis tie-breaking jumper vs. Towson, 2/7/26 (16:21 left 1H)
Biggie Patterson tie-breaking jumper vs. Charleston, 2/12/26 (6:44 left 1H)
Joshua DeCady go-ahead 3-pointer vs. Hampton, 2/19/26 (15:29 left 1H)
Joshua DeCady tie-breaking 3-pointer vs. Northeastern, 2/21/26 (6:00 left 1H)
Joshua DeCady go-ahead 3-pointer vs. Stony Brook, 2/28/26 (17:50 left 2H)
Biggie Patterson tie-breaking dunk vs. Drexel, 3/3/26 (15:27 left 2H)
German Plotnikov tie-breaking 3-pointer vs. William & Mary, 3/8/26 (18:33 left 1H)
Preston Edmead tie-breaking 3-pointer vs. Towson 3/9/26 (0.3 left OT)
SEASON STANDINGS
Cruz Davis 6
German Plotnikov 5
Preston Edmead 4
Joshua DeCady 3
A.J. Wills 1
ALL-TIME STANDINGS (or at least since the 2022-23 season)
Tyler Thomas 16
Darlinstone Dubar 14
Cruz Davis 9
German Plotnikov 8
Jean Aranguren 5
Preston Edmead 4
Aaron Estrada 4
Biggie Patterson 3
Joshua DeCady 3
Michael Graham 3
Warren Williams 3
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 THIRTY-THREE GAMES
The Dutchmen improved to 23-10 with Monday night’s win. This is the sixth-best record in school history through 33 games. Somewhat not surprisingly, this is the first time the Dutchmen have ever opened 23-10. Here is how some notable Hofstra teams have fared through 33 games:
NCAA DIVISION I TOURNAMENT TEAMS
2019-20 (IT COUNTS TO US): 25-8 (only 25-8 start, beat Delaware in the CAA semifinals)
The 1975-76 team, Hofstra’s first to reach the NCAA Tournament, completed its season in 30 games (18-12), as did the 1976-77 team (23-7). The 1999-2000 NCAA Tournament team completed its season in 31 games (24-7), as did the 2000-01 team (26-5).
All four Hofstra teams to reach the NCAA Tournament at the Division II level completed their seasons in 30 games or fewer. The 1958-59 team finished 20-7 while the 1961-62 team ended up 24-4, the 1962-63 team finished 23-7 and the 1963-64 team went 23-6.
NIT TEAMS
2005-06: 26-7 (season ended with a loss to Old Dominion in the quarterfinals of the NIT)
2015-16: 24-9 (lost to UNC Wilmington — in overtime, natch — in the CAA championship game)
2018-19: 27-6 (only 27-6 start, beat Delaware in the CAA semifinals)
2023-24: 24-9 (most recent 24-9 start, 12-game winning streak ended with a loss to UNC Wilmington — in overtime, natch — in the CAA semifinals)
The 2004-05 NIT team completed its season at 21-9 while the 1998-99 and 2006-07 teams both finished at 22-10 following first-round NIT losses.
Some other notable 33-game records — in fact, all of them!
2024-25: 15-18 (season ended with loss to Monmouth, oh no, in CAA second round)
2023-24: 20-13 (season ended with loss to Stony Brook in CAA semifinals)
2014-15: 20-13 (lost to William & Mary in double overtime in the CAA semifinals, well, that was more painful than last Monday night, at least)
2013-14: 10-23 (season ended with loss to Delaware in CAA quarterfinals)
2010-11: 21-12 (season ended with loss to Evansville in the blasted CBI)
2009-10: 19-14 (lost to Northeastern in double overtime in the CAA semifinals, hmm, I’m starting to see a pattern here)
Hofstra has never been 33-0, 32-1, 31-2, 30-3, 29-4, 28-5, 23-10, 22-11, 18-15, 17-16, 16-17, 15-18, 14-19, 12-21, 11-22, 9-24, 8-25, 7-26, 6-27, 5-28, 4-29, 3-30, 2-31, 1-32 or 0-33 through 33 games.
Seventy-eight seasons were completed in fewer than 33 games:
1936-37 (7-10)
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)
1946-47 (18-6)
1947-48 (13-6)
1948-49 (18-8)
1949-50 (17-9)
1950-51 (18-11)
1951-52 (26-3)
1952-53 (20-7)
1953-54 (15-9)
1954-55 (19-7)
1955-56 (22-4)
1956-57 (11-15)
1957-58 (15-8)
1958-59 (20-7)
1959-60 (23-1)
1960-61 (21-4)
1961-62 (24-4)
1962-63 (23-7)
1963-64 (23-6)
1964-65 (11-14)
1965-66 (16-10)
1966-67 (12-13)
1967-68 (13-12)
1968-69 (12-13)
1969-70 (13-13)
1970-71 (18-8)
1971-72 (11-14)
1972-73 (8-16)
1973-74 (8-16)
1974-75 (11-13)
1975-76 (18-12)
1976-77 (23-7)
1977-78 (8-19)
1978-79 (8-19)
1979-80 (14-14)
1980-81 (12-15)
1981-82 (12-16)
1982-83 (18-9)
1983-84 (14-14)
1984-85 (14-15)
1985-86 (17-13)
1986-87 (10-18)
1987-88 (6-21)
1988-89 (14-15)
1989-90 (13-15)
1990-91 (14-14)
1991-92 (20-9)
1992-93 (9-18)
1993-94 (9-20)
1994-95 (10-18)
1995-96 (9-18)
1996-97 (12-15)
1997-98 (19-12)
1998-99 (22-10)
1999-2000 (24-7)
2000-01 (26-5)
2001-02 (12-20)
2002-03 (8-21)
2003-04 (14-15)
2004-05 (21-9)
2006-07 (22-10)
2007-08 (12-18)
2008-09 (21-11)
2011-12 (10-22)
2012-13 (7-25)
2016-17 (15-17)
2017-18 (19-12)
2020-21 (13-10)
2021-22 (21-11)
(Well) more than half the previous Hofstra seasons were completed by this point.
Full records not available for the following seasons: 1936-37, 1941-42, 1942-43, 1945-46, 1948-49, 1949-50, 1951-52.
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 SIXTY-SIX
With Monday night’s win, Speedy Claxton improved to 104-62 (.627) as head coach. That’s the third-best known winning percentage for a Hofstra coach through his first 166 games at the helm.
Butch van Breda Kolff I 126-40 (.759, 166th game was the 15th game of his seventh season in 1961-62)
Frank Reilly 119-47 (.717, 166th game was the 10th game of his seventh season in 1953-54)
SPEEDY CLAXTON 104-62 (.627, 166th game was the 33rd game of his fifth season in 2025-26)
Paul Lynner 100-66 (.602, 166th game was the sixth game of his seventh season in 1968-69)
Joe Mihalich 90-76 (.542, 166th game was the second game of his sixth season in 2017-18)
Tom Pecora 90-76 (.542, 166th game was the 13th game of his sixth season in 2006-07)
Jay Wright 86-80 (.518, 166th game was the 21st game of his fifth season in 1998-99)
Dick Berg 85-81 (.512, 166th game was the 27th game of his sixth season in 1985-86)
Roger Gaeckler 79-87 (.476, 166th game was the seventh game of his seventh season in 1978-79)
Butch van Breda Kolff II 76-90 (.458, 166th game was the 25th game of his sixth season in 1993-94)
There’s once again no movement in the standings in game no. 166, though Speedy Claxton inches four wins ahead of Paul Lynner. And Jay Wright’s win in his 166th game also comes against Towson on Jan. 27, 1999, when Claxton flirted with a triple-double (25 points, eight rebounds, 10 assists) in a 76-48 victory. That’s not just quirky, that’s eerie. The Dutchmen fall under .500 for good Roger Gaeckler’s in Roger Gaeckler’s seventh and final season while Butch van Breda Kolff’s final team begins its last regular season road trip by falling to Chicago State, 69-68, in the opener of the vaunted Chicago ECC swing. Really. That happened.
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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