MBB at UNCW 2/25 - HUGE GAME!

[Pride97]

Agreed! I'm sure we can nitpick but let's enjoy this! What a road win. Showed a lot coming back from that deficit. Great game boys!!!


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[Wags]

I guess the message at the half has to be: if this is going to be true payback, let's do to them what they did to us on our floor after we were up 20 before halftime and they beat us.

Good thing they only let it get to 18 and not 20, or they might have been a point short instead of winning by a point.

FINALLY, Hofstra goes into its last game of the regular season controlling its own destiny for a CAA title, whether outright or shared. First time being in that situation since joining the CAA. Nice, isn't it?

Best scenario for Hofstra is to not have JMU finish in 3rd, if UNCW ties HU. UNCW would get the tiebreaker and the 1 seed. On that note, it's looking great so far: W&M won tonight and JMU is down 8 at Towson with 8 1/2 left.

[Dooku25]

Great win!!! They really stole that one but they never quit. No lead is safe for our opponents.

[ProudofPride]

I've never watched a season of basketball that has given me this much stress LOL. They love to take it down to the last second every single game! But sweet sweet sweet revenge. Love how the camera shows us the cheering fans about every minute, besides after the game ended Not the best game, but what I love about this team is that they know how to not give up and play till the clock hits 0:00. Great game guys and what a fun season to watch! Can't wait for Saturday!

As much as this season is stressful and makes us all need defibrillators after games like this, I actually prefer it, it's way more fun to watch. I'm from Connecticut, and as cool as it is to say that we can pretty much always expect the Uconn women to be national champions, I refuse to go to games because it's not fun watching a blowout every time. At least Hofstra pretty much always makes the games exciting, regardless of the result. Wins just make it that much better!

[richs]

I thought some of the signs being held up in the crowd were a bit obnoxious. makes the win even more satisfying.

[Wags]

Agreed! I'm sure we can nitpick but let's enjoy this! What a road win. Showed a lot coming back from that deficit. Great game boys!!!


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How can you not? Things to criticize but bottom line, team showed tremendous guts and character tonight. This was a GREAT win!

[Wags]

I thought some of the signs being held up in the crowd were a bit obnoxious. makes the win even more satisfying.

With the things our student section says, we can't really complain on that. But best answer is winning!

[Wags]

Great win!!! They really stole that one but they never quit. No lead is safe for our opponents.

Unfortunately, no lead is safe for us, either. Baltimore could be especially nuts this year

[gdtrfb]

UNCW crowd booing Hofstra at the end. Classy group, aka sore losers.

I don't think they were booing Hofstra, I think they were booing the refs for some calls they thought were bad at the end.

Not sure what they were so upset about. Koon only made one of two FT (same average as Rok tonight) and the time out lead to the steal that gave UNCW a great look. Those calls had no impact on the game.

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[richs]

I thought some of the signs being held up in the crowd were a bit obnoxious. makes the win even more satisfying.

With the things our student section says, we can't really complain on that. But best answer is winning!

so true

[gdtrfb]

I thought some of the signs being held up in the crowd were a bit obnoxious. makes the win even more satisfying.

+1

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[EvanJ]

I guess the message at the half has to be: if this is going to be true payback, let's do to them what they did to us on our floor after we were up 20 before halftime and they beat us.

Good post.

How often does a team when their leading scorer for the season doesn't make a field until there was 4:37 left?

Hofstra has made at least 8 free throws in every game this season, and Hofstra's opponents have made fewer than 8 free throws eight times. Hofstra's worst free throw made differential for a game is -6. In 15 out of 29 (a majority) of Hofstra's games, Hofstra has had a free throw made differential of +7 or better. Tonight's +17 differential was tied for second this season behind a +18 at Drexel on January 30.

Race for the CAA scoring title (in all games, not CAA only):

After scoring only 8 points tonight, Northeastern's David Walker fell from 18.2 to 17.9. William & Mary's Omar Prewitt scored 19 to increase his average slightly but remain at 18.0 to the nearest tenth. He's the new leader. Juan'ya Green scored 18 and remained at 17.7. Delaware's Kory Holden scored 18 and went up from 17.3 to 17.4. James Madison's Ron Curry scored 20 to go up from 16.9 to 17.0. The top five are separated by under 1.002 points per game.

[Wags]

Gustys: 21 & 12 tonight.

21 rebounds in each game against UNCW this year.
His 21 rebs tonight were more than half of HU's 41 and > UNCW's 20 defensive. rebs.
And his 9 off reb. were half of HU's 18 tonight.
BEAST!

Second straight game Hofstra shot under 40% (39.6% tonight), yet second straight game they found a way to win. And that was despite having just FOUR assists, only 1 for Juan'ya. Amazing.

Been saying it all year, to win, this team can't think it's better than the average 3-pt shooting team it is, and it MUST get to the line early and often.

Tonight: only 16 attempts (made 5) from 3, of their 53 total shots. Free throws: 23/32 (including 15/20 in the 2nd half); UNCW 6/11. There's your ballgame.

Juan'ya couldn't get a shot off for most of the game until he hit his only two 3s at the end, yet he singlehandedly outscored UNCW at the line, going 8/10.

[The Shadow]

JG=CAA POY! Wow, what a finish. Onto payback CofC on Saturday Afternoon. Some of these HU games have the such swings. Tonight's UNCW game reminded me of the W&M game at the Mack where their only lead over HU was at the end of the game.

[Wags]

The scheduling is great for Saturday:

UNCW 13-4 21-7
Hofstra 13-4 21-8
W&M 11-6 19-9
Towson 11-6 20-10
JMU 10-7 20-10

1:00 pm: Towson @ UNCW
2:30 pm: W&M @ JMU
4:00 pm: Charleston @ Hofstra

Win on Senior Day, and Hofstra goes to Baltimore with no worse than its first ever CAA title of any kind (even if shared) and a 6-game winning streak.

And like I said in another thread earlier, do that and cut the nets in Baltimore, and it's 25-8 and 9 straight wins and quite possibly, with those numbers, and the Juan'ya and Gustys each near the top in key categories, perhaps some good national attention as a potential 13-14 seed sleeper on a lot of brackets.

But first thing's first. End the regular season the right way in the final home game for JAM's two Philly/Niagara/Hofstra boys.

Already four 20-win teams, and with a W&M win on Saturday, half the conference with 20 wins before Baltimore.

[EvanJ]

http://espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400833346 is the Associated Press recap titled "Hofstra edges UNC-Wilmington 70-69, both tied atop CAA." It made no mention of how big UNC Wilmington's lead was, and it mistakenly says UNC Wilmington goes to Towson.

http://gohofstra.com/news/2016/2/25/men ... ath=mbball is Hofstra's recap titled "MBB: Hofstra Stuns UNCW, 70-69, With Epic Comeback." It said Hofstra leads the all-time series with UNC Wilmington 17-16, but tonight made it 18-16. It also said Hofstra outrebounded UNC Wilmington 41-23, but the numbers were typed in the wrong order. UNC Wilmington had 32 rebounds. http://gohofstra.com/boxscore.aspx?path=mbball&id=7006 is the box score.

http://uncwsports.com/news/2016/2/25/me ... ath=mbball is UNC Wilmington's recap titled "Hofstra Forces Tie For First Place By Trimming Seahawks."

[Flying Dutchmen]

Ah, the roller coaster of emotions!! I'll never forget this win.

Juan'ya is such an OG for getting the job done tonight.

Wins don't get any better than that, enjoy it!!

[EvanJ]

Hofstra had 4 assists, which was their fewest assists since they had 3 on January 19, 2013 at George Mason. That was 110 games ago. It was the fewest assists Hofstra had in a win since 2005-2006, which is as far back as I have statistics for. That covers 189 wins. It was the first time a team with 4 or fewer assists beat UNC Wilmington since Towson won with 3 assists on January 30, 2010.

[ZMAN3]

Amazing W - they played horrible defense (zone is awful - allowed countless easy shots), shot poorly, were sloppy with ball and STILL WON. Funny thing was - I always thought they would (although I thought they blew it with last TO). Considering how pessimistic I can get - that was a crazy feeling. Think that comes from being most experienced team in CAA. Veteran teams know how to win late in season.
G-d I wish someone on that coaching staff could teach them how to play the 2-3. Gustys is too deep and the off guard never drops down to foul line - stays with his man leaving huge hole in the middle. Considering their ability to score - it's so frustrating watching how clueless they are on defensive end. Looking forward to Sat - can't see them losing BUT fatigue CAN be a factor after emotionally draining W and short rest.

[Polito]

B O O M !!! PAYBACK BABY!

Just too excited, and simultaneously exhausted, to post more right now LOL - tomorrow


I'll leave the trolling Hawk fans with this though, since at least one of you loves to note what I write:

Sucks blowing a huge lead at home with so much on the line when you dominate most of the game, doesn't it? Yep, we know it does! Just like we had to chew on the ridiculous 20 pt comeback on HU's floor with a last second off-balance 1 footed well-defended 3 to win it, well now it's YOUR turn to chew on this for a bit!

#REVENGE


P.S. Unlike most other CAA fans, we actually have much respect for HU's opponents in this conf. League is just too damn good not to. I personally don't think UNCW is that good or talented yet (see next yr) - but you play the right style for the skill set, and despite being a very average to below-average scoring team, your boys play strong press D, and do so well enough to get teams off-balance. It has helped you overachieve greatly this year IMO (let's be honest, it's being done with a D2 xfer and a true frosh for the most part). Well-coached teams can do that, props to ya and the staff. Want NO part of the W in Baltimore. These 2 games have been enough for my heart to handle!!

Sadly, most other fans don't have that same respect back for HU. But that's ok, because this is a new HU program, and the times, oh the times, they are a changin!!!