By Kyle Kandetzki -- SPORTS EDITOR
The name “Durant” has become synonymous with basketball success over the past decade, but instead of “Kevin” it is “Ashunae” that has been the star in the New York and New Jersey area the past few years.
Freshman guard/forward Ashunae Durant has made a huge impression on the Hofstra women’s basketball program, and she has done it in just 26 games. Durant’s arrival didn’t come without high expectations, but she has handled them well.
“I was nervous,” said Durant about her first game. “But at the end of the day I’m just going to play and do me, regardless of what the situation is.”
Durant hails from Newark, N.J., where she started playing AAU basketball in seventh grade, citing the competitive atmosphere as one that excited her to push to play basketball in high school and possibly college.
Ashunae played at Bloomfield Tech in high school, about ten minutes north of Newark, where she would create a lasting impact on the program. She led her school to a section title her junior year, and took the school’s all-time scoring record with 2,051 points in her four seasons on the varsity team.
Her scoring ability and her rebounding prowess led her to become a highly sought after recruit, averaging 24.5 PPG and 9+ rebounds.
ESPN gave her a four-star recruit rating, and named her the 75th best overall women’s recruit in the nation, and 15th best at her position.
With a long list of options on her plate, the recruitment process was long. But on Oct. 3, 2013, Durant made the decision to become a part of the Pride.
“[Picking schools] was a very tough process for me,” said Durant. “Visiting each school, the coaches, the players, seeing the academics made it all very tough, but I felt Hofstra was the best fit for me.”
Ashunae, or “Nae” as friends, teammates and coaches call her, felt welcome to the program from the start, befriending juniors Sydni Epps and Dee Thomas-Palmer to ease her into the process of becoming a DI student-athlete. With no seniors on this young team, players like Epps and Thomas-Palmer have been key in leadership roles.
“[Sydni and Dee] really helped me with on and off the court things, so whenever I have a problem, I can always go to them,” said Durant.
Durant clearly impressed head coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey and her staff from the beginning, earning a start in her first collegiate game versus Central Connecticut back on Nov. 14, 2014. The impressive play transferred over to game time, despite some nerves, earning 11 points and nine rebounds.
The 5’10” freshman helped the team to a 9-4 non-conference record, with her best performances coming on a 20-point night against NJIT.
But as the year turned to 2015, it was time for Durant’s first experience with CAA play.
As the games had more and more weight on them, Ashunae shined, picking up five more double-doubles, and an amazing performance in an OT win versus Drexel where she had 21 points and 17 rebounds, including nine on the offensive end.
“[Playing in the CAA] has been a good experience,” said Durant. “Nobody likes to lose, and I’m just trying to help my team reach the best result.”
Coach Kilburn-Steveskey has seen some great talent in her nine seasons with the Pride, highlighted by Shante Evans. Evans, who graduated in 2013, has a laundry list of accomplishments in her all-American career, highlighted by her spot at the top of the program’s points and rebounds list, as well as having her number, 30, retired.
But that didn’t stop the Pride’s head coach from perceiving Durant as just as excellent as Evans early on in her career.
“She’s not even close [to having a limit in talent],” said Kilburn-Steveskey. “As great as Shante Evans was, it’s funny to me, [Durant] has a lot of potential and a lot of great years ahead of her and she works really hard and wants to be great. She also wants to be great off the court and in the classroom.”
Durant’s aggressive post play and accurate shooting has her averaging 11.5 PPG on 49 percent FG and 7.6 RPG as her first regular season comes to a close, while staying consistent despite missing a few games due to injury.
Ashunae says she is aiming to get better at creating more opportunities for her teammates and becoming a better leader as she continues her career in Hempstead. For now, she and her succeeding squad are focusing on what is ahead of them: a potential CAA title at the upcoming conference tournament in Maryland.
With the team going to Upper Marlboro at either the number three or four seed, and having the lone conference win over CAA powerhouse James Madison on their resume, Durant and the Pride is ready.
“Every game is different, every team is different,” said Durant. “But we are too, so we know we’re going to go in there and give it our best shot.”