By Alex Mitchell – STAFF WRITER
Hofstra and James Madison have historically had some intense finishes, and Saturday afternoon certainly was no exception at the Mack Sports Complex.
James Madison’s 86-82 overtime win over Hofstra (4-2 in the Colonial) was bone crushing for the Pride, especially for Hofstra sophomore forward Rokas Gustys after he recorded 25 points and 20 rebounds. He’s the first member of the Pride to go 20/20 since David Taylor in the early 1980s.
“Incredible. There’s not a better rebounder in America, he’s been incredible,” said head coach Joe Mihalich on Gustys’ afternoon.
Starting with seven points in the first minute and a half, JMU came out of the starting gate in a hurry. The Dukes kept a pace similar to that all game long, a pace Hofstra couldn't keep up with in the first half.
Midway through the first half, Hofstra tied the game once at 11 apiece, following that James Madison kept extending their lead. The Dukes reached double digits midway through the half, while shooting 50 percent from the field. Hofstra went through multiple scoring droughts that stalled their progress.
With about five minutes left in the half, it turned into a new ballgame. As a team, Hofstra’s shooting improved off of a 19-8 run late in the half. After some deep shots were traded, JMU still kept a narrow lead into the last two minutes.
Soon after, Gustys spun in a layup trying the game at 36 all, reaching a double-double in the process. While JMU took a 38-36 lead into the locker room, all the momentum shifted in favor of the improving Pride.
Hofstra jumped ahead for the first time early in the second half as both offenses started firing up; the rest of the game featured 13 lead changes. About four minutes in, Gustys broke his career high in rebounds.
With about 15 minutes to go, the game was deadlocked at 47-47. About two minutes later, Hofstra’s true freshman guard Desure Buie saw a decent chunk of playtime. While on the court, he commanded Hofstra’s offense with fluid ball movement while adding some points himself. He also forced a crucial backcourt violation on James Madison moments later that kept the game at a two possession differential in Hofstra’s favor.
In the last ten minutes of regulation, the Pride started to run into foul trouble. For much of the closing minutes, it was a one-possession game. Hofstra got in a good shooting rhythm, but then went cold at a crucial time, allowing JMU to go on a seven-point run that kept the game within a basket.
With around 30 seconds left and Hofstra trailing 74-73, Pride forward Malik Nichols fouled out, and Gustys came back in while in foul trouble himself.
Down by two with seven seconds to go, guard Juan’ya Green put up a jumper that didn't fall, but graduate forward Denton Koon tipped in the tying rebound. The Dukes rushed the ball down court, but made nothing of it. For the first time this season, Hofstra went to overtime with the score 75-75.
Overtime was neck and neck until the last 30 seconds. After putting up three critical points in OT, Gustys fouled out two minutes in and received a standing ovation from the fans at the Mack.
“It was good to have those numbers, but I would rather have ten points and ten rebounds and have won the game, I’m that type of person,” said Gustys.
With one minute to go JMU was ahead 81-79, while the Dukes were on offense, forward Yohanny Dalembert missed a crucial layup that his team ended up rebounding.
On the play, Buie took hard contact to the face that wasn’t called. JMU grabbed and converted the board. That stretched it to a two-possession ball game.
With 27 seconds left, the Pride started fouling. JMU shot well from the free throw line at a critical juncture in the game. Buie then hit a corner three with five seconds left, making it only a two-point game, but at that point it was too little, too late, as the Pride faced their second CAA loss of the season, 86-82.
Juan’ya Green contributed 17 points on the day, while Denton Koon and Ameen Tanksley combined for 21 total points. Bernardi ended with 12.
Now a third of the way through conference play, Hofstra is intertwined in a six-way tie for first place in the CAA.
“Even if we had won the game, it’s going to be a marathon not a sprint, it’s going to be a war every night,” said Mihalich.
Hofstra is now 12-6 overall and 4-2 in conference play, along with: JMU, Towson, UNCW, William & Mary and Northeastern. Hofstra faces Northeastern in Boston next, in an effort to come out on top of the entangled CAA.