The Hofstra Pride women’s basketball team dropped a close one to the Towson Tigers, losing 59-56 Friday night at the Mack Sports Complex. With the win, the Tigers leapfrog the Pride in the CAA standings up to seventh place and push the Pride back to eighth.
Hofstra’s Ashunae Durant had 18 points on 9-15 shooting and pulled down eight rebounds. Towson’s Sianni Martin led all scorers with 21 points - also adding nine rebounds and six assists to her stat line.
Durant was met at center court during pre-game by her head coach, Krista-Kilburn-Steveskey, who handed Durant a commemorative basketball to honor Durant for scoring her 1,000th career point earlier in the year.
“To have done this that early into her junior year…and does it so humbly…I’m just proud of her,” said head coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey. “It’s a little tainted tonight because we didn’t get the win, but it’s well deserved.”
Hofstra point guard Krystal Luciano, who was coming off of a triple-double at UNC-Wilmington, was the only other player in double figure with 10 points, albeit just 3-12 shooting.
“She was getting fouled, and I think she let that get in her head a little bit early, she’s been maturing in that aspect but tonight for some reason it seemed to get to her,” said Coach Kilburn-Stevesky. “It was just one of those nights, she had a tough floor game as well as a tough shooting night.”
The Pride struggled all around from the floor; Aleana Leon, Olivia Askin and Ana Hernandez-Gil shot a combined 6-23 from the field, including 4-17 from deep.
“We had a great week of practice, that’s why I felt bad we weren’t shooting the ball well and we were stagnant. I said it before the game, I said it in practice this week, the energy has been great,” said Coach Kilbrun-Steveskey. “They were shooting the ball very well [in practice], so it leaves you scratching your head sometimes”
The Pride has two games left in the season before the CAA tournament begins. Its next game comes against third place Drexel at the Mack Sports Complex, and then wrapping up the season in Boston against Northeastern.
“We have two tough opponents left here and we have to take the next one here at home and figure out a way to win, period,” said Coach Kilburn-Steveskey. “This [loss] wasn’t ideal, it wasn’t in our game plan, it’s frustrating, but we have to figure it out. I’ve been talking about their character and what they’re made off, now it’s really going to be tested.”