Women's basketball loses fifth straight contest

The Hofstra women’s basketball team lost to the Drexel Dragons 62-39 at Drexel University on Friday, Feb. 15. Friday night’s loss is the lowest scoring performance from the Pride all season.

“We had worked all week on all the things that we knew they were going to try to throw at us,” said Hofstra head coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey. “They didn’t throw anything that we were not ready for and it’s [unfortunate] how we responded.”

Hofstra’s first quarter set the bad momentum, as they turned the ball over nine times, including five travels.

“The start of that game was walk, walk after walk,” Kilburn-Steveskey said. “It’s just a little bit frustrating.” 

The Pride and Dragons went into the first media timeout tied at five. Hofstra didn’t score any points the rest of the quarter. The Dragons went on a 9-0 scoring run to end the first 10 minutes with a 14-5 lead. Forward Bailey Greenberg scored nine of the 14 points for the Dragons.  

The Dragons eventually finished with an 11-point scoring run to expand the lead to 16-5. Sica Cuzic ended the run with a layup that brought the Pride within nine. The Pride went into halftime down 27-16.

Much like the beginning of the first half, the Dragons came out strong to start the second half, scoring 11 of the first 13 points. Drexel’s Hannah Nihill put up a three-pointer to get the scoring started for the Dragons in the third. Keishana Washington scored a pair of jumpers and a layup, while Greenberg made a jumper to put Drexel up 38-18. The Pride put up only six points in the third quarter, all scored by Sandra Karsten. 

To begin the fourth, Kayla Bacon made a jumper and Nihill made a free throw to make it 47-22 Dragons. The Pride then scored 13 of the next 18 points, including a 7-0 scoring run highlighted by Ana Hernandez Gil’s three-pointer and driving layup, but the Pride’s rally fell short, eventually ending in the 23-point loss.

Karsten led the Pride with 13 points. Hernandez Gil added eight. Boogie Brozoski, the team’s leading scorer, finished with just four points, but led with four assists. Jaylen Hines’ eight rebounds was first on the team.

For the Dragons, Greenberg led with 15 points and seven rebounds. Washington added on with 10 points. Nihill led the team with nine assists, while also scoring nine points. Niki Metzel and Ana Ferariu also scored nine points.

The Pride turned the ball over 20 times to Drexel’s nine. The Pride scored four points off turnovers to Drexel’s 24. 

With the loss, the Pride has lost five straight and dropped to 1-11 in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play. Drexel has won nine in a row. They are 9-2 in CAA play and two games behind first-place James Madison University.

Hofstra continues their road trip on Sunday, Feb. 17, in Delaware to face the Fightin’ Blue Hens at 2 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics