Hofstra earns first win of season in home opener against Molloy

Following a blowout loss in their season opener, the Hofstra women’s basketball team returned home to the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex on Wednesday, Nov. 17, where they took down Molloy College with a final score of 52-51.

Throughout the night the Pride struggled to find an offensive rhythm. While Molloy clogged the paint, Hofstra was forced to settle for jumpers from the outside, shooting just 27% from the field and 14.3% from beyond the arc. 

“[We have to] just keep trying to find shots in rhythm and not try to force it. Move the ball a little bit and get the defense moving,” said Hofstra senior guard JaKayla Brown, who led the team with 14 points in the game. 

“[Molloy’s] zone [defense] stifled us offensively. We didn’t shoot the ball great from the three, and we didn’t shoot the ball great for the game,” said Hofstra head coach Danielle Santos Atkinson. “But, when you don’t shoot the ball well and you still figure out a way to win, that’s an improvement for the team.”

Although their offensive inefficiency forced them to play from behind for most of the game, Hofstra was provided with multiple second, third and sometimes even fourth chances, and kept the score close while Molloy struggled with turnovers. 

“We needed to be a better team fundamentally, and our positioning and awareness off the ball needed to get better following that game against the [University at Albany],” Santos Atkinson said. “We were in a better position to take away some of those passing and driving lanes and forced some tough passes with our pressure tonight.”

In total, the Pride forced 24 turnovers, with the biggest of all coming in the final seconds of the game from junior guard Sorelle Ineza, making her long-awaited return to the Mack. With the score knotted up at 47 and under a minute left to play, Ineza, who missed all of last season due to an injury, picked the pocket of Molloy’s Maya Thomas, drove to the net and gave the Pride a two-point lead as she sunk a left-handed layup while she crashed to the floor, drawing a foul in the process. 

“There are crucial plays that happen throughout the game and that was one that [Ineza] was able to make with her pressure,” Santos-Atkinson said. “It’s great to see her back on the floor for us and having her at full capacity and full strength. We missed her last year not having her on the floor, and it was great to see her hit that bucket.” 

Ineza scored 10 points for the Pride while shooting 30% from the field to go along with an assist and two rebounds in what was her second game back since returning from her injury. 

Molloy’s Safiyyah Lee led all scorers with 19 points in the contest and reached a major milestone by scoring the 1,000th point of her collegiate career at the end of the first quarter. Meanwhile, Hofstra’s Brown led the game with five assists, and senior guard Rosi Nicholson did some window-washing by grabbing eight total rebounds in the game.

Following the win, Santos Atkinson was pleased with her team’s performance, but emphasized that there’s a lot more work to be done this season. 

“It’s just the second game of the year. We’ve got some things to work [on], and we know that,” Santos Atkinson said. “We’re going to continue to work in practice, and we’re going to continue to prepare for every game. We’re going to really see the potential of this team start to show as we move on through the season.” 

With a record of 1-1, the Pride gets set to welcome the 2-2 Loyola University Maryland Greyhounds to Long Island as the two teams square off on Saturday, Nov. 20, at 2 p.m.

Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics