Men's basketball drops road contest to Iona
The Hofstra Pride men’s basketball team fell on the road in a tight battle against the Iona College Gaels by a score of 82-74 on Tuesday, Nov. 16. The loss dropped the Pride back under .500 to a 1-2 record for the young season.
The first half was controlled by the Gaels, with their largest lead of the game being 12 points at 19-7, with 13:08 left in the half. Hofstra answered the early deficit, going on a 12-3 run to cut it to three with 9:29 remaining. Hofstra was not able to take the lead in the first half, as Iona ended the half with two last-minute dunks to go into halftime with a seven-point lead, 39-32.
The Pride faithful was very glad to have back their Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) preseason first-teamer in guard Jalen Ray. Ray finished the night with 20 points in 27 minutes, knocking down six three-pointers.
“I’ve just been waiting to get back on the floor with the guys, resting my ankle and everything. It was just good,” Ray said.
Besides Ray, it was a tough night shooting for the Pride, with Hofstra shooting under 40% from the field. Zach Cooks, coming off being named the CAA Player of the Week, was limited offensively by the Gaels and managed to score 11 points while shooting 4-17 from the floor. Guard Darlinstone Dubar contributed 14 points and six rebounds while Abayomi Iyiola had another near double-double, bringing down 10 rebounds to go along with his six points.
Iona once again extended its lead into double-digits, leading 49-38, in the first few minutes of the second half. However, Hofstra rallied back, evening up the score at 55 with 10:45 left to play. Despite trading baskets back and forth, the Gaels never trailed and eventually pulled away for the eight-point victory.
The size of the Gaels played a factor in this one, with Iona scoring 38 points in the paint. The Gaels were led by guards Tyson Jolly, who scored 21 points, and Elijah Joiner who had a near triple-double, scoring nine points to go along with his 10 rebounds and eight assists.
“We’re gonna peak at the right time, it’s still early in the year,” said Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton. “I’m not worried about these guys. I know I have a good group, and we’re new, there’s a lot of new faces in that locker room and it’s going to take time to book that chemistry.”
The Pride will look to get back to .500 when they hit the road again to take on the No. 20 Terrapins of the University of Maryland on Friday, Nov. 19.
Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
