Hofstra opens conference play with statement win over Delaware
The Hofstra Pride men’s basketball team picked up a demonstrative 87-73 road win over the University of Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens in their Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) opener on Thursday, Dec. 29. It was wire-to-wire dominance for Hofstra, as the Pride spent over 21 minutes with a double-digit lead and did not trail at any point. Thursday’s game also marked the 100th meeting between the two schools, as Hofstra picked up their 66th all-time win over their conference rival. Speedy Claxton and the Pride moved to 8-6 on the season with the win and have sent a message to the rest of the conference by dethroning the defending champions in convincing fashion.
Aaron Estrada certainly left an impression on the national audience Thursday night, posting a game-high 31 points on 64% shooting for his third 30-point outing of the season. Estrada was a matchup nightmare for Delaware all night long, as head coach Martin Inglesby and the Blue Hens tried a multitude of different defenders, none of whom could keep up with the Hofstra star or stop him off the dribble. Estrada now leads all CAA scorers and ranks ninth nationally with 22.5 points per game. Despite missing a pair of games with an ankle injury, Estrada has not skipped a beat in his quest to repeat as CAA Player of the Year as he currently averages career highs in both points per game and field goal percentage.
Although Estrada stole the show, it was a full team effort for the Pride as they posted their highest point total of the season and assisted on 54% of their made field goals. Hofstra was unconscious from the field, shooting 59% as a team and netting 50% of their three-point attempts. Senior guard Tyler Thomas set the tone early on by scoring the game’s first nine points, forcing Delaware to burn a timeout in the opening minute of play. Thomas finished the game with 20 points, good for his second-highest scoring output in a Hofstra uniform. Jaquan Carlos was the offensive maestro in this contest, stuffing the stat sheet with 10 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in the win. Carlos now ranks fourth among CAA players in assists, averaging 4.5 dimes and just under two turnovers per game.
For just the fourth time this season, the Pride managed to win the rebounding battle as they edged Delaware 32-27 on the glass. Hofstra is now 4-0 this season when out-rebounding opponents and 4-1 when grabbing more than 30 boards. The Pride’s unheralded frontcourt duo was able to take advantage of an undersized Fightin’ Blue Hen squad, as Nelson Boachie-Yiadom and Warren Williams combined for 16 points on 75% shooting in the win.
Hofstra’s conference schedule will resume on New Year’s Eve, when they’ll return home to face the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Aggies for the second time in school history. It will be Hofstra’s second home game in the month of December, as the Pride holds a perfect 3-0 record at the Mack Sports Complex this season.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
