Preview: Hofstra women's basketball takes on Army West Point

The Hofstra University women’s basketball team will travel to West Point, New York, for a road game against the U.S. Military Academy at West Point Black Knights. The two teams last faced each other on Dec. 7, 2022, when Hofstra hosted Army West Point at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex. During the last meetup of the two teams, the Pride narrowly defeated the Black Knights 56-53.

Coming into their matchup against the Pride, Army holds a 2-4 record. Both wins came from home matchups, as the Black Knights beat the Fairleigh Dickinson University Knights 71-63 on Nov. 12 and the Connecticut College Camels 59-34 on Nov. 22. Army’s record places them at No. 8 in the Patriot League standings.

Army averages 61.2 points per game, led by junior guard Trinity Hardy’s 13.5 points. She is one of only three team members with an average scoring statistic in the double digits. Hardy also leads Army in field goals made, having made 32 of her 64 attempts to give her a .500 shooting percentage.

Sophomore guard Reese Ericson is one of the two other players to average double-digit points with 10.5 per game. She leads the team in multiple statistics including total minutes at 186, 11 three-pointers and 13 assists. Ericson also leads the team in turnovers, as she has already recorded 25 in the first six games of the season.

The Pride have a 3-2 record after defeating the New Jersey Institute of Technology Highlanders 57-55 on Nov. 25. Graduate guard Sorelle Ineza led the Pride’s scoring with 19 points. Senior forward Brooke Anya, who set a season-high of four blocks, trailed behind Ineza with 14 points. Sophomore guard Emma Von Essen scored 13 points.

Hofstra head coach Danielle Santos Atkinson stuck with the same five starters for the first five games of the season, all of whom have proved themselves to be team leaders. Ineza’s 14.2 points per game and Von Essen’s 12.4 make them the only members of the Pride this season to average double-digit points. Senior center Zyheima Swint leads the team in both offensive and defensive rebounds with a 19-34 split, senior guard Ally Knights leads the team in assists with 24, and Anya leads the team in free throws, earning 16 out of 27 attempts.

Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. at Christl Arena in West Point, New York. Fans can tune into ESPN+ or through WRHU’s web-only broadcast on the Hofstra Alternative Web Channel.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Stephen Gorchov