Preview: Hofstra men's basketball takes on UNCW in pivotal CAA matchup
The Hofstra University men’s basketball team is coming off a very convincing 87-64 win over Elon University that took place on Saturday, Feb. 24, but head coach Speedy Claxton’s side can’t get too comfortable now. The Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) tournament is fast approaching and two difficult opponents stand in the Pride’s way.
Hofstra heads back on the road to play the first of these opponents, UNC-Wilmington (UNCW), on Thursday, Feb. 29. Hofstra enters 18-11 overall with a conference record of 11-5. The Seahawks are 20-8 overall with an identical 11-5 CAA ledger.
In the win over Elon, every Hofstra player that tallied minutes scored except Silas Sunday. Tyler Thomas led the way, dropping 25 points on the Phoenix. Darlinstone “Dstone” Dubar, Jacco Fritz and German Plotnikov also registered double-digit point totals of 17, 14 and 11, respectively. Fritz also finished with 11 rebounds to register his first double-double of the year.
Meanwhile, UNCW enters this game after being upset by Campbell University on Saturday, Feb. 24. The Seahawks took the Camels to double overtime before losing 105-100. Trazarien White had 38 points in that game and just needed one more rebound for the double-double. Three other Seahawks had double-digit figures in points.
The teams are two of the three highest-scoring in the CAA. UNCW averages 81.1 points per game to Hofstra’s 74.9.
To win, the Pride will need to take advantage of any turnovers the Seahawks concede, as UNCW has the lowest turnover rate in the conference. They must also keep Shykeim Phillips at bay, as he is the second-most accurate shooter in the CAA. He also leads the conference in steals.
Thomas continues to be a threat to all opponents, as he now ranks third in the country in scoring with 650 points, which averages 22.4 points per game.
Hofstra also hasn’t won in Wilmington since Jan. 31, 2021. Their early 2023 CAA tournament exit came from a loss to the Seahawks.
This pivotal game tip-off is at 7 p.m. at Trask Coliseum.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Matteo Bracco
