Hofstra 94, William & Mary 46: Rapid Reaction

By Jason Dimaio (@JasonDimaio1)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Confidence and relentlessness. 

That was what Hofstra put on display in its first game of the Colonial Athletic Association tournament against William and Mary, as Speedy Claxton got his first conference tournament win since taking over as head coach of the Pride, doing so in more than impressive fashion, a 94-46 rout over the Tribe for Hofstra’s 12th consecutive win. 

This game was seemingly over before it started, as Hofstra jumped out to a 14-2 lead, forcing William and Mary to call timeout only four minutes into the game as the Pride got anything and everything it wanted offensively. Jaquan Carlos showed a flashier side to his game with multiple pull-up jump shots from long distance, while Bryce Washington was soaring through the Tribe defense for throwdown dunks. Aaron Estrada and Tyler Thomas picked and

chose their spots to pour in points as the duo went for 22 points each. It was an offensive symphony no matter where you looked on the court. However, it would be remiss to mention the lockdown effort Hofstra gave on defense.

“Offense wins games, but defense wins championships” is a phrase Claxton has preached multiple times this year, held no truer than by the result of the halftime score. The Pride held William and Mary to just 14 first half points and scored 51 for themselves. The lead was the largest halftime lead in CAA tournament history. When it was all said and done, the 94-46 victory was the largest margin of victory in conference tournament history. The prolific performance from the Pride had its bench loud, animated and energized for every possession down the floor until the last minute. This was evident as Claxton emptied the bench for the walk-ons to come in the final three minutes of the game, causing a roar from the Hofstra crowd on hand behind the bench. What would transpire was a Aiden Best scoring six points, including converting a four-point play for the icing on the cake of an historic postseason performance.

Hofstra will face either UNCW or Drexel in the semifinals on Monday, with tipoff slated for 6 p.m.