Hofstra guards key strong second half as Pride sweeps Cathedral Classic

Cruz Davis led five Hofstra players in double figures as Pride capped off sweep of Cathedral Classic Sunday against Penn. (Photo by Nick Textores/Hofstra Athletics)

PHILADELPHIA — Due to its proclivity for producing a Who’s Who of mid-major backcourt stars since the turn of the century, Hofstra University has come to be affectionately dubbed Guard U.

Those closer to the program remember the halcyon days of the 2000s, when the likes of Antoine Agudio, Loren Stokes and Carlos Rivera — and before them, Speedy Claxton, Norman Richardson and Jason Hernandez — bequeathed a four-word credo around Long Island: In Guards We Trust.

No matter who suits up in the Pride blue and gold, one thing is certain, that those in the backcourt will find a way to ignite enough of a fire to succeed. That much was true Sunday, when Cruz Davis and Preston Edmead — the latest iteration of Guard U — combined for 29 points and 13 assists as Hofstra used their firepower to pull away from Penn in the second half, coasting to a 77-60 victory over the Quakers.

With the win, Hofstra’s third in as many days, the Pride swept the Cathedral Classic at The Palestra, having defeated La Salle and Merrimack on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

“Those two guys have been outstanding, man,” Claxton — now in his fifth season as the head coach of his alma mater — said of Davis and Edmead. “Starting from the summertime, I knew that they were gonna be our leaders, and I can’t say enough about those guys. The way they approach the game, the way they approach every single day, they’re always the first ones on the court, last ones to leave. They’ve put so much work into it and they’re starting to see their hard work pay off. I’m so happy for them.”

“That’s the really good thing about this team. You never know where the points are going to come. They really play team basketball, they let the offense dictate who’s gonna get the shot. We put Cruz in positions to make plays for himself and others down the stretch, because he’s our go-to guy. He came through for us and he always made the right reads. Cruz has been great all year.”

The coach knew what to expect from Davis, in his second season at Hofstra after following Rick Pitino from Iona to St. John’s. But in Edmead, even Claxton had no idea the youngest of three brothers to play college basketball would be so good so soon.

Preston Edmead (1) continued stellar start to freshman season Sunday, with 11 points, eight assists and six rebounds. (Photo by Nick Textores/Hofstra Athletics)

“I did not envision this,” he admitted. “(Edmead) works extremely hard on his game. When I say he’s our hardest worker, he’s by far our hardest worker. He loves basketball, he eats, sleeps and dreams basketball. So I’m not surprised at his success right now.”

After a first half in which Penn — who, like Hofstra, had won both of its first two games in the multi-team event — took a two-point advantage into the locker room, Claxton made one aspect of the game plan clear to his team over the final 20 minutes, urging the Pride to remain aggressive.

“I think our pressure wore them down, and that was one of the biggest things that we wanted to do coming into the game,” he said. “We didn’t think they could handle our pressure, and I think overall, we kind of just wore them down. We just told them to stay with the pressure, and we would wear them down eventually. That’s all that happened.”

Fifth-year senior German Plotnikov, one of five Hofstra players with 10 or more points, ultimately put the Pride in front to stay, and needed just 12 seconds to do so when his left corner three gave the visitors a 34-33 lead immediately out of the intermission.

“German’s solid,” Claxton remarked. “He’s been here for a couple years now, so he knows our system. He knows what we expect from him, and he just goes out there and does it. He’s always approached it businesslike, and I don’t expect anything less from him.”

Now 5-3 through the first month of the season, Hofstra’s next challenge comes Wednesday on the road against a veteran Columbia team that has looked strong under first-year coach Kevin Hovde. While Claxton is still learning about his next opponent, he has also taken the time to educate himself on what he has in his own locker room, with a positive read on a roster blended with experience and youth.

“I think I’m finding out a lot about my team right now,” he admitted. “We’re pretty good. I’m happy with the way we played. I’m not gonna say (we made) a statement, but we did beat two really good teams. These kids, they played hard. The thing with this team is they listen and they’re learning. I’m still learning about them, but I do like what I’m seeing right now.”