Late toughness helps Hofstra remain Long Island’s best

Desure Buie’s 20 points and commanding stretch drive were key for Hofstra Tuesday, as Pride claimed fourth straight win over Stony Brook. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Although the all-time series lead may not indicate so, the annual encounter between Hofstra and Stony Brook almost always is, for all intents and purposes, a rivalry whose victory requires execution in both its physical and mental facets.

Tuesday’s latest reprisal of the skirmish for Long Island bragging rights happened to be decided upon which side was more adept at the latter.

Using a 14-4 run fueled by the warrior mentality of senior point guard Desure Buie and a refuse-to-lose mindset among his teammates when securing four offensive rebounds over the final six minutes — each carom more integral than the board that preceded it — Hofstra was able to pull away from its Suffolk County visitor, defeating Stony Brook for the 23rd time in 28 lifetime encounters between the two programs, earning a hard-fought 71-63 win at the Mack Sports Complex.

“Toughness,” said Buie when surmising the deciding factor as his 20-point effort allowed the Pride (7-4) to overcome a 26 percent second-half shooting display. “Those last few minutes were all about toughness. Guys grabbed offensive rebounds, which gave us extra possessions, we sat down and defended. It was a great game.”

“Our guys just believed in themselves,” head coach Joe Mihalich added of his team, which trailed Stony Brook (7-4) by a 59-57 margin with 6:32 remaining in regulation, before a Jalen Ray three-pointer gave Hofstra a lead it would not relinquish. “They didn’t panic, kept great poise. We know why we didn’t survive in those other games and we used it as a learning lesson, and just toughed it out.”

Hofstra opened the game firing, connecting on each of its first three attempts from distance to build a 9-5 advantage, but the visiting Seawolves soon ripped off nine unanswered points behind Makale Foreman and Andrew Garcia to make the hosts have to earn the victory. With leading scorer Elijah Olaniyi in foul trouble, head coach Geno Ford used Mo Gueye in stretches with junior center Jeff Otchere, moving Andrew Garcia out of his usual position. However, it had little effect on the swingman, who insisted his versatility and increased comfort in Stony Brook’s offense allowed him to thrive regardless of where he was on the floor.

“I just play where I need to play, and take on the role no matter what it is,” said Garcia, who posted 18 points and 12 rebounds, but was refreshingly critical about his eight turnovers, a rarity for any player. “With these guys, all our positions are interchangeable. Everybody can score. It’s not like I’m just a three, but I do feel more comfortable.”

“Drew’s huge for us,” Ford added. “His versatility on offense is really important to what we’re trying to do. He’s a man. Most kids would have 18 and 12 and feel good about themselves, he’s publicly blaming himself for eight turnovers. When you’ve got guys on your team that are men, that take accountability for maybe not playing as well as even they are capable, or even owning up to mistakes in an era where that’s not normal? I want to jump out of the chair and hug him when he does that. When they’ve got that approach, you’re going to continue to get better.”

A pair of Foreman threes in the final minute turned an eight-point Hofstra lead into a scant 36-34 edge at the intermission, setting the tone for a close and intense final stanza. The margin on the scoreboard would remain within two possessions for nearly the entirety of the final period, until the Pride pulled away at the foul line late and fought its way to loose balls and rebounds as if a national championship were on the line. And for a mid-December game, such an effort can only be a harbinger of positivity entering Colonial Athletic Association play.

“People didn’t realize how tough these two guys (Buie and Tareq Coburn, the latter of whom amassed 10 points and 12 rebounds) are, how tough Elijah Pemberton is,” Mihalich assessed with regard to Hofstra’s burgeoning toughness without Justin Wright-Foreman. “It’s a group effort, and everybody just dug in there. It was like a brotherhood out there. They were playing for each other, and when you do that, you come in the locker room and feel good about yourself.”