Third time a charm for Charleston as Hofstra’s season ends in CAA quarters

Speedy Claxton’s first season as Hofstra head coach ended with quarterfinal loss to Charleston in CAA tournament. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — When previewing Sunday’s Colonial Athletic Association tournament quarterfinal against a Charleston team his Hofstra outfit had just defeated six days prior in its regular season finale, Speedy Claxton admitted he was not a fan of having to play the Cougars a third time, particularly after surviving a determined late rally on Monday.

The reasoning, Hofstra’s first-year head coach argued, was that it was hard to defeat a team three times in a year, let alone one who came within eight points of sweeping the Pride and turning the tables in the regular season.

Claxton’s feeling proved prophetic Sunday, as Hofstra could not get ahead of Charleston, falling behind as many as 24 points in a 92-76 loss that drops the curtain on a revelatory campaign in Hempstead.

“We didn’t play the way we needed to play in the first half,” Claxton assessed. “You can’t spot a team 20 points and expect to win the game, and they just kind of out-toughed us. We knew that the tougher team would win, and they were the tougher team tonight.”

“The games that we lost this year, we weren’t the tougher team. I tell the kids that this game honors toughness, and when you’re tough out there, you’re going to put yourself in a position to win. And when you’re not, you can’t win. You gotta be tough.”

Hofstra (21-11) could not replicate its transition game that allowed the Pride to stay ahead of Charleston at the Mack Sports Complex, where it forced 28 Cougar turnovers and made the game chaotic for a team playing at the fastest tempo in the nation. Charleston limited its miscues, registering just 13 giveaways while riding the hot hand of John Meeks, who dominated with 31 points and seven rebounds after not being fully healthy in the last meeting with Hofstra.

“That was everything,” Charleston head coach Pat Kelsey said after the victory, which advances the Cougars into a semifinal matchup with UNC Wilmington on Monday. “It was a huge, huge, huge part that we couldn’t allow them to create offense through their defense. We need everybody to be playmakers, we need everybody to have great ball security on every single catch. We did that tonight, and we’re going to have to do it tomorrow against a team that’s trying to take your ball when we get off the bus.”

“Our guys responded. We countered to their counter, and John was sensational tonight, not only just putting the ball in the basket. He willed us to victory.”

Charleston (17-14) jumped on the accelerator from the onset, crashing the glass and torching the nets en route to a CAA tournament-record 55 points in the opening stanza, outmuscling Hofstra in the paint by a 46-30 margin and winning the battle of the boards by an equally decisive 40-26 count.

The Pride fought back after halftime, however, getting the same timely shot making it surrendered in the first half to draw as close as seven points as back-to-back 3-pointers by Jalen Ray — who led Hofstra with 21 points in his final game — pulled the score to a more manageable 70-63. The two teams traded baskets as Hofstra remained within nine, but a 12-3 Charleston run thereafter slammed the door on a comeback, and closed the book on Ray’s career on Long Island, one that saw the Virginian become Hofstra’s iron man earlier this season when he passed former teammate Desure Buie for the most games played in program history.

“It means everything,” Ray said as he reflected on his five-year journey in Hempstead. “Coming out of high school and not being given a chance, Hofstra took a chance on me and I’m grateful for everything they’ve given me.”

“He’s a legend,” Claxton echoed. “He got better each and every year, and I think he had great leadership ahead of him that kind of paved the way and showed him what it means to be a Hofstra basketball player. I’m sorry we couldn’t win for him in his last year here — there’s no better way to go out than on top — but the kid had a great career. He’ll forever be in the history books here, and we’ll miss him.”

Newly crowned CAA Player of the Year Aaron Estrada tallied 19 points, along with six assists, in the losing effort. The junior guard will be the face of the team next season as the Pride retools, doing so with a stout message and reminder of the commitment needed to return to the heights of 2020, when Hofstra stood atop the CAA and appeared headed to the NCAA Tournament before its abrupt cancellation due to COVID-19.

“Every game, we’re going to have to be tougher,” Claxton reiterated. “It’s going to start when we select a new strength and conditioning coach here, but you gotta be tough, man. This game honors toughness, like I said.”