Hofstra 76, Towson 72: Rapid Reaction

By Jason Dimaio (@JasonDimaio1)

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — The blue and gold freight train that gained national attention over the last five days shows no signs of stopping, as Hofstra beat Towson in a come-from-behind thriller Thursday night by a score of 76-72, splitting the season series with the Tigers.

In a game that could have easily been a letdown after Hofstra's win Saturday at then-18th-ranked Charleston, the Pride made sure not to let the hangover bleed into its next game, one which saw Aaron Estrada go for 27 points, the third straight game the senior scored 20 or more, Tyler Thomas playing Robin to Estrada’s Batman, scoring 20 points on his birthday and the game's go-ahead bucket, Hofstra will now wake up tomorrow in first place in the Colonial Athletic Association after Charleston lost at Drexel.

Tonight’s game started at the slow grind of a pace that played right into Towson’s hands. The Tigers broke down Hofstra's defense, waited out the shot clock and made sure to get the best shot possible on every offensive possession. By the second media timeout, the score was a minimal 9-8 Towson lead. Towson would go on to extend its lead by as much as 11, with Nicolas Timberlake leading the way. Hofstra had no answer for Timberlake for most of the evening, as he poured in a game-high 32 points in the losing effort. Late in the first half, Estrada hit a quick 3-pointer, followed by a layup on the ensuing offensive possession to get Hofstra back in the game only down six. By the first half buzzer, Towson took a 34-31 lead into the intermission.

The slow-paced grind Towson threw at the Pride seemed to stick until about 10 minutes remaining in the game. Hofstra found its high-octane offense and started to click on all cylinders. One possession, it was Estrada, the next it was Thomas, and Bryce Washington had a coming-out party, contributing 12 points off the bench and shooting a lights-out clip of 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.

“That’s the way we play,” Claxton said. “That’s Hofstra Basketball. Estrada and Tyler got loose in that second half. We want to play fast because that’s when our guys are at their best.”

The last four minutes of this game were nothing short of a shootout. A Washington 3-pointer gave Hofstra a 67-65 lead, which Towson followed up on a Charles Thompson jumper, tying the game. Estrada took the ball down the court and drilled a long range three from the top of the arc to give the Pride a 70-67 lead, yet Towson had an answer for every punch as Ryan Conway tied the game the next possession on a triple of his own. On the next possession, Warren Williams gave the Pride a 72-70 lead until Timberlake hit a mid-range jumper to answer for Towson. With 58 seconds left, Thomas drilled a long jumper to give Hofstra the lead for good with a 74-72 lead, sending the Mack Sports Complex into euphoria. Missed jump shots and fouls ensued for Towson, allowing Hofstra to ice the game.

Hofstra can control its own destiny after Thursday’s win moved the Pride into a tie for first place with Charleston, with Hofstra holding the tiebreaker by virtue of its 85-81 win at Charleston last Saturday. The Pride has won eight of nine and 10 of its last 12, and has a favorable schedule coming up, beginning Saturday against local rival Stony Brook.