Sophomore guard Charles Jenkins (Queens, NY - pictured) and Cornelius Vines (Syracuse, NY) both scored in double figures for the Pride, keying Hofstra to a 68-50 win over Old Westbury Monday night at the Mack Sports Complex.
Jenkins scored 16 of his game-high 24 points in the second half, helping the Pride extend its winning streak to three games. Vines added 13 points on 5-12 shooting as Hofstra improved to 3-1 on the year. Shane DeNully was the only Old Westbury player to crack double figures, scoring 10 points as the Panthers fell to 1-2.
The Panthers put an early scare into the Pride, heading into halftime down just 28-25, but Jenkins led a resurgent Pride effort in the second half to post the victory. Hofstra shot 54.2 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes, outscoring the Panthers 40-25 in the second half in front of 2,508 fans.
It was the fourth straight game Jenkins finished as his team's leading scorer, though the rest of the Pride roster also contributed. Nine players scored for Hofstra, which also held an opponent to fewer than 60 points for the first time this season. Jenkins also stretched his personal streak to 19 straight games in double figures, dating back to last year.
Vines, who scored in double figures for the third time in four games, secured the win with a clutch three-pointer from the left wing. Guard Greg Johnson (Harlem, NY) initiated the fast break and bounced a hard pass to Vines, who knocked down the shot to build Hofstra's lead to 54-41 with 5:16 remaining.
In the post, Arminas Urbutis (Kaunas, Lithuania) chipped in eight points on 4-of-6 shooting and six rebounds. Tony Dennison (Long Island City, NY) provided complementary offense, scoring five straight points early in the second half to help give the Pride some breathing room. Dennison knocked down a three from the right sideline and followed a defensive stop with an easy lay-up off a fast break to make it 43-34 with a little more than 11 minutes left in the contest.
The contest marked the first time Hofstra played Old Westbury. The Panthers are coached by Bernard Tomlin, a Hofstra graduate who played two seasons for the then Flying Dutchmen, helping the school win the 1976 East Coast Conference championship and earn its first-ever NCAA Division I Tournament appearance as a senior. Sophomore center Lester Prosper pulled down a game high 11 rebounds, to go along with eight points for the Panthers.
Hofstra will next be in action Saturday when it makes the trip across the East River to play Manhattan. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
