Hempstead, NY- Sophomore guard Nicole Capurso tied a career-high with 23 points, leading Hofstra to a 72-68 win over Providence Tuesday night at the Mack Sports Complex.
Fellow sophomore guard and Staten Island native Candice Bellocchio (10 points) also scored in double figures for the Pride while senior Sam Brigham (Simsbury, CT) chipped in nine points to help Hofstra post its first regular season home win over a Big East team since Hofstra became a Division I program in 1982-83.
Hofstra shot 50 percent from the field, snapping a three-game losing streak to improve to 4-3. Providence's Chelsea Marandola scored a game-high 23 points and Emily Cournoyer added 14 points, though the Friars fell to 7-2 and saw an end to a three-game winning streak.
Capurso shot 9-17 from the field, exceeding her previous season-high point total of 16. The second-year shooting guard tied her career-best scoring mark first set against Delaware on Jan. 8, 2009. Senior center Jess Fuller (Queens, NY) added a frontcourt presence, scoring seven points on 3-5 shooting while hauling in eight rebounds.
Hofstra surged to a 6-0 lead just 2:48 into the opening stanza, forcing Providence to call its first timeout of the game. The Pride maintained the pressure as Providence allowed an opponent to shoot 50 percent or better for the first time this season.
With the score 20-18 in favor of the Pride after a three-pointer from Providence's Lola Wells, Hofstra would score the game's next eight points and held a 28-18 advantage at the first half's 6:30 mark. Capurso, who notched 12 first half points, drilled a pair of three-pointers during the run, while freshman Shante Evans (West Chester, PA) accounted for the other points. Evans finished with seven points.
A layup from Evans with 1:16 left in the half would give Hofstra a 35-28 lead, but the Friars tallied the final four points of the half to trail 35-32 at the break. Cournoyer tied Capurso for game-high honors in the opening stanza with 12 points as well.
Capurso also generated a second-half shooting rhythm. With Providence holding a narrow 53-52 lead, Capurso hit a key three-pointer to give the Pride the lead for good and ignite a 8-0 Pride run as Hofstra retook the lead, 60-53, with 7:43 left.
Providence would cut the lead to 68-64 with 2:29 remaining and had the chance to make it a one-possession game. But Cournoyer missed an open top-of-the-key three-pointer and the Pride forced another defensive stop.
Jessica Clark poured in a layup to make it 70-68 with just 29.4 seconds left. Brigham then drew the foul and hit one of two free throws. The Pride followed that up with another defensive stop, forcing Lola Wells into an off-balanced driving attempt that hit off the rim. Brigham collected the rebound and hit another free throw with 11 seconds left to secure the win.
Hofstra will be back in action at home Thursday against Niagara. Game time at the Mack Sports Complex is set for 7 p.m.
