Hempstead, NY - Junior guard Charles Jenkins (Queens, NY) scored 21 of his 27 points in the second half and freshman guard Chaz Williams (Brooklyn, NY) added 18 points and eight rebounds to lead Hofstra to a 77-67 win over Delaware on Saturday afternoon in front of a season-high 4,016 fans at the Mack Sports Complex.
Williams also tallied six assists and freshman forward Halil Kanacevic (Staten Island, NY) tallied 16 points and six rebounds off the bench to improve Hofstra to 11-12 and 4-7 in the Colonial Athletic Association. Jenkins' 27 points also give him exactly 1,500 in his career in only his junior season. Delaware's Jawan Carter scored 22 points and finished with nine rebounds, as the Blue Hens dropped to 6-16 and 2-9. Since joining the CAA, Hofstra is 13-4 against Delaware, including a perfect 9-0 at home.
Hofstra never trailed as Jenkins hit two three-pointers to get the Pride off to a 6-0 lead before two quick fouls sent him to the bench. The Pride held a 33-26 advantage at the half and led by as many as 13 in the second half at 44-31 on two Jenkins foul shots with 16:02 to play.
However, Delaware responded with a 13-4 run to get back to within 48-44 with 10:18 to play on a lay-up from Josh Brinkley. The Blue Hens pulled within a single point at 56-55 on a bank shot from Alphonso Dawson with 5:47 to go, and again at 58-57 with 4:32 on a foul shot from Jamelle Hagins.
Jenkins, though, answered with a short jumper in the paint, and Kanacevic hit two foul shots to push the lead to five. With Hofstra leading by four in the final two minutes, Williams made big plays at both ends of the floor to seal the win. He made a big basket, completing a driving layup with the shot clock expiring to give Hofstra a 68-62 with 1:25 on the clock. Dawson (10 points), though, responded with a right-corner three-pointer just 20 seconds later to keep the Blue Hens in the game.
After an exchange of foul shots, Delaware fouled junior forward Greg Washington (Centereach, NY), and he made one of two free throws for a 71-67 Hofstra lead with 26 seconds on the clock. Williams then secured the win on the next possession, stealing the ball on the perimeter and forcing an intentional foul, making both foul shots. He then hit two more foul shots after the inbounds pass, and Jenkins added two more to close out the scoring.
Hofstra came out strong defensively in the early going, holding Delaware to 1-for-16 from the field in taking a 17-7 lead capped by Kanacevic's two-handed dunk with 10:10 left. That was one of two Kanacevic slams in the half, as the first-year forward scored 10 points and added five rebounds in the first half with Jenkins on the bench.
Jenkins and Carter entered the afternoon ranked 1-2 in the CAA's scoring leaders and the two keyed their team's respective offenses. Hofstra Head Coach Tom Pecora moved into sole possession of third place on the school's all-time wins list with his 147th career victory. Pecora is five away from tying Paul Lynner (1962-72) for the second spot.
The Pride will next be in action Wednesday when it faces James Madison on the road. Tipoff against the Dukes is set for 7 p.m. Hofstra will then return home to face Northeastern on Saturday at 4 p.m.
