MBB: Hofstra Heads West To Face Oregon State

Hempstead, N.Y. - The Hofstra men's basketball team will look to build off a strong start when they face Pacific-12 member Oregon State on Wednesday night with a 10 p.m. local tipoff time.

Hofstra is coming off an 89-71 season-opening victory against defending NEC-champion Long Island University on Friday. Senior forward Nathaniel Lester set a career high with 33 points as he became the first Hofstra player besides Charles Jenkins to record a 30-point game since the 2007-08 season.

The Pride also won a season opener at home for the second straight year, shooting 59.2 percent from the floor as senior guard Mike Moore (23 points) and junior forward David Imes (10 points) scored in double figures.

Hofstra and Oregon State will be meeting for the first time in series history when they match up in the TicketCity Legends Classic regional round. Despite Hofstra starting a program in 1936 and Oregon State's basketball history dating back to 1901, the two schools have never faced each other. The game will mark Hofstra's longest scheduled road trip of the season with Corvallis located approximately 3,000 miles away from Hempstead.

The Beavers started the season with a win after Ahmad Starks and Joe Burton each scored 16 points to lead Oregon State to an 86-62 win over CSU Bakersfield. Playing in the power-conference Pac-12, the Beavers are coming off an 11-20 overall record in 2010-11. But Oregon State played well at home, going 9-7 compared to 1-12 on the road.

In head coach Mo Cassara's first season, the Pride posted a 10-5 road record. Hofstra will look to continue to build off momentum after torching the Blackbirds for 57 second-half points. LIU, coming off a 27-win season and a trip to the NCAA Tournament, couldn't find an answer for a Pride offense that connected on 15-of-21 field goal attempts in the second half as the Pride shot 71.4 percent from the field.

An average of more than 5,300 people filled Gill Coliseum last year, meaning Hofstra will look to its experienced guards to protect the ball and keep the offense in control. Junior Stevie Mejia scored seven points and added four assists in his Hofstra debut. The Rhode Island transfer was the starting point guard and senior guard Dwan McMillan came off the bench and registered a career-high 10 assists. At times, Cassara played the two guards in the same backcourt, giving Hofstra small-but-fast lineup that helped Hofstra post a 30-13 edge in the points-off-turnovers category.

After a brief West Coast sojourn, the Pride will return to campus to face St. Francis (N.Y.) on Saturday with a 4 p.m. start at the Mack Sports Complex. Purchase your tickets today by clicking here or calling 516-HOF-TIXX (463-8499).

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Players Mentioned

#22 Charles Jenkins: G; 6' 3"; Senior

#3 Stevie Mejia: G; 5' 9"; Junior

#1 Nathaniel Lester: F; 6' 5"; Senior

#5 David Imes: F; 6' 7"; Junior

#23 Mike Moore: G; 6' 5"; Senior

#11 Dwan McMillan: G; 6' 0"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#22 Charles Jenkins
: 6' 3"; Senior
: G

#3 Stevie Mejia
: 5' 9"; Junior
: G

#1 Nathaniel Lester
: 6' 5"; Senior
: F

#5 David Imes
: 6' 7"; Junior
: F

#23 Mike Moore
: 6' 5"; Senior
: G

#11 Dwan McMillan
: 6' 0"; Senior
: G