Hempstead, N.Y. - Hofstra will look to continue its best start in three years when the Pride hosts Florida Atlantic University on Tuesday at the Mack Sports Complex. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
The Pride (2-1) has posted the program's best record to start a season since the 2008-09 team began 7-1. Head coach Mo Cassara's team will also look to stay undefeated at home after wins against Long Island University and St. Francis (N.Y.). Hofstra's record marks just the third time in the last six years the program has registered two wins through the opening three games (the 2005-06 team started 4-1).
Florida Atlantic (2-3) represents another challenging opponent on a Hofstra schedule packed with teams that qualified for the postseason last year. The Pride, which will play five teams that made the NCAA Tournament, will prepare for an Owls squad that made the NIT in 2010-11. Florida Atlantic is coming off an overtime victory against CAA-member George Mason but has lost to Portland, Washington and American. Junior guard Greg Gantt leads the team with 13.4 points and 3.8 rebounds in a team-high 30.2 minutes-per-game.
Hofstra holds the edge in a series that has become more frequent over the last few seasons. The Pride leads the Owls, 5-1, with Florida Atlantic's first victory in the series coming last year with a 63-59 win at the Mack Sports Complex. The series dates to 1996-97.
Cassara has ensured continuity by employing the same starting lineup through the first three games. Hofstra has Stevie Mejia and Mike Moore in the backcourt with David Imes, Nathaniel Lester and Moussa Kone at forward. The quintet has contributed for more than 80 percent of the team's total offense and 55 of the team's 70 total rebounds.
Moore, Imes and Lester are all averaging more than 28 minutes per game, with Moore and Lester's minutes-played average slightly skewed after both were limited by foul trouble against Oregon State.
Moore and Lester continue to be the offensive catalysts. The duo has combined for 120 of Hofstra's 224 points this season with Lester (19.3) falling just a fraction short of joining Moore (20.7) in averaging 20 points per contest.
But the Pride has also received valuable contributions from the bench. Sophomore guard Shemiye McLendon scored five of his 12 points in the second half against Pacific-12 member Oregon State in a season-high 31 minutes. McLendon also played a key role as a reserve versus St. Francis, and proved he can be a reliable asset in pressure situations, scoring four of Hofstra's final six points, including the go-ahead jump shot that broke a 57-all deadlock with 4:21 left.
Dwan McMillan also has fortified Hofstra's bench, playing at least 23 minutes in every game. In a season-high 27-minute effort versus the Terriers, McMillan continued to show versatility, posting eight points, three rebounds and two assists. He also made a clutch defensive play, diving to the floor near the free throw line in Hofstra's zone to force a held ball with the Pride up by two points in the final five minutes. With the possession arrow in Hofstra's favor, McMillan's hustle play caused one of 13 St. Francis turnovers.
Hofstra will face a challenge to match those caused-turnover numbers. Under head coach Mike Jarvis, Florida Atlantic leads the Sun Belt Conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.1). The Owls also make an average of 8.2 three-pointers per contest. The Pride is used to facing long-range shooting opponents, though, after holding St. Francis to 7-of-25 from beyond the arc.
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