Hempstead, N.Y. - Sophomore
Shaquille Stokes scored 10 of his 26 points in the double overtime period and senior
guard Stevie Mejia scored a career-high 22 points as Hofstra defeated Marshall,
103-100, on
the final day of the Hempstead
subregional of the 2K Sports Classic benefitting Wounded Warrior Project at the
Mack Sports Complex Sunday afternoon.
Freshman Kentrell Washington hit three free throws in the
game's final minute. Stokes, who went 11-of-14
from the free-throw line, was one of
four Hofstra players to score in double figures. Hofstra won all three games in
the subregional, defeating South Dakota State, the District of Columbia and
Marshall to improve to 3-2 on the season. The Thundering Herd dropped to 2-3.
Freshman Jimmy Hall scored
16 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for his second career double-double and sophomore
Moussa Kone poured in 14 points and 10
rebounds for his first career double-double. Hofstra scored 100 points against
a Division I opponent for the first time in almost 21 years and the first since
scoring 103 against UMBC on Feb. 28, 1992.
Hofstra connected on 40-of-57
free throws as Hofstra won its first double-overtime game since defeating James
Madison on Feb. 18, 2009. Marshall's DeAndre Kane scored a game-high 33 points,
joining Elijah Pittman (20 points), Chris Martin (12) and D.D. Scarver in
double figures for the Thundering Herd. Kane added 11 rebounds and 10 assists for the triple-double.
Mejia was named the
subregional tournament's MVP after scoring in double figures in all three
games.
Stokes hit two free throws
in the opening 36 seconds of the second overtime, giving Hofstra the lead it
wouldn't relinquish. The Pride led as much as six when Stokes made another free
throw, providing a valuable cushion as Marshall got as close as 101-100 when
Kane buried a three-pointer with just more than two seconds left. Stokes hit
two free throws in the final second and Marshall didn't get off a final shot as
Hofstra secured the victory.
Nigel Spikes had a
two-handed dunk as Marshall cut Hofstra's lead to 95-91 with 1:04 left in the
second overtime. The Pride then drew a foul and Imes hit one-of-two. Marshall
missed a three-pointer but the Herd got the rebound and Scarver hit a left-wing
three-pointer to cut the Pride's edge to 96-94 with 39.8 seconds left.
But Washington was cool in the face of pressure, hitting two
clutch free throws with 38.3 seconds left for a 98-94 edge and Marshall having
no timeouts remaining. In trying to make it a one-possession game, Spikes
missed his first free throw but connected on his second with 19.4 seconds
left. Washington then hit the second of
his two free throws with 16.3 seconds left.
Marshall had the chance to win it at the end of the first
overtime before Kane's shot hit the back
rim and bounced out, sending Hofstra to its first double overtime game since
March 6, 2010 when the Pride played Northeastern in the quarterfinal round of
the CAA Tournament.
Kone scored in double
figures for the third time in five games, netting eight of his total points
after halftime to help Hofstra post its first three-game winning streak
since last year's unit accomplished the feat from Dec. 17-29.
Hofstra led as much as 13 midway through the second half,
though Marshall tied it with six seconds left when Pittman hit a three-pointer
in front of his own bench to tie it at 85. Mejia had a final chance to win it
in regulation before Kane blocked the shot, sending the contest into overtime.
Before Marshall's
second-half run, Mejia helped Hofstra re-build a double-digit lead, finishing a
2-on-1 break by drawing a foul on Scarver on the low right block during the
drive. Mejia completed the three-point play for a 10-point edge with 10:10 left.
Following a defensive stop, Imes hit a left-wing three-pointer to make it 64-51,
marking Hofstra's largest lead of the contest.
Marshall got to within eight
when the teams exchanged three-pointers. Stokes drilled a head-on shot before Kane
connected on his long-range shot to make it a 76-68 game with 4:55 left.
The Thundering Herd moved to
within four before Mejia wound down the shot clock, drove in, pulled back and
hit the 12-foot jump shot to make it a three-possession game at 78-70.
Yet Marshall kept coming,
making two free throws before Martin's
three-pointer made it 78-77. Mejia drew a foul on the court and, with both
teams in the double bonus, made both
free throws for 80-77, before Pittman hit the tying three-pointer.
Hofstra opened up a 37-31
advantage at the break, building a six-point edge in a physical half that
featured 26 combined fouls.
The Pride surged to a 7-0 lead just 2:17 in and Hofstra
connected at a 54.2 percent clip from the field before halftime, led by Stokes'
trio of three pointers as he netted nine points. Hall scored eight of his
points through the first 20 minutes as the Pride held Marshall to just 37.5
percent shooting in the period.
Hofstra will next be in action on Wednesday when the
Pride makes the short trek to Riverdale, N.Y. to face Manhattan at 7 p.m. in a
non-conference matchup.