Hempstead, NY -  Sophomore guard Brian Bernardi recorded a game-high 22 points to lead five Pride players in double-figures as the Hofstra Men's Basketball team defeated Jacksonville, 94-61, in the season opener for both teams at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex Friday night.
 
Bernardi, a transfer from SMU who sat out last season with the Pride, hit on eight of 10 field goals, including six of eight three-pointers, for his game-high numbers in 26 minutes. Bernardi was taken out of the contest just one three-pointer away from equaling the school record of seven set by six players including Zeke Upshaw, who did it twice during the 2013-14 season.

Junior Ameen Tanksley, who followed Joe Mihalich, his coach at Niagara, made his Pride debut with 16 points in 24 minutes. He was seven-for-11 from the field. Junior Malik Nichols added 15 points on six-of-eight shooting.

Junior Juan'ya Green, another Niagara transfer, made his Pride debut with 14 points, five rebounds and a game-high nine assists. He also committed zero turnovers. Graduate student Dion Nesmith added 11 points and five rebounds and posted three steals and three assists. Freshman Andre Walker came off the bench and recorded 11 rebounds and six blocked shots to go with four points in just 21 minutes of action.

Jacksonville was led by junior Kori Babineaux with 13 points. The Dolphins shot just 33 percent (21-63) from the field including 29 percent (10-34) in the second half.

The Pride, under the second-year head coach Joe Mihalich, opened the season running and gunning on the Dolphins and jumped out to a 16-5 lead just 3:40 into the contest. Bernardi hit two early three-pointers, Green hit another and Tanksley had an old-fashioned three-point play to lead the Hofstra run.

The Dolphins would be able to close to within seven at 20-13 at the 12:14 mark after two free throws by BJ Edwards. But the Pride would increase the lead with a 14-3 spurt over the next 3:14 behind two more threes from Bernardi and six points from Malik Nichols to open up a 34-16 lead.

Jacksonville could only close to within 14 at 34-20 at the 7:53 mark after a Josh Adeyeye three-pointer. Hofstra then went on a 9-2 spurt with Walker's dunk at the 4:12 mark giving the Pride a 43-22 lead. The two teams split the final 20 points with Bernardi burying his fifth three-pointer of the half and Tanksley adding his first as Hofstra took a commanding 53-32 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Hofstra shot 56 percent (20-36) from the field including eight-for-18 from the arc. Bernardi was six of eight from the field and five of seven from the three-point line for 17 first half points. Tanksley added 12 points. The Pride showed great ball movement as 15 first half assists, including seven by Green, proved. The 53 first half points are the most by a Hofstra team since January 27, 2010 when the Pride tallied 54 first half points in a 93-54 victory over UNCW.

It didn't get any better for the Dolphins in the second half as Jacksonville came out and hit just five of their first 19 shots. Meanwhile, Hofstra hit on 11 of their first 19 shots to open up an 81-44 advantage after Bernardi's sixth three-pointer at the 7:46 mark. The Pride opened up their biggest lead of the contest at 88-48 with 5:05 to play after a Green three-point play.

Hofstra, which took most of their starters out earlier in the half, went on to tally the most points in a non-overtime contest since a 102-62 victory over Farmingdale State to start the 2010-11 season. The Pride hit on 55 percent (37-67) of the field goal attempts, including nine of 25 from the three-point line. Hofstra outrebounded the Dolphins, 44-34 and committed just eight turnovers, with no one having more than one.

The Pride will head out on the road for the first time this season to meet the Wolfpack of North Carolina State on Monday, November 17 at 7 p.m. The game will be aired on ESPN3.