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Hofstra University Athletics

THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
Elo Edeferioka
Elo Edeferioka
71
Winner Central Connecticut CCSU 1-0
66
Hofstra HOFSTRA 0-1
Winner
Central Connecticut CCSU
1-0
71
Final
66
Hofstra HOFSTRA
0-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 F
Central Connecticut CCSU 32 23 16 71
Hofstra HOFSTRA 30 25 11 66

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | By Jim Sheehan

WBB: Hofstra Falls To Central Connecticut In OT In Season Opener

Hempstead, NY -  Hofstra sophomore forward Elo Edeferioka recorded a career-high 22 points and added 13 rebounds. But Blue Devils senior Kaley Watras tallied 16 points and sophomore Aleah Epps added 13 to lead Central Connecticut State to a 71-66 overtime victory over the Pride in the season opener for both teams at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex Friday night.

Watras tallied seven of Central Connecticut's 16 overtime points and tied for game-high honors with six assists and three steals. Epps added two assists, two steals and four rebounds in the winning effort. Freshman Camden Musgrave joined Watras and Epps in double-figures with 12 points.

Freshman Ashunae Durant tallied 11 points, grabbed nine rebounds and added three steals in her collegiate debut, including eight points after halftime and four in the overtime session.

For Hofstra, Edeferioka was nine for 15 from the field and grabbed six of her 13 caroms off the offensive boards. The Warri, Nigeria native posted her fifth career double-double and bested her previous high of 14 points set versus the College of Charleston on Jan. 17, 2014. Sophomore Krystal Luciano tied a career-high nine rebounds and six assists to go with three points.
 
Both teams couldn't finish chances to win in regulation. With the score tied at 55, Luciano's driving lay-up rimmed out with 17 seconds to play for the Pride and Kayla Miller missed two free throws six seconds later for CCSU. Luciano also ended regulation with another driving lay-up that went off the rim.

In the overtime, the Blue Devils received lay-ups from Watras and Malone, but Durant hit a jumper for the Pride to close to within two. After Miller hit a free throw for the Blue Devils, Durant connected on another jumper for the Pride to close to within one a 60-59 with 3:13 to play. But Musgrave and Watras hit consecutive three-pointers to open up a 66-59 lead with 2:30 to play in the extra period.

Hofstra chipped away with freshman Aleana Leon hitting a lay-up and Edeferioka making one of two free throws to close to 66-62 with 31 seconds to play. Amanda Harrington sank one of two from the charity stripe a second later for CCSU before Edeferioka scored inside to close to within 67-64. Two missed CCSU free throws by Miller gave the Pride life as Edeferioka scored inside off an offensive rebound with 1.1 seconds remaining. Hofstra fouled Miller with one-tenth of a second on the clock as CCSU secured the win and added free throws to provide the final margin.

Luciano matched her personal-best rebounding total set vs. UC Davis on Dec. 7, 2013. Leon scored seven points in her first collegiate game. It was the first time Hofstra lost on Opening Day since 2011 at Gonzaga.

The Pride came out of the gate fast, scoring eight of the first 10 points with Edeferioka's lay-up at the 16:53 mark giving Hofstra the six-point advantage. But the Blue Devils went on a 12-4 run, with Watras starting the run with a three-pointer and ending it with a lay-up, over the next 4:24 to give the visitors a 14-12 lead with 11:32 to play in the half.

CCSU built a 32-30 halftime lead as the visitors connected on 6-of-12 three-pointers in the first half with Musgrave making 3-of-6 to lead the team with nine points. Edeferioka tallied nine for the Pride while Durant grabbed seven rebounds, including six offensive boards.

Like the first half, Hofstra came out gunning in the second period, scoring 10 of the first 14 points, behind four from Edeferioka, to open a 40-36 lead after a Dee Thomas-Palmer lay-up at the 14:39 mark. But the Blue Devils went on a 9-2 run, with Ferguson and Tejahne Malone each posting three points, over the next 2:17 to take a 45-42 lead with 11:29 to play.

Hofstra regained the lead at 47-45 on sophomore Kelly Loftus' lay-up and a three-pointer by Leon at the 10:27 mark. After CCSU's Epps hit a three-pointer to grab a 48-47 lead, Hofstra went on an 8-4 spurt with Durant's second consecutive lay-up giving the Pride a 55-52 lead with 5:12 to play. Giocelis Reynoso hit a free throw with 4:02 remaining and Malone hit a jumper with 1:52 to play to tie the game at 55.
 
Hofstra returns to action on Tuesday, Nov. 18 when the team hosts Fairfield at the Mack Sports Complex. Game time is 7 p.m.


 
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