WBB: Hofstra Set To Face Defending America East-Champion Albany On Tuesday

Hempstead, N.Y. – Hofstra will face a team receiving votes in a national top-25 poll for a second consecutive game when the Pride travels to Albany for a 7 p.m. non-conference matchup on Tuesday from SEFCU Arena. Free live audio will be featured via Pride Productions while Albany will offer live video.

Hofstra (3-3) is coming off back-to-back overtime games in the team's Thanksgiving Tournament. The Pride's stingy defense held both Northern Iowa and Western Kentucky to less than 34 percent shooting from the field as the team split the back-to-back set. Freshman guard Ashunae Durant logged her first career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds in a win over NIU and junior Asia Jackson set a season-high with 16 points off the bench in a close 70-65 defeat to WKU.

Albany (3-1) is one of five defending conference champions on Hofstra's schedule. The Pride already faced reigning Atlantic 10-champion Fordham on the road as well, as well as Sun Belt-champion WKU. Albany marks the second of three straight defending conference winners on the docket, with NEC-winner Robert Morris up next. James Madison, the CAA winners and preseason favorites, will play Hofstra twice in league action.

Junior guard Darius Faulk has only played three games for the Pride, but the West Virginia transfer has already given Hofstra's backcourt a different look and will try and counter Albany's high-scoring starting set. Faulk set a career high with 15 points along with six rebounds, five assists and two steals in 33 minutes against a WKU team that was receiving votes in the latest AP and USA Today coaches polls. Faulk shot 7-of-9 and logged all of boards on the defensive end.

Faulk and sophomore Krystal Luciano have split the ball-handling responsibilities. Luciano racked up a Hofstra season-high seven assists against WKU played 31 minutes. That allowed Durant more freedom to play on the wings and become a factor in the blocks as well, as the freshman grabbed six offensive rebounds and 10 boards total against the Lady Toppers. In the winning effort versus Northern Iowa, Durant and sophomore Elo Edeferioka became the first Hofstra teammates to finish with double-doubles in the same game. Edeferioka, a forward, scored 14 points to go with 11 rebounds for her third double-double of the season.

Hofstra has held three teams to less than 60 points through the season's first six games. The Pride will have another challenge against the Great Danes. After falling to West Virginia in the NCAA Tournament first round last season, Albany is off to a 3-1 start that included a 64-59 road win at Canisius. Albany was receiving votes in the latest USA Today coaches poll released on Nov. 24 and started the season also receiving votes in the Associates Press top-25 before falling out.

The Great Danes are led by junior forward Shereesha Richards (18.8 PPG) and sophomore guard and Bronx product Imani Tate (15.8 PPG and 9.5 RPG).

Hofstra is 4-0 in the all-time series against Albany, including a 60-56 home win over the Great Danes last season in which Kelly Loftus scored a then-career high 14 points.

Albany went on to win the America East Conference, though the Pride was victorious in the last meeting on New Year's Day. The series dates to the 2000-01 season when Hofstra won in the Christmas City Classic at Lehigh. The only time the schools have played at Albany came in 2010-11 when Hofstra posted a 90-60 win.

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Players Mentioned

#2 Ashunae Durant: G; 5' 10"; Freshman

#1 Asia Jackson: G; 5' 5"; Junior

#11 Krystal Luciano: G; 5' 5"; Sophomore

#0 Kelly Loftus: G; 5' 10"; Sophomore

#10 Elo Edeferioka: F; 6' 3"; Sophomore

#12 Darius Faulk: G; 5' 8"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#2 Ashunae Durant
: 5' 10"; Freshman
: G

#1 Asia Jackson
: 5' 5"; Junior
: G

#11 Krystal Luciano
: 5' 5"; Sophomore
: G

#0 Kelly Loftus
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: G

#10 Elo Edeferioka
: 6' 3"; Sophomore
: F

#12 Darius Faulk
: 5' 8"; Junior
: G