Hempstead, NY – Ameen Tanksley tallied a career-high 30 points and Juan'ya Green added 18 to lead four Pride players in double-figures as the Hofstra Men's Basketball team defeated the Spartans of Norfolk State, 88-74, in a non-conference game at the Mack Sports Complex Tuesday night.

Hofstra, which won its second consecutive game and the fourth time in the last five outings, improves to 5-2 on the season. The Pride is off to their best start since opening the 2008-09 season with a 6-1 mark. Norfolk State, which saw their two-game winning streak come to an end, falls to 4-4 on the year.

Tanksley is now shooting a spectacular 20-25 (80%) from three-point range over Hofstra's last four games. 

Tanksley, a junior forward, was a perfect nine-for-nine from the field including five-for-five from the three-point line. He also made seven of nine at the charity stripe to post his career-high, topping his previous best of 29 set while at Niagara against Rider on February 7, 2013. It was the second time this year that he was five-for-five from long distance after doing the same against Wagner.

Green, a junior guard, added a game-high eight assists and four steals to go with his 18 points. Sophomore Brian Bernardi posted 17 points and was four-for-nine from three-point land. Graduate-student Dion Nesmith added 10 points, including the 1000th point of his career in the first half. The Pride shot 52% (24-46) from the field in the contest and were 14-for-25 from the three-point line. The 14 three-pointers were one shy of tying the school record.

Norfolk State, which had three players in double-figures, was led by junior RaShid Gaston with 28 points and a game-high 10 boards. Junior Jeff Short added 16 points and four assists and senior Malik Thomas notched 13 points. The Spartans shot 46% (29-63) from the field.

After trailing by three at halftime, the Spartans closed to within one right out of the locker room before the Pride opened up six-point leads three times, the latest at 52-46 on a Tanksley lay-up. Norfolk State's D'Shon Taylor cut the deficit in half with a three-pointer at the 15:22 mark. The Pride responded with seven unanswered points to open up a 59-49 on two free throws by Tanksley just 1:39 later.

The Spartans, sparked by five points each by Gray, Short and Gaston, went on a 15-7 run over the next 3:47 to close to within two at 66-64 on Gray's three-pointer with 8:16 to play. While Norfolk State went cold, hitting just two of nine field goals, Hofstra found their long distance range and went on a 14-3 run on two threes from Bernardi and one from Jamall Robinson and Green, over the next 4:17 to open up an 80-67 advantage on Robinson's "trey" with 3:42  to play. Norfolk State never got closer than 10 in the final minutes as the Pride recorded their fourth win at home in as many attempts this season.

In the first half, Hofstra came out shooting and hitting, making five of their first seven field goal attempts, including three three-pointers, to take a 14-5 lead after a Tanksley three-pointer – his second of the game – at the 16:12 mark. The Pride junior, who had 10 points in the spurt, entered the contest having made 15 of 20 three-point attempts over his last four games.

But the Spartans came charging back and went on a 12-2 run, behind five points from Thomas, over the next 4:18 to take a 17-16 lead on a Gaston lay-up at the 11:36 mark. After Tanksley tied the game at 17 just 11 seconds later, Norfolk State tallied the next seven points to build their biggest lead of the half at 24-17 with 9:21 to play in the half.

Hofstra then went on a 19-4 run, with Nesmith scoring six, including his 1000th career point on a three-pointer at the 8:28 mark, and Bernardi adding five, to take a 36-28 lead with 4:09 to play in the first period. The Spartans clawed back once again and closed to within three twice in the final two minutes, the last time at 43-40 on a three-pointer by Thomas with 34 seconds left, which is how the half ended.  Both teams shot well with Hofstra hitting on 54% (14-26) and Norfolk State making 16 of 32 for a 50% clip.

Tanksley tallied 17 points and was 6-for-6 including 4-for-4 from the three-point arc in the first half. Bernardi added nine for Hofstra which was 8-for-15 from long distance range in the half. Gaston had 14 and Thomas added 11 for the Spartans.

Hofstra returns to action on Sunday, December 6 when they travel to Boone, North Carolina to face Appalachian State at 2 p.m.