Baltimore, MD – Graduate forward Zeke Upshaw scored a team-high 23 points and Hofstra got key efforts out of junior center Moussa Kone and senior forward Stephen Nwaukoni as the Pride advanced to the quarterfinals of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championship with a 78-70 victory over UNCW on Friday evening at the Baltimore Arena.
Hofstra will face top-seeded Delaware at noon Saturday in a game that will air in the New York area on SNY-TV.
The win improves Hofstra's record to 10-22 this season, while UNCW ends its 2013-14 campaign with a record of 9-23. The Seahawks were led in scoring by Craig Ponder, who scored a game-high 24 points on 6-15 shooting.
Nwaukoni had a double-double in the game with 10 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, while Kone finished one rebound shy of a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds. For Nwaukoni it was his team-leading fifth double-double this season.
Upshaw has now scored in double figures in 30 games this season, including in 22 straight contests.
The victory was the Pride's first win in the CAA Championship since a 72-56 victory over William & Mary during the 2011 CAA Tournament.
An entertaining first half would see Hofstra take a narrow 39-35 lead into the break as Upshaw scored 10 first half points to lead the way for the Pride. Ponder led all scorers in the opening 20 minutes with 14 points.
Hofstra, which jumped out to an early 12-5 lead into the contest with the help of a pair of Upshaw three-pointers, shot 50% (15-30) in the first half to offset nine first half turnovers by the Pride.
The Pride would lead the majority of the first half with UNCW taking its first advantage at 28-27 following three Ponder free throws with 6:29 left before intermission.
Hofstra would regain the lead with a dunk from Kone and an offensive rebound and putback from sophomore forward Darren payen with six minutes remaining and the Pride would not trail again in the opening stanza before taking the four-point lead into the locker room.
Back-to-back layups from Freddie Jackson to open the second half would knot the score at 39 just 1:28 into the second stanza.
Upshaw, who was the key all evening for the Pride, would break the tie with another three-pointer at the 18:09 mark to make it 42-39 in favor of the Pride.
The game would continue to go back and forth with Hofstra unable to create any breathing room until the Pride scored five quick points to open a 57-50 advantage with 9:04 to play following Upshaw's fourth three-pointer of the evening. That seven-point advantage would mark the largest of the game for either team to that point.
A 10-1 UNCW run would give the Seahawks their first lead of the second half as Jackson used an old-fashion three-point play with 5:17 on clock to give UNCW the 60-59 advantage.
An exciting last couple minutes would see Hofstra regain the lead at 72-70 with 1:58 remaining after freshman guard Jamall Robinson completed a three-point play to give the Pride the late advantage.
That would be all the scoring Hofstra would need as the Pride scored the game's final nine points to earn the eight-point victory.
Sophomore forward Jordan Allen finished with seven points, five rebounds and four assists for Hofstra, while graduate guard Dion Nesmith added 15 points, four rebounds and three assists and Robinson chipped in with 10 points.
Jackson added 16 points and four rebounds for UNCW, while Shane Reybold tallied six points, four rebounds and two assists.
