Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Hofstra University Athletics

THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
Krystal Luciano
Krystal Luciano
67
Winner Hofstra HOFSTRA 4-0
53
Fairfield FFD 3-1
Winner
Hofstra HOFSTRA
4-0
67
Final
53
Fairfield FFD
3-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Hofstra HOFSTRA 8 15 20 24 67
Fairfield FFD 6 9 20 18 53

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | By Brian Bohl

WBB: Hofstra Posts Best Season Start In 18 Years With Win At Fairfield

Fairfield, Conn. – Junior guard Krystal Luciano set a career high with 20 points and senior guard Darius Faulk scored all but two of her nine total points in the fourth quarter to keep Hofstra undefeated in a 67-53 non-conference road victory over Fairfield Tuesday night from Alumni Hall.

Junior guard Kelly Loftus added 15 points to help Hofstra improve to 4-0 for the first time since 1997-98. The last team in program history to start 5-0 was the 1985-86 squad coached by Harvey Pyser. Hofstra Head Coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey earned career win No. 157 to move with five of tying Pyser's all-time school record of 162.

Fairfield entered 3-0 but failed to become just the third team in program history to win the first four games by losing for the first time. The Stags had been 2-0 at home before the Pride won its second straight road game. Three Fairfield players – Kelsey Carey (17 points), Casey Smith ( 16 points) and Samantha Cooper (11 points) – scored in double figures.

Junior forward Anjie White contributed eight points and nine rebounds for a near double-double and senior guard Asia Jackson registered 11 points off the bench.

Luciano broke her previous high for points that was 17 set against Concordia (N.Y.) on Dec. 2, 2013. The output against the Stags marked her highest against a Division I opponent.  Luciano joined Loftus as the only two Hofstra players with 20-point games this season. Luciano also set a career high with five three-pointers and also had four steals.

Fairfield cut Hofstra's lead to 44-40 in the fourth quarter before Faulk scored seven consecutive points in 51 seconds to put the Pride ahead, 51-40, and stymie the Stags' comeback bid.
Jackson drilled a right-corner three-pointer and later hit a head-on three-pointer to put the Pride ahead, 59-47, to provide a late cushion.

Hofstra made four consecutive field goals to take a 38-27 lead in the third quarter, capped by Luciano's three-pointer near the Hofstra bench and a layup the next trip down the court. The Pride ended the quarter hitting 6 of their 7 last field goal attempts to take a 43-35 edge into the fourth quarter.

Luciano needed less than the opening half to score in double figures second straight game, following a 13-point effort at American last week by scoring 11 first-half points. That total matched Loftus in the opening half to lift Hofstra to a 23-15 edge at the break.

Hofstra has led at halftime in all four games this season. The Pride held the Stags to just 6-for-23 shooting from the floor in the opening half.

A strong defensive effort at the outset limited Fairfield to just 2-for-12 shooting from the floor in a low-scoring opening quarter that saw Luciano score five points to push Hofstra to an 8-6 lead.

Hofstra played a game in Alumni Hall for the first time since 1982. The Pride used the same starting lineup for the fourth straight game to start the new campaign with Faulk, Luciano and Loftus at guard and sophomore Ashunae Durant and White at the forward spots. Durant tallied six rebounds.

Hofstra will next be in action against No. 7 Oregon State on Friday at 12:15 p.m. Eastern time to start the San Juan Shootout at the Mario Morales Coliseum. 
 
Print Friendly Version