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Hofstra University Athletics

THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
Krystal Luciano
Krystal Luciano
36
Buffalo BUF 6-1
79
Winner Hofstra HOFSTRA 6-1
Buffalo BUF
6-1
36
Final
79
Hofstra HOFSTRA
6-1
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Buffalo BUF 9 8 11 8 36
Hofstra HOFSTRA 19 13 22 25 79

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

WBB: Luciano And Durant Lead Hofstra’s Rout Over Buffalo

Hempstead, N.Y. – Junior guard Krystal Luciano tied her career-high with 20 points and sophomore Ashunae Durant added 15 points and 12 rebounds for her fourth double-double this season to lead four Pride players in double figures as Hofstra defeated Buffalo, 79-36 in a non-conference game at the Mack Sports Complex Thursday night.
 
The Pride improved to 6-1 in holding the Bulls to just 36 points, marking the program's best defensive effort since a 72-29 victory at Boston University during the 1999-2000 season. Buffalo entered as winners of the first six games and was holding teams to just 58.5 points-per-game before junior guard Kelly Loftus notched 14 points and senior guard Asia Jackson contributed 11 points and five rebounds off the bench for the Pride to drop the Bulls to 6-1.

Hofstra improved to 6-1 to start a season for the first time since 2011-12. The Pride ended the game on a 23-0 run and held the Bulls scoreless in the final 8:23. Hofstra held Buffalo to just 1-for-19 three-point shooting.

Luciano was 7-for-12 from the field, including 4-for-6 from the three-point line, and 2-for-4 from the charity stripe for her 20 points. She entered the season without a 20-point game to her credit and now has two 20-point efforts in the last four contests. Durant recorded her fourth double-double of the season and the 11th of her career by shooting 6-for-10 from the field and added four assists.

The Pride outrebounded the Bulls, 59-42, cracking the 50-rebound mark for the second time this season (including a season-opening win over Navy).

Buffalo was led by junior Joanna Smith with nine points while classmate Karin Moss and freshman Brittany Morrison each added eight points. The Bulls shot 23.4 percent (15-for-64) from the field.

The Pride came out of the gate fast, jumping to an 8-0 lead behind a three-pointer and a three-point play by Luciano and a jumper by Durant just 1:09 into the contest. The Bulls cut the lead in half on lay-up by Ups and Scheper. But Hofstra promptly went on a 10-2 run, behind five from Loftus and three from Luciano to build an 18-6 lead with 4:56 to play in the first quarter after a Loftus three-pointer. Smith hit a three-pointer three minutes later for UB and Durant hit a free throw for the Pride as Hofstra held on to a 19-9 lead after the first quarter.

Luciano opened the second period with a three-pointer just 12 seconds in to boost the Pride lead to 13 at 22-9. But the Bulls answered with three consecutive layups including two by Morrison to close to 22-15 after a Suchan lay-up at the 7:39 mark. After Loftus hit a three-pointer 20 seconds later, Moss hit a jumper for the Bulls that pushed the score to 25-17 just inside seven minutes remaining. It would be UB's last basket of the half as the Bulls would miss their last 11 shots of the quarter. Hofstra, which ended the half hitting just two of their last 12 shots, would close out the second quarter on a 7-0 run to open up their biggest lead of the contest at 32-17 at the break.

The first three minutes of the third quarter were played fairly even with Buffalo only able to cut the Pride deficit by just one point on Ups' free throw with 6:40 to play in the period. With the Pride holding a 38-24 lead with 6:40 to play in the period, Loftus's three-pointer at the 6:01 mark started a 16-4 Hofstra run that gave them a 54-28 advantage after three quarters. Luciano had five in the spurt with Jackson, King-Gilchrist and Askin adding three-pointers in the run. UB didn't help their cause by hitting just 2-of-the-last-12 shots in the period.

After Moss scored six of UB's first eight points to open the final period as part of an 8-2 run, as the Bulls closed to 56-36 with 8:23 to play on Reid's lay-up. It would be the last basket of the night for the Bulls. Durant hit four consecutive baskets down low as part of the Pride's 23-0 run to close out the contest. UB was 0-14 from the field during the Hofstra run as the Pride secured the win.
 
Hofstra returns to action on Saturday when the Pride entertains Saint Joseph's University at the Mack Sports Complex. Game time is 2 p.m.
 
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