WBB: Hofstra Begins CAA Championship With Friday Quarterfinal Matchup Versus Tribe

Hempstead, N.Y. – Bolstered by the team's highest seed in 11 years, the Hofstra Women's Basketball program will begin the Colonial Athletic Association Championship on Friday with a 7:30 p.m. matchup against William & Mary in the quarterfinals at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

The third-seeded Pride closed the regular season 18-11 overall and 11-7 in CAA play. Hofstra will oppose the sixth-seeded Tribe in a game that is to be televised by the American Sports Network. Free live audio will also be available via Pride Productions and locally on WGCH (1490 AM) with a 7 p.m. pregame show.

Hofstra earned its highest seed in the conference tournament since the 2003-04 squad captured third place. Hofstra had twice finished as high as fourth under Head Coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey, including 2007 and 2012. The third seed is the highest under Kilburn-Steveskey, who has helmed Hofstra since the 2006-07 campaign.

Despite losing two games entering the tournament, Hofstra has still won five of the last seven. William & Mary (15-14, 9-9) enters the tournament having won three in a row and four of the last five. The Tribe has an aggressive defense that leads the CAA at 11.6 steals per game. Two players rank among the league's top-15 in scoring, paced by Marlena Tremba's 12.7 points per game and Jazmen Boone's 12 points. Anjie White posted a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds in Hofstra's last game against the Tribe, which came in a win at home.

Since joining the league for the 2001-02 season, Hofstra has advanced to the semifinals three times and has never made the championship game. In all three semifinal appearances, the Pride has fallen to the top seed. Hofstra lost to ODU in both 2006 and 2007 and also lost to top-rated Delaware in 2013. Hofstra is 7-13 all-time in the CAA Championship and has never won more than one game in any single tournament.

Led by freshman forward Ashunae Durant's team-leading seven double-doubles, Hofstra has also played tight defense in holding teams to a 36.9 percent field goal percentage that is the second-best in the league behind top seed and regular season champion James Madison.

Durant earned six CAA Rookie of the Week awards this season and is second on Hofstra with 11.7 points per game and sixth in the CAA with 7.6 boards per contest. Durant has led the team or tied for the team lead in scoring on nine occasions. Sophomore forward Elo Edeferioka leads Hofstra and is third in the league at 8.5 rebounds per game.

Sophomore guard Kelly Loftus posted a breakout regular season in which she led Hofstra in scoring average at 12.5 points. She posted four 20-point games, including a career-high 30 against a JMU squad receiving votes in the national poll. Overall, Loftus scored 15-or-more points in eight total games.

In her first season with the Pride, junior guard Darius Faulk has become a focal point on both ends of the floor. The point guard is eighth in the CAA in field goal percentage at 48.8 percent and second in assists-per-game with 5.3, making her one of just two players in the league to register more than five helpers (JMU's Angela Mickens' 7.6 average is best the conference). On defense, Faulk, a transfer from West Virginia, notched 2.1 steals and was fourth in the CAA in assist-to-turnover ratio.

First round action will begin on Thursday at noon as No. 8 seed Towson takes on No. 9 seed College of Charleston. The second game of the day will feature No. 7 seed Delaware versus No. 10 Northeastern. JMU, the defending champions, earned the top seed with a 17-1 league record and a 26-3 overall record. The Dukes will play the winner of the Towson/Charleston game in the first quarterfinal game on March 13 at 12 p.m.

Friday's quarterfinals continue at 2:30 p.m. as fourth-seeded Elon University (18-11; 11-7 CAA) squares off with fifth-seeded UNCW (14-15; 10-8 CAA). Drexel University (20-9; 14-4 CAA) secured the No. 2 seed and will face the winner of the Delaware/Northeastern game at 5 p.m. All four quarterfinal games will be televised by ASN.

The semifinals will take place on March 14 at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. with the two winners facing off for the conference title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 15. All three contests will be televised by the Comcast SportsNet family of networks as well as several other regional outlets.

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Players Mentioned

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

#20 Anjie White: F; 6' 2"; Redshirt 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

#20 Anjie White
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Sophomore
: F

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

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

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