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Hofstra University Athletics

THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
Elo Edeferioka
Elo Edeferioka
42
Delaware DELAWARE (15-17)
45
Winner Hofstra HOFSTRA (20-11)
Delaware DELAWARE
(15-17)
42
Final
45
Hofstra HOFSTRA
(20-11)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Delaware DELAWARE 16 26 42
Hofstra HOFSTRA 27 18 45

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

WBB: Hofstra Advances To First-Ever CAA Championship Game With Win Over Delaware

Upper Marlboro, Md. – Sophomore forward Elo Edeferioka posted a season-high 16 rebounds and scored 12 points and Hofstra led wire-to-wire in a 45-42 win over Delaware in the Colonial Athletic Association Championship semifinals on Saturday afternoon at Show Place Arena.

Third-seeded Hofstra advanced to the first-ever CAA title game in program history in improving to 20-11 overall. The Pride snapped an eight-game losing streak in the series by knocking off seventh-seeded Delaware (15-17). Hofstra will now face regular season champion and top seed James Madison on Sunday at 1 p.m. in the championship that will be televised locally on SNY.

Hofstra secured its first 20-win season since 2009-10 and the third under Head Coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey. Hofstra has now won 20 games four times in the Division I era (with three coming under Kilburn-Steveskey). Hofstra won at least 20 games as well as in 2006-07 and in 1982-83, which was the first year of playing in Division I for the program.

Sophomore guard Krystal Luciano notched eight points and fellow sophomore guard Kelly Loftus added seven. Hofstra held Delaware to 27.5 percent shooting from the floor (14-for-51) and led by as much as 15. Delaware's Courtni Green scored a game-high 14 points, but Hofstra established an advantage inside by holding a 28-12 advantage in points in the paint.

Edeferioka's seventh double-double of the season and first since Jan. 25 at William & Mary bolstered the Pride's power game in the post. Edeferioka shot 5-for-8, blocked four shots and posted three steals while grabbing 11 defensive rebounds. Junior guard Darius Faulk registered three assists and scored six points and five rebounds.

Hofstra won two games in the CAA Tournament for the first time since joining the league before the 2001-02 campaign. The Pride improved to 9-13 all-time in the CAA Championship. After advancing to the semifinals for the fourth time in history, Hofstra will now play in its first title game.

JMU, Hofstra's opponent, is 26-3, though one of those losses came at home to the Pride on Feb. 22. Hofstra defeated the then 23rd-ranked Dukes, 63-62, at the Convocation Center to split the regular season series.

After Hofstra took an 11-point halftime lead, the Blue Hens responded by going on a 6-0 run as the Pride missed six of their first seven shots to start the half. Delaware closed the gap within 29-24 with 15:39 left, prompting Hofstra to call timeout.

Delaware moved within 33-30, but Luciano responded by driving and flipping in an underhanded shot while getting fouled for a three-point play and a 36-30 right before the second half's midway point.

Edeferioka cemented her double-double by powering inside on the low left block for a Luciano forced the steal on the following position, passed it off and drew contact on the fast break. Her free throw put the Pride ahead, 39-32, with 8:07 remaining.

Delaware moved back within four before Edeferioka responded to make it 43-37. Delaware's Jodi Salyer's jumper again cut it to four before junior guard Asia Jackson responded with a lay-in.

Green hit a three-pointer with 2:48 left that made it 45-42. But neither team scored the rest of the way, though Joy Caracciolo missed a two-point attempt with 55 seconds left and Green's off-balance three-pointer missed badly with three seconds left to secure Hofstra's win.  

Hofstra dominated on the glass in the opening half to take a 27-16 lead at the break. The Pride limited the Blue Hens to just 5-for-25 shooting from the field (20 percent) and held a 30-12 rebounding edge. Second-chance points were 10-0 from the Pride, which benefited from Edeferioka's near double-double in 16 minutes. The Warri, Nigeria native posted 11 boards and eight points on 3-of-5 shooting as Hofstra held an 18-4 edge with points in the paint.

Delaware missed six straight shots from the field in the early going, spurring Hofstra's fast-temp offense that fueled a 7-0 run as to take a 9-2 lead. Hofstra sustained pressure and utilized an aggressive full-court press to go on a separate 10-0 run and a 23-9 advantage.

Junior forward Dee Thomas-Palmer's put-back gave Hofstra a 25-10 lead, which was the largest of the game at that point with 4:04 remaining in the half.  The 16 points allowed was just two more than the season-low for a Hofstra opponent this season. The Pride limited NJIT and Towson to 14 opening-half points.

Hofstra improved to 19-0 when leading at halftime this season.
 
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