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Hofstra University Athletics

THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
Kelly Loftus
Junior Kelly Loftus
49
Elon ELON 12-8, 5-4 CAA
59
Winner Hofstra HOFSTRA 16-4, 7-2 CAA
Elon ELON
12-8, 5-4 CAA
49
Final
59
Hofstra HOFSTRA
16-4, 7-2 CAA
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Elon ELON 11 9 12 17 49
Hofstra HOFSTRA 14 16 15 14 59

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | By Jim Sheehan

WBB: Loftus and White Lead Hofstra Past Elon In A CAA Matchup

Hempstead, NY –  Junior guard Kelly Loftus scored a game-high 18 points and classmate Anjie White recorded her second double-double of the season to lead three Pride players in double figures as Hofstra defeated Elon, 59-49, in a Colonial Athletic Association contest at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex Sunday afternoon.

The Pride improved to a program-best 16-4 overall and 7-2 in the CAA with their ninth win in the last 11 outings. Elon is now 12-8 overall and 5-4 in the CAA as the Phoenix had their three-game winning streak snapped. Hofstra started a home slate 9-0 for the first time in program history. 

Loftus, who led the Pride in scoring for the eighth time this season, knocked down a trio of three-pointers in the contest. White tallied 11 points and 12 rebounds to record her sixth career double-double. Senior Darius Faulk added 10 points, five assists and three steals for Hofstra. Sophomore forward Ashunae Durant tallied eight points and grabbed 13 boards in the winning effort.

Elon was led by sophomore Malaya Johnson, who recorded her second double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds. She also led the Phoenix defense by posting five of the team's 10 blocked shots in the contest. Juniors Maddie McCallie and Jennifer Rhodes each tallied eight points while freshman Nikki McDonald added eight rebounds for Elon. The Phoenix shot 28 percent (18-64) from the field in the game.
 
Despite taking a 14-11 lead after one quarter, Hofstra came out of the chute slowly and saw the Phoenix jump out to a 7-0 lead. The Pride missed their first six shots from the field, made three turnovers and had three shots blocked before Loftus broke the ice with a three-pointer at the 5:05 mark to cut the deficit to 7-3.

With the ice broken, Hofstra added a three-pointer by junior Krystal Luciano and a three-point play by Durant to take a 9-7 lead with 3:18 to play in the first quarter. After Johnson's layup tied the game at 9-all for Elon at the 2:26 mark, Loftus' three-pointer 24 seconds later started a 5-2 run Pride run that gave Hofstra a three-point advantage after the first 10 minutes.

If Hofstra misfired in the first quarter, they came out hitting on all cylinders in the second quarter. Luciano opened with a free throw and Johnson hit a layup for Elon to bring the Phoenix within two at 15-13 with 8:52 to play in the half.

But senior Asia Jackson's three-pointer less than a minute later started a 13-1 Hofstra run that gave the Pride a 28-14 lead after a Faulk layup with 3:35 to play. Loftus and White each had four points in the run for Hofstra. Elon outscored the Pride 6-2 over the last 3:35 of the period to close to within 10 at 30-20 at halftime.

While the shooting went cold for both teams in the third quarter, Hofstra took advantage of an early run to open up their biggest lead of the contest to that point in the period. After McCallie hit a jumper for Elon 1:30 into the period, White's jumper for Hofstra started an 8-0 Pride run over the next 2:32 that gave them their biggest lead at 38-22 after two free throws by Loftus at the 5:17 mark. Faulk had four points in the spurt.

Both teams hit on just five of 18 field goal attempts in the third quarter with Elon outscoring Hofstra, 10-7 over the last 5:03 to make a slight dent in their deficit at 45-32 after three periods.

Hofstra expanded their lead early in the fourth by scoring seven of the first 10 points to boost the lead to 52-35 after a Loftus three-pointer with 7:18 to play. Elon chipped away and went on a 14-7 run to close to within 10 four times, the latest at 59-49 after a Brown three-pointer with 1:39 to play. But that would be as close as the Phoenix would get as the Pride won their sixth game in the last seven outings

Hofstra returns to action on Friday, Feb. 5 when the Pride host the Dukes of James Madison University at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex. Game time is 7 p.m.

 
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