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Hofstra University Athletics

THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
Ashunae Durant
Ashunae Durant scored 23 points and added 12 rebounds in Hofstra's overtime win
67
American AU 3-6
72
Winner Hofstra HOFSTRA 6-3
American AU
3-6
67
Final
72
Hofstra HOFSTRA
6-3
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 OT 1 F
American AU 13 12 17 17 8 67
Hofstra HOFSTRA 11 13 19 16 13 72

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | By Len Skoros

WBB: Hofstra Gets Past American In Overtime

Hempstead, NY - Ashunae Durant scored five of her career-high tying 23 points in overtime, including the go-ahead basket with 1:05 to play as Hofstra earned a hard-fought 72-67 victory over visiting American at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex Saturday night.

Durant finished with her sixth double-double of the season as she added a game-high 12 rebounds. The junior also added a career-best six assists. Krystal Luciano also scored in double figures for the Pride with 14 points, and added seven rebounds and six assists.

Hofstra improved to 6-3 with the win, while American dropped to 3-6 with the loss.

Neither team got untracked offensively in a low-scoring first quarter. Hofstra jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the opening two minutes and led 7-2 after a three-pointer from Luciano with 6:20 on the clock. But the Pride would go more than four minutes before their next field goal and American would close out the period on an 11-4 run to take a 13-11 lead after the opening stanza. Kaitlyn Lewis' three-pointer with 32 seconds left capped the run and gave the Eagles the two-point edge.

American continued its spurt in the second quarter, outscoring the Pride 7-1 over the first four minutes to take a 20-12 lead. A pair of free throws from Luciano made it a six point game, 20-14, with 5:52 to go. After forcing a turnover on American's next possession, Olivia Askin cut the deficit in half with a three-pointer. But the Eagles answered with a three of their own, from Elina Koskimies, to retake a six-point lead, 23-17, with 4:43 to go before the half. Another three from Askin sparked a 7-0 Hofstra run that featured back-to-back baskets from Durant to give the Pride a 24-23 lead with 1:12 to play. But the lead was short-lived as Cecily Carl hit a basket for the Eagles with 54 seconds to go that gave the visitors a 25-24 lead that they took into halftime.

Hofstra came out energized in the third quarter and scored the first six points to take a 30-25 lead. Durant had two baskets sandwiched around an Aleana Leon layup. American responded with four straight points to cut the deficit to one, but another Leon layup and two free throws from Durant pushed the lead back to five, 34-29, with 5:30 to go. The Pride took their largest lead of the game up to that point, 41-35, following a three-pointer from Sandra Karsten with 3:02 on the clock. The Eagles would not go quietly, scoring seven of the final nine points in the quarter to trail 43-42 at the end of the period.

The teams traded baskets to open the fourth before the Eagles rattled off five straight points to take a 49-45 lead with 6:19 remaining on a Lewis three-pointer as the shot clock was expiring. American extended the lead to six, 51-45, before Durant quelled the run with a pair of free throws that cut the Pride's deficit to four. Ana Hernandez Gil followed with a three-pointer to make it a 51-50 game with 4:42 to play. Hernandez Gil would follow that with two of three free throws to give Hofstra back the lead, 52-51, with 4:02 to go. American would score on its next possession before Hernandez Gil drained another three to put Hofstra up by two. Luciano then had a steal and a fast break layup to put the Pride up 57-53 with 3:19 remaining. American scored four consecutive points to tie the game at 57 with 41 second left. Durant put Hofstra up two with a pair of free throws with 18 second left, but Carl hit a layup with 1.3 seconds left to tie the game and send it to overtime tied at 59.

Neither team would take more than a three-point lead in the overtime as each squad answered the other. Hofstra had taken a 67-64 lead on Durant's three-point play with 2:00 to go but Maria Liddane answered with a three-pointer to tie the score. After Durant put the Pride ahead, 69-67, Hofstra forced a shot clock violation on American's ensuing possession and sealed the game with a pair of Luciano free throws with 10 seconds to play.  

Carl led American with 21 points and eight rebounds while Lewis chipped in with 20 points.  

Hofstra will take a short break from game action due to final examinations and will return to action on December 22 at Saint Joseph's. Game time is set for 5 p.m.

NOTES:
-The overtime game was Hofstra's first since January 9, 2015, a 53-52 win over Drexel. American has now played four overtime games this year.
-Hofstra had 17 offensive rebounds that led to 23 second chance points.
-Hofstra was 18-22 from the free throw line compared to 3-13 for American.
-Hofstra leads the all-time series with American, 3-2
 
 
 
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