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Hofstra University Athletics

THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
MBB Press Conference
The Hofstra Men's Basketball Team during Saturday's postgame press conference
63
Charleston COFC 16-13 (8-10 CAA)
72
Winner Hofstra HOFSTRA 22-8 (14-4 CAA)
Charleston COFC
16-13 (8-10 CAA)
63
Final
72
Hofstra HOFSTRA
22-8 (14-4 CAA)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Charleston COFC 26 37 63
Hofstra HOFSTRA 32 40 72

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

MBB: Hofstra Clinches CAA Regular Season Title With 72-63 Win

Hempstead, NY - Senior Juan'ya Green, playing his final game at home, scored 17 points to lead five Hofstra starters in double-figures as the Pride won the Colonial Athletic Association regular season championship with a 72-63 victory over Charleston Saturday afternoon at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex.

The regular season title is the first for Hofstra since joining the CAA in 2001-02. It is also their first since winning back-to-back America East regular season championships in 2000 and 2001.

Hofstra improved to 22-8 on the season and finished 14-4 in the CAA. UNCW also finished 14-4 in league play, but the Pride held the tiebreaker over the Seahawks and will be the number one seed in the CAA Championship. Charleston fell to 16-13 overall and 8-10 in the CAA. 

Joining Green in double-figures were classmates Ameen Tanksley and Denton Koon, who each had 10 points, while junior Brian Bernardi and sophomore Rokas Gustys each poured in 13 points. Gustys recorded his 19th double-double of the season with a game-high 14 rebounds. Green also had a double-double with 10 assists. Tanksley and Koon were also playing their final regular season home game and the three, along with the injured Malik Nichols, were honored in a pregame ceremony.   

Hofstra jumped out to a 5-0 lead behind baskets from Tanksley and a Bernardi (three-pointer). Trailing 12-6, the Cougars went on a 7-0 run to take a 13-12 advantage with 10:58 on the clock on a three-pointer from Evan Bailey. A jumper from Marquise Pointer pushed the Charleston lead to 15-12 with 10:26 to go. But a jumper from Green and a free throw from Gustys tied the score at 15 with 9:35 to go. With the score tied at 19, Hofstra went on a 7-0 run to take a 26-19 lead with 2:51 to play. Gustys had three points in the run, while Green and Tanksley each had two. The Cougars would get within four points on two occasions, but a Gustys tip at the buzzer gave the Pride a 32-26 lead at halftime.

The Pride never trailed in the second half as and led by as many as 14 on four occasions. Charleston did get within six, 34-28, early in the second half on a Payton Hulsey layup, but the Pride scored five straight points to go back up by 11 and the Cougars never got closer than seven the rest of the way, 68-61, with 2:48 to go.

Pointer led all scorers with 19 points, while Cameron Johnson scored 18. Hulsey finished with 12 points for the Cougars and tied Jarrell Brantley for team-high honors with nine rebounds.

Hofstra freshman Desure Buie provided a spark off the bench for the Pride as he scored eight points (all in the second half) on 4-5 shooting and added two steals. 

Hofstra will be back in action Saturday afternoon at 12 p.m. in the quarterfinals of the CAA Championship in Baltimore, Maryland. The top-seeded Pride will face the winner of the #8 Elon-#9 Drexel first round game.

Notes:
-Hofstra was the first CAA team to score more than 70 points against Charleston since William & Mary had 78 on January 2
-Hofstra 22 wins are the most since the 2006-07 team won 22
-Hofstra shot 58 percent in the second half
-Juan'ya Green played 35 minutes, the first time in six games that he has not played the entire contest
-Brian Bernardi was 3-3 from three-point range
-The game served as Military Appreciation Day for the Pride
 
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