Hempstead, NY - Eli Pemberton had 26 points and Rokas Gustys added 22 points and 21 rebounds as Hofstra held off a late William & Mary rally to post a 90-84 Colonial Athletic Association victory Thursday night at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex.

Hofstra improved to 16-11 on the season and 9-6 in the CAA with the win. William & Mary slipped to 16-10 overall and 9-6 in league action.

Hofstra also got double-figure scoring from Justin Wright-Foreman, who chipped in 19 points and added a career-high seven assists, and Jalen Ray, who had 13 points and four steals.

The first half was the Pemberton show for the Pride as the sophomore scored 17 points to lead Hofstra to a 48-36 lead. After trading baskets in the opening minutes, Hofstra used a 14-6 run to take a 19-11 lead with 13:39 to play on a three-pointer from Ray. The Tribe would get to within three, 25-22, on a dunk from Nathan Knight. But Pemberton answered with a three and Ray added a free throw to build the lead back up to seven, 29-22, with 9:13 remaining. That keyed a 21-7 spurt that saw the Pride take a 46-29 lead with 4:33 to go Wright-Foreman's layup. The Tribe would outscore the Pride, 7-2, down the stretch to trail by 12 at the half.

William & Mary cut its deficit in half by the midway point of the second half, 64-58. The Tribe took advantage of seven made free throws in the first 10 minutes. Leading 66-60, Ray knocked down his fourth three-pointer to push the Pride's lead back up to nine. The lead grew to 12, 78-66, after two free throws from Gustys with 5:27 to play. The Tribe would score four unanswered points to get within eight, 78-70, with 4:08 to go on Connor Burchfield's layup. After two more free throws from Gustys gave the Pride a 10-point lead with 2:29 to go, William & Mary scored six straight points to make it an 80-76 game with 52 seconds on the clock. But Wright-Foreman hit a three-pointer to snap a Hofstra scoreless streak of nearly two minutes and effectively seal the Hofstra win.

The Tribe also put four players in double digits led by Justin Pierce's 24 points. The sophomore also added a team-high 14 rebounds. David Cohn added 18 points while Matt Milon and Knight each chipped in with 16.

Hofstra will be back in action Saturday when it hosts Drexel at 4 p.m. Tickets are available by calling (516) HOF-TIXX, visiting HofstraTickets.com, or in person at the Hofstra Box Office in the Mack Sports Complex before the game.

Notes:
-Hofstra leads the all-time series with William & Mary, 19-13. The teams split the season series this year.
-Hofstra led for nearly 38 minutes (37:58) of the game.
-The win was Hofstra Coach Joe Mihalich's 85th at Hofstra and the 350th of his career.
-Gustys' double-double was the 46th of his career, which is the sixth most of any player in Division I since 2014-15 season. It was his third 20-point, 20-rebound contest of his career.  
-The 21-rebounds marked the 11th time Gustys has recorded at least 20 boards.
-Wright-Foreman scored in double figures for the 49th consecutive game, the fourth longest streak in the nation.
-Hofstra partnered with Coaches Powering Forward and Autism Speaks to promote Autism awareness at the game.