Hempstead, NY - Hofstra rallied in the second half, erasing a 12-point halftime deficit, but came up short in a 60-55 loss to William & Mary Friday night in the Colonial Athletic Association opener for both teams at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex. William & Mary closed out the game on a 10-3 run to take the 5-point win. Hofstra had battled back to take a 52-50 lead with 3:22 to play.

Hofstra saw its three-game win streak come to an end and fell to 6-7 on the year and 0-1 in league action. William & Mary moved to 8-4 on the season and 1-0 in the CAA with its third consecutive victory.

Boogie Brozoski and Marianne Kalin led Hofstra in scoring with 17 points each. Sica Cuzic had eight points, five rebounds and a team-high five assists.  

Hofstra started strong with Cuzic scoring back-to-back baskets for a 4-0 lead before the Tribe answered with five consecutive points for a 5-4 advantage. Brozoski and Kalin put the Pride back up, 8-5, with consecutive buckets. But William & Mary would use a 9-4 run to take a 14-12 lead over the Pride with 4:24 to play in the opening stanza following a three-pointer from Harper Birdsong. The Tribe's lead would grow to eight, 21-13, with 52 seconds to play before Brozoski's 16-foot jumper with 31 seconds on the clock cut the Hofstra deficit to six, 21-15, after 10 minutes of action.

William & Mary held the Pride scoreless for the first 2:39 of the second quarter as the Tribe built a 26-15 lead. Kalin snapped the scoreless drought for the Pride and E'Lexus Davis followed with a three-pointer to make it a 26-20 game with 5:53 on the clock. The Tribe scored the next five points and took a 31-20 lead with 3:48 to play on a Birdsong three-pointer. The Pride cut the deficit to nine on two occasions, but William & Mary hit three-pointers on consecutive possessions to extend the lead to 15, 39-24, with 1:15 to
play. Hofstra scored the last three points of the half to trail 39-27 at the half.

Hofstra outscored the Tribe, 18-8, in the third quarter to get within two, 47-45, after 30 minutes of action. Brozoski had nine points in the period, including a three-pointer at the buzzer, while Kalin had eight points. The Tribe committed six turnovers in the third quarter with Hofstra scoring nine points off the miscues.

Brozoski continued her scoring into the fourth quarter, as her driving layup tied the score at 47. It was the first tie since 4-4 early in the first quarter. The senior guard put the Pride on top, 49-47, with another basket with 7:50 to play off a feed from Cuzic. It was Hofstra's first lead since the first quarter as well. Hofstra led by one, 51-50, midway through the quarter but both teams endured scoreless droughts down the stretch. Hofstra was scoreless for 2:54 before Jaylen Hines' free throw gave the Pride a 52-50 lead with 3:22 to play. The William & Mary drought lasted 3:22 before Eva Hodgson tied the game with a layup with 2:30 remaining. The Tribe regained the lead, 54-52, on two free throws from Birdsong with 1:38 to play. William & Mary upped the lead to three, 55-52, with 43 seconds to go after Nyla Pollard hit one of two free throws. The Pride could not come up with a basket as they went scoreless for more than three minutes until Ana Hernandez Gil's three-pointer with three seconds remaining.

William & Mary's Bianca Boggs led all scorers with 22 points and Hodgson finished with 18. Boggs also had a game-high 10 rebounds.

Davis added eight points and a team-best eight rebounds for the Pride while Kalin added three blocked shots.  

Hofstra returns to action Sunday when it hosts Elon at 1 p.m. Tickets are available by visiting HofstraTickets.com or by visiting the Mack Sports Complex Box Office one hour prior to game time.

Notes:
-Hofstra leads the all-time series with William & Mary, 30-12-1, but has lost two straight against the Tribe.
-Hofstra is 6-12 all-time in CAA openers.
-Brozoski has scored in double figures in all 13 games this season
-Kalin's 17 points were a season-high