Hempstead, NY – Led by 13 point outings by graduate student Rosi Nicholson and junior Ally Knights, the Hofstra women's basketball team scored a 69-60 home win over North Carolina Central on Friday afternoon from inside the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex.

Along with Nicholson and Knights, senior Sorelle Ineza scored 11 points in the Pride's first win of the season. Knights added five assists and five rebounds, while graduate student Brandy Thomas pulled down 10 rebounds and recorded four steals. In addition to her 13 points, Nicholson pulled down seven rebounds for the Pride.

The lead changed four times in the opening stages of the first quarter before a Nicholson trey at 3:54 gave the Pride a lead they would never relinquish. Hofstra closed out the quarter with a free throw from junior Janaia Fargo, a pair of free throws by freshman Emma Von Essen, and a late layup by sophomore Zaniyyah Ross-Barnes put Hofstra up by five at the end of the quarter.

The Pride upped its lead to 11 inside the first three minutes of the second quarter, but the Eagles (1-4) scored seven unanswered points to cut the Hofstra lead to four with 5:46 to go before halftime. Hofstra and North Carolina Central traded points throughout the remainder of the quarter, with Hofstra pulling ahead by eight twice down the stretch. A North Carolina Central three-pointer with two seconds to go put the score at 31-26 in favor of the hosts at the halftime buzzer.

The Eagles cut Hofstra's lead to two with the first three points of the third quarter, but Hofstra rattled off a 12-0 run lasting nearly five minutes, with 11 of the points coming off of Eagle turnovers, to jump out to a 14-point lead before the visitors ended the scoring drought with a pair of free throws. Hofstra's hot scoring continued with a Knights three and a Nicholson layup, giving Hofstra its largest lead of the game at 17 points inside the final two minutes of the quarter. North Carolina Central cut Hofstra's lead to 12 on seven of eight points – all free throws – but Von Essen drilled a three-pointer as the clock expired to give the Pride a 52-37 lead.

The Pride's lead was reduced to nine as North Carolina Central scored six straight points to open the fourth quarter, but a three-point play by freshman Alarice Gooden sparked a 12-0 run for the Pride, ballooning Hofstra's lead to 21 with 6:28 to go after a three-pointer by Knights. The Eagles came within six points of the Pride with a 17-2 run in the final five minutes, but a Knights free throw and two Gooden baskets from the charity line sealed the nine-point Hofstra win.

Kimeira Burks posted a game-high 21 points for the Eagles, while Blessing Okoh scored 14 in the contest.

Hofstra hosts Alliance University on Wednesday, November 23, at 4 p.m. Visit HofstraTickets.com to purchase tickets online or call (516) HOF-TIXX for more information.

NOTES:
-This was the first-ever meeting on the court between Hofstra and North Carolina Central.
-Hofstra shot 34.9 percent (22-63) from the floor and limited North Carolina Central to 28.6 percent (16-55).
-Hofstra scored 34 points off of turnovers and allowed only 12 to the Eagles.
-Hofstra's bench scored 21 points, while limiting North Carolina Central's bench to just six points.