Hempstead, NY – Zyheima Swint powered the Hofstra women's basketball team with 21 rebounds as the Pride earned a hard-fought 51-48 win at home over Wagner to kick off its 2023-24 home schedule. The Pride moves to 1-1 on the season, and Wagner falls to 0-2 on the year.
 
Swint's 21 rebounds smashes her previous career high of 14 set against Hampton on March 2, 2023, and they match the most recent high of 21 set by Ashaune Durant on January 20, 2017 against UNCW.
 
In addition to her 21 rebounds, Swint finished with nine points, four blocks, and five steals. Brooke Anya tallied the first double-double of her Hofstra career with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while Sorelle Ineza finished with 10 points against the Seahawks, and Selma Markisic scored 10 points off the bench.
 
With the score at 4-2 midway through the first quarter, Hofstra rattled off 10 unanswered points to lead by 12 before Wagner's Cyan Dyke ended the Pride's run with a long jumper to end the quarter with the score at 14-4 for the Pride. Markisic drilled a three pointer from the corner to continue Hofstra's hot start to the game, with the lead growing to as many as 15 points following a Swint layup and a pair of free throws from Tionna Baker, before Wagner closed the gap to 10 with a 7-1 run to end the half.
 
Wagner opened the third quarter on a 4-1 run to narrow the difference to single digits, and they eventually took the lead at the 2:53 mark with two Paige Lyons free throws to cap off eight unanswered points to put the hosts behind by one. A tough layup by Swint briefly put Hofstra back in front, but Wagner kept up its hot shooting in the frame with a 9-0 run lasting until Markisic sunk her second three of the quarter to bring Hofstra to within five of Wagner entering the fourth quarter.
 
Hofstra trailed by three at 3:22 media timeout after an Anya two-pointer and a three from Emma Von Essen, but Wagner responded with Semie Brar three to lead by six with less than three minutes remaining. Ineza took over for the Pride as she scored the final six points of the quarter, including a clutch three-pointer with 36 seconds remaining before the buzzer sounded to send the Pride to its first overtime game of the season.
 
Rakisha Ballinger put the Seahawks ahead by one with a free throw 18 seconds into overtime, but a pair of Von Essen free throws gave Hofstra its first lead since 2:23 of the third quarter, and a Swint basket made it a three-point game. Wagner answered back with an Angelie Richard bucket and two Taleah Washington free throws to pull back ahead by one, but Anya put the Pride in front for good with a contested layup at 1:40, and Ally Knights connected on a fast break layup to give Hofstra a three-point lead that they would not relinquish.
 
Lyons led Wagner with 14 points, while Kiera Edwards paced the visitors with 10 rebounds.
 
Hofstra is back in action on Wednesday, November 15, against Delaware State from the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex. Tip-off against the Hornets is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on FloHoops. For ticket information visit HofstraTickets.com, call (516) HOF-TIXX, or stop by the Hofstra Athletics Ticket Office in the lobby of the Mack Sports Complex.
 
NOTES:
-Today's win snaps a four-game Hofstra losing streak against Wagner and puts Hofstra at 10-13 all-time.
-Knights finished with eight rebounds, four points, a team-best five assists.
-Wagner outshot Hofstra, 31.0%-26.2%, but Hofstra held a massive 57-42 advantage in rebounding.
-The Pride is now 6-0 in non-conference home games dating back to last season.