Hempstead, NY – The Hofstra women's basketball team dropped a tough 62-38 decision to New York rival St. John's from inside the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex in a midweek, non-conference clash.
 
Hofstra falls to 3-6 on the year, and St. John's moves to 9-1 with the win.
 
Emma Von Essen scored 12 points to lead the Pride in scoring, while Zyheima Swint put up eight points and eight rebounds to tie Chloe Sterling for the team lead in rebounding. Sterling, who finished with seven points against the Red Storm, dished out four assists and tallied three steals for the hosts.
 
St. John's took the lead early in the first quarter and never relinquished it, going ahead 7-1 inside the first three minutes of the contest. A three from Von Essen and a layup by Ramatoulaye Keita with 4:47 to play in the quarter, but the Red Storm converted three consecutive three-pointers to end the quarter on a 9-2 run and lead, 16-8, over the Pride.
 
The Pride cut the Red Storm lead to two twice in the second quarter, thanks to a Sabrina Larsson three and a Keita layup at 6:00, and again after a layup from Swint at 4:29, but St. John's responded with a three-pointer from Ber'Nyah Mayo at 4:01, and a layup from Kylie Lavelle at 3:04 after two free throws by Swint. The two points from Lavelle was the first of a 6-0 run to end the first half with the score at 30-21 in favor of the visitors.
 
The lead grew to double-digits for the Red Storm with five points to open the third quarter before Von Essen knocked down a three-pointer at the 8:00 mark following a St. John's giveaway. After a layup by Corbett at 5:59, the St. John's lead grew to 15 points with a free throw by Skye Owen and a driving layup from Lashae Dwyer at 4:53. Following a scoreless run of basketball lasting nearly four minutes from both sides, Jailah Donald connected on a two-pointer at 45 seconds and a pull up jumper by Sterling in response at 34 seconds put the Pride down 15 heading into the fourth quarter. St. John's would go on to outscore Hofstra 17-8 in the fourth quarter the seal the win.
 
Dwyer led all players with 18 points in the contest, and Lavelle paced the Red Storm with eight boards.
 
Hofstra heads to Pennsylvania for a showdown against Bucknell on Saturday, December 21. Tip-off from Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, is scheduled for 2 p.m.
 
NOTES:
-Swint recorded the 100th block of her career. She becomes the eighth player in Hofstra women's basketball history to record 100 career blocks.
-With three three-pointers against St. John's, Von Essen now has 158 for her career. She needs six to tie and seven to pass Krystal Luchiano (164, 2014-18) for the sixth-most threes in a career at Hofstra.
-The Pride outrebounded St. John's, 35-32, but St. John's outshot Hofstra, 46.4% to 32.6%.
-Hofstra drops to 2-16 all-time against St. John's.