Hempstead, NY - It was the
Justin Moore show at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex on Friday night as he went for 22 points and led Hofstra to a thrilling 62-59 overtime win on Banner Night over Iona. Prior to the game, Hofstra raised its 2026 NCAA Tournament Banner to the rafters of the Mack Sports Complex.
Moore's 22 points marked a season-high for the fifth-year player out of Philadelphia. He led all scorers in the contest and had seven in overtime to propel the Pride over the Gaels.
Moore got going early, hitting two quick shots out of the gate for the Pride and ending the half with a team-leading seven points. The Pride led 22-20 at halftime, holding the Gaels to 1-10 shooting from behind the arc.
Tanner Thomas added five points in the first frame, and
Joshua DeCady grabbed seven rebounds to lead all players. Hofstra trailed for less than a minute in the first half (00:51).
The Pride got right to it coming out of the half with
Trey Boyd III and Thomas adding quick threes. Thomas finished the contest with a season-high 17 points, marking his third game scoring in double-digits this season. He also added seven rebounds and two assists.
After a back-and-forth second half, several Pride players came in clutch. Thomas hit a massive three after the under-four timeout, and Moore finished a timely layup to put the Pride up one with a minute left in regulation.
Spence Wewe's blocked a dunk by Ore Odutayo to keep Iona at bay. He finished with three points and five boards to go along with three blocks. The score was tied at 51 at the end of regulation.
Nick Jefferson started the extra 5:00 strong, sinking a floater and a turnaround jump shot to cut the Iona lead to one. He finished with six points, five rebounds, and two assists. From there, Moore's hot night continued, hitting a clutch three with 1:08 remaining to bring the Pride within one.
After a key stop and rebound from Jefferson, Moore hit a fade away jumper to give Hofstra a one-point lead with 22.1 seconds remaining. On Iona's ensuing possession, a DeCady deflection led to a steal for Moore who was quickly fouled with 11 seconds left. He hit both free throws, sealing the three-point win for the Pride. Hofstra went on a 7-0 run, all from Moore, to finish the game.
Keron Vanderhorst was the leading scorer for Iona with 15 points, followed by Luke Jungers with 12 and Odutayo with 9. Keyshawn Mitchell's 11 rebounds led all players in the contest.
With the victory, the Pride improved to 2-2 on the season and the Gaels fell to 2-3. Hofstra hits the road to face Murray State for a neutral-court matchup at the Landers Center in Southaven, Mississippi at 11 a.m. (CT).
NOTES:
- Hofstra is now 24-23 all-time against Iona in a series dating back to the 1946-47 season. Tonight marks the sixth season in a row that the Pride and the Gaels have faced off, with Hofstra winning four of the last five.
- The Pride are now 75-20 in the
Speedy Claxton era when holding opponents to under 70 points and are 74-2 over the past 14 seasons when allowing fewer than 60 points in a game.
- Hofstra has won 18 of their last 25 games over teams from New York State, and over the past 12 seasons are 41-19 in inter-state matchups.
-DeCady had a career-high 10 rebounds.
-Thomas' five three-pointers were a career-high.
-Hofstra has won its last three overtime games.
