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Hofstra University Athletics

THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
Matteo Bracco
Preston Edmead
70
Hofstra Hof 24-11,12-6 CAA
90
Winner Alabama UA 24-9,13-5 SEC
Hofstra Hof
24-11,12-6 CAA
70
Final
90
Alabama UA
24-9,13-5 SEC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Hofstra Hof 35 35 70
Alabama UA 37 53 90

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Len Skoros

Late Second Half Run Lifts Alabama Over Hofstra In NCAA First Round

Tampa, FL - Fourth-seeded Alabama pulled away from 13th-seeded Hofstra late in the second half on the way to post a 90-70 victory in the First Round of the NCAA Championship Friday at Benchmark International Arena. Hofstra led for a majority of the first half until a late run gave Alabama a two-point edge at the break and was down by five with just under five minutes to play in the second when the Crimson Tide went on a 19-4 game-closing run to secure the win. Preston led the Pride with 24 points. Preston Edmead had a team-high 24 points to lead the way for the Pride. 

Hofstra, which was making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2001 and fifth overall at the Division I level, finishes the season with a 24-11 record. Alabama advances to the second round against Texas Tech with a 24-9 mark.

Alabama started the game on an 8-2 run over the first 2:57. Following a Hofstra timeout, the Pride came out and scored the next five points to make it an 8-7 game. With the Crimson Tide holding a 16-12 lead, the Pride went on a 9-0 run to take their first lead. Cruz Davis and Biggie Patterson had back-to-back three-pointers and Davis added a layup with 11:19 to play for a 20-16 advantage. Patterson closed the spurt with a free throw with 11:06 on the clock to make it a 21-16 lead. The run would extend to 16-2 and the lead would grow to 10, 28-18, with 9:20 on the clock after a three from Joshua Aaron Reaves.

Alabama would close the first half with a 19-7 run to take a two-point lead, 37-35, into the half. The Crimson Tide scored the final four points of the half including a driving layup from Labaron Philon with three seconds left that snapped a 35-all tie.

The second half began with a 7-0 run by Alabama as the Crimson Tide led 44-35 two minutes into the stanza. The lead would grow to 10 with 16:21 to go on a London Jemison dunk. With Alabama leading by 11, Edmead cut the lead to nine with a layup in traffic with 13:53 remaining. After the Crimson Tide built a 13-point lead, Edmead hit back-to-back three's and German Plotnikov had a fast break dunk to make it a five-point game, 64-59, with 8:54 to play. 

The teams went back-and-forth, but the Pride could not get closer than five. Alabama then pulled away in the final 4:40 with the 19-4 run. 

Davis had 14 points and six assists for the Pride, while Plotnikov had 12 points on 5-8 shooting. Patterson was also in double-figures with 11 points and added six rebounds. Victory Onuetu had nine rebounds.

Philon had 29 points to lead all scorers, and added eight rebounds and seven assists. Aiden Sherrill added 15 points and 15 rebounds, including nine offensive boards. Taylor Bowen also had 15 points. 

Notes:
-Edmead's 24 points were the most by a Hofstra player in an NCAA Tournament game since Rich Laurel's 35 against Notre Dame in 1977.
-He is one of five freshmen in CAA history to score 20+ points in an NCAA Tournament game and the first since Andre Nation (JMU) in 2013 (24 vs. Indiana).
-Edmead had a season-best six three-pointers. 
-Silas Sunday played in his 100th Hofstra game.
-This was the first meeting between Hofstra and Alabama.
-Alabama had 38 points in the paint to Hofstra's 22.
-Davis moved into 32nd place on the Hofstra scoring list with 1,164 points.

 
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