HOFSTRA ENTERTAINS NEW HAMPSHIRE THIS AFTERNOON

12/12/2009 2:00:00 PM

Hempstead, NY - The Hofstra Men's Basketball team will look to extend its three-game winning streak when it entertains New Hampshire this afternoon (4 p.m.) at the Mack Sports Complex in a game presented by Outback Steakhouse.

The game will also be CYO Basketball Day, as there will be a free pre-game youth clinic and CYO members will be on the court for the Hofstra introductions and will participate in on-court contests throughout the day. Hofstra will also be conducting a Toy Drive with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Long Island, as fans who come to the game with an unwrapped toy will receive a voucher for $5 admission.

Hofstra enters the weekend with a 6-3 record, with its three losses coming to teams that are a combined 21-3 on the year (8-0 Kansas, 7-1 Charlotte, 6-2 UConn). New Hampshire, meanwhile, is 3-3 with three wins at home (over Suffolk, Marist and Central Connecticut) and three losses on the road (to Maryland, Pittsburgh and Harvard, which are a combined 19-7).

The Pride has found several different ways to win during its three-game streak. Hofstra won back-to-back games with 84 points, an 84-80 win over Fairfield on Nov. 30 and an 84-64 win over Towson on Dec. 5. It was the first time Hofstra had scored 84 or more in back-to-back regulation games since the 1999-2000 season, when it had 84 in a win over Towson and 86 in a win over Vermont. Junior guard Charles Jenkins (Queens, NY) had a career-high 38 points in the Fairfield win, and senior forward Miklos Szabo (Szeghalom, Hungary) had a career-best 22 points in the Towson victory.

Then on Wednesday, Hofstra used its defense to escape with a 44-39 win over Manhattan, as the two teams combined for only 83 points. It was the first time the Pride held an opponent to less than 40 points since a 48-34 win over Rider in 1988-89, and the fewest points that Hofstra has scored in a win since defeating Albright 43-36 back in the 1961-62 season.

Last year, Hofstra pulled out a 62-57 win over New Hampshire in a game that came right down to the final moments. Head Coach Tom Pecora (illness) left the game in the first half, and Associate Head Coach Van Macon took over the reins. New Hampshire led 57-56, before junior forward Greg Washington (Centereach, NY) hit a jumper with 2:20 remaining to give Hofstra the lead. The Wildcats then missed six go-ahead shots in the last two minutes, as well as a tying three-point attempt in the final five seconds as the Pride held on for the narrow win.

Hofstra has thrived in close games in the last two years, compiling a 16-3 record in games decided by five points or less or in overtime. Last year, the Pride was 13-3, leading the nation in close wins (Florida State was second with 12). So far this year, Hofstra is 3-0 in games decided by five or less.

Much like the Pride, New Hampshire also recently had a defensive struggle, as it fell 47-32 to Pittsburgh in a game where it trailed 15-7 at halftime, representing the lowest scoring half in NCAA history during the shot clock era. Junior guard Alvin Abreu leads the offense with 12.2 points per game, although he shoots only 35.4 percent from the floor. Junior forward Dane DiLiegro (11.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg) and senior forward Radar Onguetou (9.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg) provide some inside strength.

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