Hempstead,
N.Y. - Hofstra will be looking to get
back on the winning track and Shante Evans will be looking to make history when
the Pride travels to Marist to play the Red Foxes in a non-conference game on
Wednesday at 7 p.m. from McCann Arena.
The Pride
enters the contest 1-3 overall and looking to snap a three-game losing streak.
Marist (3-3) is coming off a victory over Wake Forest to conclude a 1-2 trip at
the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas (U.S. Virgin Islands).
Evans, a senior forward, enters the game needing just one more rebound to become
Hofstra's all-time leader. Evans, who notched 15 rebounds in her last game
against Saint Joseph's, is tied with Kate Gordon with 1,031 career rebounds. Gordon
played from 1994-98.
Hofstra is 6-0 all-time against
Marist, winning every game in a series that dates to 1979-80. Last season,
Hofstra defeated the Red Foxes at home, posting a 71-69 victory. Evans scored 29 points and added 18 rebounds
in the victory while Candace Bond also finished with a double-double by posting
15 points and 14 rebounds.
This
season, Evans has shown the form that put her on the Wooden Award and Naismith
Trophy watch lists, averaging nearly a double-double with 14.8 points and 9.8
rebounds. The West Chester, Pa. native has scored in double figures in all four
games.
Junior
Annie Payton has been a force off the bench for Hofstra, averaging 9.5 points
despite starting only game. Payton has been the Pride's best long-range
shooter, connecting on seven three-pointers, which is four more than the next-closest
teammate.
Bond continues
to show the defensive ability that earned her spots on the Colonial Athletic
Association's All Defensive Team the last two seasons. The senior leads Hofstra
with eight steals.
As
Hofstra looks to pick it up its first win since the season opener against
Stetson, the Pride has found success on the offensive glass, building a plus-12
advantage in that category over the opposition. While Evans has been Hofstra's
top rebounder, junior Anma Onyeuku has posted back-to-back 10-rebound games
against St. John's and Saint Joseph's, respectively, to tie a career high.
Onyeuku
is averaging 18 minutes a game, though she has been effective during those
stretches. The Fayetteville, Ga. native is making 46.7 percent of her field
goal attempts, which leads Hofstra's offense.
Marist
features a balanced scoring attack with five players averaging more than eight
points. Elizabeth Beynnon is coming off a 22-point effort in the Red Foxes'
last game against ACC-member Wake Forest. Beynnon went 8-for-9 from the field
and is averaging 10.7 points per game.
Marist
likes to shoot from long range, attempting 50 more three-pointers than opposing
teams. Madeline Blais has been a threat off the bench, shooting 6-for-13 from
beyond the arc.