Hempstead, N.Y. - Hofstra senior forward Shante Evans saw
her afternoon begin with her No. 30 jersey being placed in the Mack Sports
Complex rafters and capped it by
becoming the Colonial Athletic Association's all-time leading rebounder in
posting a 19-point; 19-rebound effort in a 70-50 victory over UNC Wilmington on
Sunday afternoon.
Deven Green set a career high with 18 points on 9-of-11
shooting and fellow senior Candace Bond
compiled 15 points and eight rebounds on Senior Day in their final home
collegiate home appearance. Sophomore guard Andreana Thomas racked up nine
assists against just two turnovers in one of Hofstra's most complete games of
the season.
The Pride snapped a four-game losing streak to move to 13-15
overall and 9-8 in Colonial Athletic Association play. Jessica Freeman led UNCW with 15 points but
the Seahawks fell to 3-24 and 2-14 in league play. Hofstra swept the regular
season series after posting a 75-69 win in Wilmington, N.C. on Feb. 5.
Evans, who became just the third Hofstra women's basketball
player to have her number retired before the game, set league history with 1:08
left in the game when she grabbed her final rebound of the afternoon on the
offensive glass. That marked the 1,314th of her career, moving her past Meredith
Alexis' previous record set for James Madison from 2004-07. Hofstra head coach
Krista Kilburn-Steveskey was an assistant coach at JMU when Alexis originally set
the mark.
Green broke her previous career high of 13 points set on
Dec. 1, 2011 against Seton Hall. Bond was a force on the defensive end,
blocking four shots and making two steals in 38 minutes. Junior Annie Payton
scored seven points off the bench.
The Pride concluded the home portion of the schedule 9-5 at
home by shooting 48.3 percent. Hofstra also held UNCW to 27 percent shooting
from the floor.
Evans became just the third
Hofstra Women's Basketball player to have her number retired following Liz
Irwin (1978-1982) and Dia LaBella (1978-82), who had their numbers retired in
March, 2009. Evans, a two-time (2010-12) Associated Press All-American, was just the 26th Hofstra student-athlete to have a jersey number retired.
Hofstra took the early lead and never looked back. A 13-0
first-half run put the Pride ahead by as much as 20 off Bond's layup with 1:43
left in the half en route to a 35-19 halftime advantage.
Evans had 12 points and 10 rebounds in the first half alone,
notching her CAA-leading 18th double-double of the season. The West Chester,
Pa. native registered her 68th career double-double, which leads all active
Division I players.
Green played just six minutes in the opening half but made
an instant impact, drilling her first four shots and scoring eight points with
two rebounds. Green finished in double
figures for the second time this season.
UNCW got as close as 15 on Freeman's three-pointer with 6:51
left. Out of a timeout, Hofstra went on a 7-0 run to squash any hopes of a
Seahawks comeback bid. Green hit back-to-back layups and Evans made three consecutive free throws for
a 64-42 lead with 4:13 left.
Evans corralled the tying and record-breaking rebounds in a
14-second span. After moving into first-place in the all-time list, Hofstra
called timeout as her accomplishment was read on the public address system.
Evans received a loud ovation.
Hofstra will conclude the regular season on Wednesday when the Pride heads to Northeastern to take
on the Huskies at 7 p.m.