Aaron Estrada scored 16 points to lead the Pride but Saint Mary’s cooled Hofstra’s potent offense in a 76-48 victory Saturday night at the University Credit Union Pavilion.
Hofstra fell to 4-1 with the loss, while Saint Mary’s moved to 5-0 with the win.
The Gaels led 34-18 at the half and closed the stanza on an 8-0 run over the final 2:39. The Pride led 4-2 in the early going behind a pair of baskets from Tyler Thomas. Saint Mary’s tied the score at four on Alex Ducas’s layup and then took the lead for good on a three-pointer from Augustus Marciulionis with 15:38 on the clock.
The teams traded baskets to start the second half with Mitchell Saxen scoring for the Gaels and Estrada for the Pride. Ducas drained a three-pointer to put St. Mary’s up by 19, 39-20, with 18:40 to go. The Gaels would build the lead to as much as 31 points (72-41).
In addition to Estrada, Nelson Boachie-Yiadom had 10 points for the Pride to go along with a team-best eight rebounds.
Ducas led all scorers with 20 points, while Saxen added 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds for Saint Mary’s.
Following a cross-country flight home, Hofstra will return to the road for the 2022 Northern Classic in Laval, Quebec. The Pride will face Middle Tennessee State Friday at 7 p.m.
Notes:
-This was the first-ever meeting between Hofstra and Saint Mary’s.
–Griffin Barrouk scored his first career points, hitting Hofstra’s lone three-pointer.
-Hofstra shot a season-low 35.2 percent from the field.
For more information on the Hofstra Athletics Department fans are encouraged to click on the link seen here:
Hofstra University Athletics – Official Athletics Website (gohofstra.com)