Hofstra women's basketball sees perfect home record end in loss to Towson

Following three tough road losses in Texas and Southern Virginia the Hofstra women’s basketball team returned the friendly confines of the Mack Sports Complex for Thursday night’s Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) home opener against Towson. However despite the Pride coming into the game with a perfect 5-0 record in Hempstead, Hofstra’s home court proved much friendlier to Towson with the Tigers jumping out to an 18-point halftime lead and holding on for a 66-58 win.

Hofstra (7-7, 0-2 in CAA) dug itself a huge early hole thanks to a first half performance that included shooting 21 percent and committing 10 turnovers. Towson meanwhile shot 40 percent from the floor in the first half including five of eight from three-point range. Towson led by as many as 21 in the second half.

After defeating Stony Brook on Dec. 21 Hofstra has dropped four in a row including road defeats to Southern Methodist, Rice and William & Mary.

Towson (8-5, 2-0 in CAA) came into the game red hot having won five of six including a 67-55 upset of then 25th ranked Maryland on Dec. 10. The Tigers had four players in double figures against Hofstra led by Shanae Baker-Brice with 19 points. “They are scrappy, they defend and rebound” said Hofstra head women’s basketball coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey of what has made Towson so successful.

A bright spot for Hofstra in the defeat was West Virginia transfer Marie Malone just missing out on a double-double with eight points and a career high 12 rebounds. Freshman Shante Evans led the Pride in scoring with 10 points and picked up her seventh career-double-double with 12 rebounds.

Hofstra showed some fight late in the game going on a 10-1 run in the final 2:17 of the game to fall by single digits. Kilburn-Steveskey said she hopes the way the Pride ended the game can bring her team some confidence heading into its next contest  at home against Georgia State on Sunday at 2 p.m.

“It is an interesting slide that we are in right now and finding that mojo and getting it back is definitely something we have to keep plugging at,” she said.