Jenkins credits man he broke for scoring mark to guiding his career

 Courtesy Hofstra Athletic Communications

In Saturday's 65-60 loss to Drexel Charles Jenkins became the all-time leading scorer in Hofstra men's basketball history and senior guard credits the man he passed for this milestone Antoine Agudio for helping to guide his heralded Pride career.

"He took me under his wing when I first got here," said Jenkins of Agudio, who he played with as a freshman during the 2007/08 season. "It means a lot me just to be mentioned in the same breath as him because I remember how much buzz he had when he was here."

After red-shirting during the 2006/07 season Jenkins began his Hofstra career the next year and saw Agudio break the 43-year old program scoring record that had been held by Steve Nisenson. The one year Jenkins and Aguido were teammates Hofstra endured a disappointing 12-18 season after having made three straight trips to the NIT, but three years later the Pride are in prime position to finish in the top four in the Colonial Athletic Association and make a run at a conference title. As much of an accomplishment as breaking the Hofstra scoring mark is Jenkins is only concerned with winning and getting the Pride to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in a decade.

"The season is what is most important to me," said Jenkins. "When I leave Hofstra and I come back then this record will mean a lot to me but right now I've just got to worry about winning."

Hofstra women's basketball vs. Delaware in-game blog

The Hofstra women’s basketball team will try to get back on the winning track against Delaware on Sunday afternoon at the Mack Spots Complex.

The Pride (11-8, 3-5 in Colonial Athletic Association), enter Sunday’s matinee with the Blue Hens on a two-game losing streak including a 65-42 defeat at UNC Wilmington Thursday. Delaware (11-8, 4-4 in CAA) is coming off a 52-48 home loss to George Mason on Thursday evening. The Blue Hens feature All-American Elena Delle Donne, who last played on Dec.19 against Penn State, but is expected to return to action on Sunday versus the Pride.

Check in with "Inside the Pride" for live updates of the Hofstra-Delaware game starting 15 minutes before tip-off Sunday at 1:45 p.m. Comments and questions are also welcome and encouraged during the live in-game blog.

Hofstra men's basketball vs. Drexel in-game blog

History is poised to be made during Saturday’s Hofstra-Drexel men’s basketball game at the Mack Sports Complex with Pride senior guard Charles Jenkins just 16 points away from becoming the program’s all-time scoring leader.

Jenkins enters Saturday’s game with 2,261 career points, the highest total for any active player in the nation. Jenkins is set to break the Hofstra record currently held by his former Pride teammate Antoine Agudio, who played from 2004-08.

The Hofstra-Drexel game is of crucial significance in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). Hofstra (14-7, 8-2 ) enter the game coming off an 82-67 loss at Virginia Commonwealth Thursday that dropped the Pride a game behind the Rams for first place in the conference standings. Drexel (13-7, 5-5 in CAA) enters the Mack Sports Complex coming off a 60-52 loss to James Madison Wednesday.

Check in with "Inside the Pride" for live updates of the Hofstra-Drexel game starting 15 minutes before tip-off Saturday at 3:45 p.m. Comments and questions are also welcome and encouraged during the live in-game blog.

Hofstra men's basketball vs. James Madison in-game blog

The Hofstra men’s basketball team will look to keep its hold on first place in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) on Monday night at home against James Madison.

Hofstra (13-6, 7-1 in the CAA) enters Monday’s game coming off a hard-fought 67-64 road win at William & Mary Saturday and are tied with Virginia Commonwealth atop the CAA standings. James Madison (15-5,. 5-3 in the CAA) is coming off two straight losses including a defeat to George Mason on Saturday.

James Madison will present quite the challenge for Hofstra in the paint with its 6’10 offensive force Denzel Bowles coming into Monday averaging 17.3 points per game and 9.3 rebounds per game. As a team James Madison is averaging 73 points per game and is shooting 46.5 percent from the floor.

Check in with "Inside the Pride" for live updates of this crucial CAA game starting 15 minutes before tip-off Monday at 6:45 p.m. Comments and questions are also welcome and encouraged during the live in-game blog.

Hofstra men's basketball vs. UNC Wilmington in-game blog

The Hofstra men's basketball team will try and rebound from its first Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) loss to Old Dominion this past Saturday and stay atop the conference standings in a home game against UNC Wilmington on Wednesday night.

Hofstra enters the UNC Wilmington game at 5-1 in the CAA and in a three-way tie for first place with James Madison and Virginia Commonwealth. UNC Wilmington enters play Wednesday 9-8 overall and 3-3 in the CAA.

Check in with "Inside the Pride" for live updates of the Hofstra-UNC Wilmington game 15 minutes before tip-off Wednesday at 6:45 p.m. Comments and questions are also welcome and encouraged during the live in-game blog.

Annie Payton emerging as key contributor for Hofstra women's basketball

 Courtesy Hofstra Athletic Communications

A bright spot during the Hofstra women’s basketball team’s heartbreaking 70-66 loss to UNC Wilmington Sunday was the continued emergence of freshman guard Annie Payton.

The Camden, N.J. native scored 13 points on 5-10 shooting in just 21 minutes of action. Payton also showed her ability to hit from beyond the arc going 3-5 from three-point range. Payton’s performance against UNC Wilmington came on the heels of scoring 15 points in a 71-66 loss at Delaware on Jan. 2 and registering 13 points in a 65-63 defeat to Cincinnati on Dec. 30 in the Maggie Dixon Surf 'N Slam Classic.

Hofstra women's basketball vs. UNC-Wilmington in-game blog

The Hofstra women's basketball team will try and move above .500 in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) when it takes on UNC-Wilmington on Sunday at Noon.

Hofstra (10-5, 2-2 in CAA) is coming off a 77-63 win over Northeastern on Thursday afternoon. The Pride's offense has been in high gear scoring 65 points or more all but once this season so far.

UNC-Wilmington (11-4, 3-1 in CAA) arrives on Long Island coming off a 67-51 triumph at George Mason Thursday. The Seahawks are guided by first-year coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, a former WNBA MVP who will be inducted into the James Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. on Aug. 13.

Check in with "Inside the Pride" for live updates of this key CAA tilt for Hofstra starting 15 minutes before tip-off Sunday at 11:45 a.m. Comments and questions are also welcome and encouraged during the live in-game blog.

Hofstra men's basketball vs. Old Dominion in-game blog

The first place Hofstra men's basketball team has a huge opportunity Saturday before its home fans to put some distance between itself and the defending Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) champions and pre-season conference favorites Old Dominion.

Hofstra (11-5, 5-0 in CAA) has a two game edge on Old Dominion (12-4, 3-2 in CAA) in the conference standings and is looking for its first ever 6-0 start to conference play. A major reason for Hofstra's hot start to conference play is the play of guards Charles Jenkins and Mike Moore, who combined for 40 points in a 74-60 win at Towson on Wednesday.

Old Dominion is arriving on Long Island hungry after a 62-57 loss at Drexel on Thursday. The Monarchs are a veteran-laiden team with its top six scorers comprised of four seniors and two juniors. Leading the balanced scoring effort is senior forward Frank Hassell with 12.6 points per game.

Check in with "Inside the Pride" for live updates of Hofstra's quest to take a three game lead on Old Dominion in the CAA standings 15 minutes before tip-off Saturday at 3:45 p.m. Comments and questions are also welcome and encouraged during the live in-game blog.

Balanced scoring paces Hofstra women's basketball

Through the Hofstra women’s basketball team’s first 14 games the Pride have had had many leading the pack on the offensive end of the floor.

When Amma Onyeuku led Hofstra in scoring with 14 points in a 84-70 loss at Georgia State Sunday she became the fifth Pride player to be at the top of the box score this season.

The top scorer mantle has been held down the majority of the Hofstra's first 14 games by Shante Evans (8) but other Pride scorers have also emerged throughout the season. Junior guard Nicole Capurso led Hofstra in scoring three times, including twice in the last three games, while backcourt teammate Kate Loper’s solid perimeter play has enabled the Idaho native to lead the Pride in points twice thus far. Sophomore guard Candice Bond has also added some offense to her already staunch defensive play and tied with Capurso as Hofstra’s leading scorer with 13 points in an 89-73 win over Fairfield on Dec. 5.

“We have a lot of offensive power,” said Hofstra women’s basketball head coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey during a Colonial Athletic Association teleconference on Tuesday. “I love the balanced scoring.”

While Kilburn-Steveskey said it is a positive how many of her players have emerged as leading scorers this season, she also wants there to be a main go-to force or two to get the ball two in key situations down the stretch.

After an 8-1 start Hofstra has lost four of its last five and will try and get back on the winning track Thursday afternoon at home against Northeastern starting at Noon.

Hofstra wrestling vs. North Carolina in-match blog

The Hofstra wrestling team will have its first dual match in nearly a month Saturday against the University of North Carolina (UNC) at the Mack Sports Complex starting at 1 p.m.

In Hofstra’s last dual match on Dec. 8 the Pride defeated Maryland 22-17 at the Physical Education Building. The Pride are coming off a ninth-place finish in the 34-team Southern Scuffle on December 29-30 at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center. Fifth-ranked Lou Ruggirello highlighted Hofstra’s showing in Greensboro with a second place finish at 133 pounds.

Against UNC the Pride will be without Justin Accordino at 149 pounds who is rehabbing an injury and was only able to complete one match at the Southern Scuffle before withdrawing from the tournament after taking a medical default in his second bout. UNC (4-2) also took part in the Southern Scuffle and finished in 16th place.

Hofstra and UNC wrestlers squared off three times during the Southern Scuffle with the Pride winning two of the three matches. The Hofstra victories over UNC included 125-pounder Steve Bonanno defeating Jake Corrill by fall in 4:31 and Ruggirello pinning Brock Livorio in 2:33 at 133 pounds. The one Tar Heel win over the Pride came with Danny Lopes pinning Hofstra sophomore Luke Vaith at 141 pounds in 1:21.

Check in with "Inside the Pride" for live updates of the Hofstra-UNC match 15 minutes before the first match Saturday at 12:45 p.m. Comments and questions are also welcome and encouraged during the live in-match blog.

Hofstra women's basketball looks to rebound after three heartbreaking losses

The Hofstra women’s basketball team is all in all having a very successful 2010/11 season so far with an 8-4 record, but three straight tight heart-wrenching losses on the road in the past week create extra importance for Thursday’s Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) opener against Towson.

After winning eight straight following a season-opening loss to Virginia, Hofstra dropped back-to-back two point losses to San Diego and Cincinnati at the Maggie Dixon Surf ‘N Slam Classic and then lost a 16 point second half lead in a 71-66 defeat at Delaware in the CAA opener Sunday. Despite the three stinging defeats that occurred with some players sick and in the midst of constant travel, the Pride are in positive spirits heading into Thursday, according to head coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey.

"We just hit a bit of a bump in the road and faced some adversity and we just have to re-group as a whole” said Coach Kilburn-Steveskey. “They know that we are doing some good things and we just have to put it all together.”

Hofstra men's basketball vs. George Mason in-game blog

The Hofstra-George Mason men's basketball rivalry will be taken up a notch Wednesday night at the Mack Sports Complex with both team's entering the early-season Colonial Athletic Association contest at 2-0 in the conference.

Hofstra and George Mason have had many fierce battles in the CAA during the last decade with the Patriots holding a 10-7 advantage in the series. What stands out most for Hofstra fans in this rivalry is 2006 when the Pride defeated George Mason twice in 10 days but it was the Patriots who instead earned an at-large NCAA Tournament berth on their way to a Cinderella run to the Final Four.

Hofstra (8-5) enters Wednesday's home tilt with George Mason fresh off an impressive 72-69 win at Drexel. George Mason (9-2) arrives on Long Island after a 75-66 win over Delaware, also on Monday evening.

Check in with "Inside the Pride" for live updates of what should be a very competitive Hofstra-George Mason game starting 15 minutes before tip-off Wednesday at 6:45 p.m. Comments and questions are also welcome and encouraged during the live in-game blog.