Hofstra Stuns Top-Seeded Rutgers In Opening Round Of NIT
Rob Washburn
Box Score
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (March 14, 2023) – Senior guard Tyler Thomas poured in a team-high 25 points, including a game-winning jumper with 9.2 seconds left in overtime, as Hofstra stunned top-seeded Rutgers, 88-86, in the first round of the NIT.
It was the first postseason victory since 2006 for the Pride (25-9), who will face either Cincinnati or Virginia Tech in the second round this weekend.
All five Hofstra starters tallied double figures, led by Thomas with 25 points on 11-of-18 FG shooting. DStone Dubar had a big night with 17 points, Aaron Estrada scored 13 despite fouling out with 6:51 left in regulation, Jaquan Carlos had 12 points and five assists and Nelson Boachie-Yiadom contributed 10 points and eight rebounds.
Hofstra was down by five with 30 seconds left in regulation, but Thomas drained a three-pointer to cut the gap to two. Rutgers missed the front end of a one-and-one, and Boachie-Yiadom converted a one-handed rebound bucket with two seconds left to tie the game at 74-74 and force overtime.
The Pride never trailed in the extra session, taking a quick four-point lead on buckets from Thomas and Boachie-Yiadom. Hofstra, which shot 6-for-8 from the floor in overtime, got back-to-back threes from Carlos and Dubar to grab an 86-82 lead with 1:28 to go, but the Scarlet Knights rallied to tie the contest with 32 seconds on the clock. That set the stage for Thomas, who drilled a wing jumper to put Hofstra up by two. Rutgers missed a game-tying shot in the final seconds and the ball bounced out of bounds as time expired.
Hofstra trailed by 10 early, but quickly cut the deficit in half behind five quick points from Dubar. The Pride continued to pull closer over the next nine minutes and knotted the game at 30-30 on a corner 3-pointer from Thomas with 4:07 left in the half. Rutgers responded with a trey of its own and took a 40-35 advantage into halftime. Hofstra shot 51.9% in the first 20 minutes with Dubar tallying a team-best nine points and Thomas and Carlos adding seven points apiece.
After falling behind by eight in the first two minutes of the second half, Hofstra battled back and took its first lead, 54-53, on an Estrada three-pointer with 12:28 remaining. A layup by Thomas increased the margin to three, but Rutgers answered with a 9-0 run to move back on top, 62-56. The Pride trailed for the remainder of regulation until Boachie-Yiadom’s game-tying basket in the final seconds.
Hofstra shot 56.9% from the floor for the game, including 10-of-26 from 3-point range.
It was Hofstra’s first postseason victory since advancing to the quarterfinals of the NIT in 2006 with wins over Nebraska and Saint Joseph’s. The victory was the first for a CAA team in the NIT since 2012.
Photo courtesy of Ben Solomon