Hofstra - 2020 CAA champions
Hofstra Captures First CAA Men's Basketball Championship
Rob Washburn
BOX SCORE | HIGHLIGHTS | SIGHTS & SOUNDS | GAME ACTION PHOTO GALLERY | CELEBRATION PHOTO GALLERY | HOFSTRA PRESSER | NORTHEASTERN PRESSER
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 10, 2020) – Senior guard Desure Buie spurred a decisive 10-2 run late in the second half as top-seeded Hofstra captured the Hercules Tires CAA Men’s Basketball Championship for the first time with a 70-61 victory over #6 Northeastern on Tuesday night at the Entertainment and Sports Arena.
The Pride (26-8) earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship for the first time since 2001. Making its fourth appearance in the CAA title game, Hofstra was able to avenge an 82-74 setback to the Huskies a year ago.
Buie was honored as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after contributing a team-high 20 points, five rebounds and five assists. Guards Eli Pemberton and Jalen Ray joined Buie on the all-tournament team as Pemberton tallied 19 points and seven rebounds and Ray added 17 points and eight boards. Forward Isaac Kante just missed a double-double with nine points and a game-best 15 rebounds.
Northeastern (17-16), which was competing in its third consecutive championship game, got team-highs of 15 points and nine rebounds from Max Boursiquot and 13 points from Bolden Brace. Jordan Roland and Shaquille Walters added 11 points apiece for the Huskies. Boursiquot, Brace and Roland also received all-tournament honors.
In a highly competitive game that featured eight lead changes and six ties, Hofstra held a narrow 54-52 lead with under four minutes remaining when Buie took over. The Pride point guard converted a short jump shot, a three-point play and a 3-pointer from the top of the key to put Hofstra in control, 64-54, with 1:36 to go. The margin never got closer than seven the rest of the way.
After struggling with its shooting in the first 20 minutes, Hofstra shot 52.2% from the floor, made 6-of-11 treys and went 12-for-12 at the free throw line in the second half. The Pride also had a 38-26 advantage on the glass, which included 13 offensive boards.
Northeastern’s biggest lead came less than five minutes into the game as Brace scored five points during an early 11-0 run that put the Huskies ahead 11-3. Hofstra methodically climbed back and went on top, 24-21, on a Buie 3-pointer from the right wing at the 5:19 mark. Neither team could break away during the rest of the period, with Northeastern taking a 30-28 advantage into the locker room following a Shaquille Walters jumper with 10 seconds to go.
Northeastern was up by five early in the second half, but Hofstra went on an 8-0 surge as Buie found Pemberton for a 3-pointer in the corner and then set up Tareq Coburn for a dunk that put the Pride ahead, 36-33, with 17:14 remaining. Neither team led by more than four over the next 14 minutes.
Hofstra became the third #1 seed in the past four years to win the CAA title and the 21
st top seed to win the championship.
CAA All-Tournament Team
Maxime Boursiquot, Northeastern
Bolden Brace, Northeastern
Desure Buie, Hofstra (Most Outstanding Player)
Eli Pemberton, Hofstra
Jalen Ray, Hofstra
Jordan Roland, Northeastern