Hofstra Wins 12th Straight in Convincing CAA Quarterfinal Victory

Hofstra Wins 12th Straight in Convincing CAA Quarterfinal Victory

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Rob Washburn

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WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 5, 2023) – Top-seeded Hofstra turned in a dominant performance on both ends of the floor, rolling past No. 8 William & Mary, 94-46, in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Jersey Mike’s CAA Men’s Basketball Championship on Sunday afternoon at the Entertainment & Sports Arena.
 
It was 12th straight win for the Pride (24-8), who set a CAA Tournament record for the largest margin of victory. Hofstra advances to face either UNCW or Drexel in the semifinals at 6 p.m. on Monday night. William & Mary fell to 13-20 after the setback.


 
CAA Player of the Year Aaron Estrada recorded a double-double with 22 points and a career-high tying 10 rebounds for the Pride and all-conference backcourt mate Tyler Thomas also tallied 22 points on 9-of-11 FG shooting. Point guard Jaquan Carlos added 15 points, four assists and no turnovers.
 
Guard Anders Nelson was the lone William & Mary player in double figures, tallying 13 of his team-best 15 points in the second half. Ben Wight and Chris Mullins each contributed nine points and six rebounds.
 
Hofstra came out on fire from the opening tip, making eight of its first 11 field goal attempts and building an 18-2 lead in the first 5:27 of the game. Up 23-6, the Pride went on a 13-0 run capped by a Thomas layup to take a commanding 30-point advantage with 6:09 left in the period. An Estrada jumper in the final minute put Hofstra ahead 51-14, giving the Pride the largest halftime lead in CAA Tournament history.
 
Hofstra shot a sizzling 64.7% in the first 20 minutes, with Estrada and Thomas combining for 26 points. Equally as impressive was the Pride defense, which limited W&M to 22.2% FG shooting, including 0-for-9 from 3-point range. Hofstra also had a 24-10 rebounding edge.
 
W&M never pulled closer than 33 points in the second half and a 20-2 Hofstra run built the margin to 51 (86-35) with 5:50 remaining.
 
Hofstra set season-highs for field goal (59.4%) and 3-point field goal (61.9%) percentage, outrebounded W&M 44-25, and committed only six turnovers. W&M’s 30% FG percentage was a season-low.
 
Gallery: (3-5-2023) 2023 MBB Champ Game 6: Hofstra/W&M

 
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