Hofstra 'validates' win over Syracuse by keeping winning ways going against Quinnipiac
Cruz Davis of Hofstra drives through the Quinnipiac defense on Sunday. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
After beating Syracuse on its home court, Hofstra men’s basketball coach Speedy Claxton knew his team had to build on it.
“Yes, we had a big win,” he said. “But it’s in the rearview mirror now and we wanted to come out and validate that win.”
The first chance to do so came Sunday in Hempstead, and the Pride notched their seventh win in their last eight games by beating Quinnipiac, 74-66, in non-conference play.
It came eight days after Hofstra’s 70-69 road win over Syracuse on Dec. 13, the program’s first win over the Orange in four meetings.
“If we came out and lost today, then they would’ve forgotten about the Syracuse win,” Claxton said.
No one has contributed more to Hofstra’s 9-4 start this season than junior Cruz Davis. The 6-3 guard has averaged 21.2 points and led the Pride against Syracuse with 22 points and nine assists.
Davis entered Sunday with double-digit points in 12 straight games. He needed only five minutes to make it 13, scoring Hofstra’s first 12 points and 20 of the team’s 31 first-half points against Quinnipiac (9-4). Davis finished with 27 points.
Freshman point guard Preston Edmead of Deer Park has started all 13 games and averaged 13.9 points. He missed all seven of his first-half shots before scoring 14 of his 18 points in the opening 12 minutes of the second half.
“He had a rough first half, but to that kid’s credit, he didn’t let it affect him,” Claxton said. “He came out, stayed aggressive and made huge plays in the second half for us.”
Hofstra also boasts the steady presence of graduate student German Plotnikov, who hit the go-ahead three-pointer against Syracuse and added another big shot with 1:24 remaining to extend the lead to five over Quinnipiac. Victory Onuetu grabbed five of Hofstra’s 21 offensive rebounds Sunday.
“Most of our games have been one-, two-possession games,” Claxton said. “So you got to go out there and be confident, make the right play, value the basketball and not turn it over.”
A Pride-filled return
Sunday marked the emotional return of Tom Pecora, the longest-tenured coach in Hofstra’s history at 16 years as a head coach and assistant. Pecora enters his third season as Quinnipiac’s coach.
Pecora, who led Hofstra to four 20-win seasons and three NIT berths before leaving for Fordham, couldn’t hold back tears after the game as he spoke about Hofstra’s pregame tribute video and the standing ovation he received.
“I never should’ve left,” he said. “My midlife crisis. My wife said I should’ve got a sports car and a girlfriend instead of going to Fordham.”
Pecora joined Hofstra’s staff in 1994-95 as an assistant under Jay Wright and served as head coach of the Pride from 2001-10. As an assistant, he helped recruit Claxton, who starred for Hofstra from 1996-2000 before playing seven years in the NBA.
“It was a special moment. I think we both wanted this game,” Claxton said with a laugh. “But we had to spoil his homecoming. Definitely going to root for them going forward.”
Pecora said, “I’m so happy that one of my guys is here, running it and keeping them great.”
Michael Sicoli covers high school sports for Newsday. He graduated from Quinnipiac in 2022 and left with a master’s degree in sports journalism in 2023.
