MBB vs. Elon, 1/28

[ProudofPride]

What did Elon do to get a technical foul before the game even started?

[ProudofPride]

Great defense so far, and Elon literally can't buy a bucket. They have 2 points, 1-14 from the field, good for 7%. Walker with a nice block! JWF is also in now. We're up 12-2.

[EvanJ]

Elon has already used Sheldon Eberhardt, who had played 36 minutes all season before tonight. Hofstra leads 12-4.

[Wags]

What did Elon do to get a technical foul before the game even started?

Didn't get its starters in on time.

[EvanJ]

It took 9:56 for the first three-pointer of the game, and with 7:43 left in the first half nobody has made a free throw. Hofstra leads 17-10.

[ProudofPride]

Gustys already has a double-double with just over 3 minutes left in the first half.

[Wags]

It took 9:56 for the first three-pointer of the game, and with 7:43 left in the first half nobody has made a free throw. Hofstra leads 17-10.

Now 2:23 left - Elon has yet to attempt one. HU 0-3.

Only 7 fouls (4 on HU) called thus far. That helps HU withstand the loss of Nichols even more.

[Wags]

Very odd half of basketball.

* Starts on a tech FT (which was missed) before the opening tip. Only two taken and none made in the half after that (was also at a Knick game earlier this month when the second half started on a tech FT for a different reason than why tonight's game started that way; don't think I had EVER seen that before and now twice in the same month).

* Preseason POY goes scoreless (0/4).

* Elon starts 1/16, but took a late lead (25-24) anyway, despite all those early misses and no one making more than 2 shots for them in the entire half.

* And through all of that, Rok did what Rok does -- 10 & 10 for for his 7th straight double-double and 11th of the season.

[ProudofPride]

It's almost comical watching Gustys at this point. It's like his hands are magnetic and attract every rebound.

[RollPride15]

Looks like they've decided to play Hack-A-Rokas and it's working...surprised we haven't seen this earlier and I think we're going to lose this one at the free throw line.

[ProudofPride]

We're getting out-rebounded in the 2nd half, and playing no defense at all, Elon now has the lead 64-63.

[RollPride15]

We pull it out due to a clutch jumper from Juan'ya. Ugly game all around and our free throw shooting was especially horrific (11-25???) but a win is a win! Rokas, outside of his performance at the line, was outstanding yet again. Seemed like a game where we were at our worst and still pulled it out, which is good to see.

[dutchiedoright]

Elon is just a bit tougher than they look......but JG has the "dog" in him !!!!

Glad to get the one out of the way.

Down to Philly !!!

[ProudofPride]

As Coach Waheed said to the WRHU announcers at the end of the game, "Thank God for Juan'ya Green"
Here's a look at his shot from the Lion's Den, courtesy of the Chronicle. https://twitter.com/HUChronSports/statu ... 0861880321

RG one rebound away from another 20/20 game. He had 23 and 19.

[Polito]

Like I said, HU still plays to its opponent (annoying habit) and Elon isn't terrible - they aren't there yet, but may be able knock someone off in the CAAT

But yes take any W and run! Potential trap type game, they battled through and won at home - at the end of the day that's what it's about right now

RG is BEAST - playing SO well you take the FT for now - will need and expect him to improve that in upper class yrs - but for now as a sophomore really playing his first yr, he's the best big since Adeleke, and has the potential to be one of the best EVER when all said and done

Onward and upward!

[EvanJ]

Both teams shot field goals better than free throws. Elon made 1 out of 4 free throws. It was the fewest free throw attempts by a Hofstra opponent since Towson attempted 3 on January 12, 2011, during their 41 game losing streak. That was 169 games ago. It was the fewest free throws made by a Hofstra opponent since at least 2005-2006, which is as far back as I have statistics for.

Edit: http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketb ... =400833340 is the Associated Press recap titled "Green's jumper helps Hofstra sink Elon 66-64."

http://gohofstra.com/news/2016/1/28/MBB_0128163421.aspx is Hofstra's recap titled "MBB: Green's Jumper In Final Seconds Lifts Hofstra Past Elon." http://gohofstra.com/boxscore.aspx?path=mbball&id=6998 is the box score. The attendance was 1,125. Hofstra used the bench for 24 minutes (exactly 12%). Before tonight, Hofstra had 17.1% of their minutes from the bench. Hofstra had 6 players block at least 1 shot. That's the most Hofstra players with a blocked shot in a game since February 10, 2009, which was 224 games ago. In that game Darren Townes blocked 4 shots, Greg Washington blocked 3, Arminas Urbutis blocked 2, Dane Johnson blocked 1, Greg Johnson blocked 1, Charles Jenkins blocked 1, and Nathaniel Lester blocked 1. That was 7 players totaling 13 blocked shots, Hofstra beat Old Dominion 60-51, and the game was on ESPNU.

[Cards]

sloppy game all around. With a minute to go I really thought we were going to fold.

Nice to see JG make that last shot, but I'm not sure why he did not take it to the hoop. He shot 4-14, so he was not exactly "feeling it", yet he pulls up for a jumper with the score tied and the other team cannot foul him. I'm glad he made it, of course, and it was very clutch, but I thought it was a poor shot to take.

The "Rok", "Rok" n Roll, "Rok" Solid, "Rok" of Gibralter, --- The guy is unstoppable. UNCW will be a good test, as they do have size.

[EvanJ]

Hofstra had more second chance points, points off turnovers, and fast break points. Elon had the only 12 bench points. Each team had 36 points in the paint.

Elon's last seven games have been against teams in the Top 100 of the RPI. In 2005-2006, which was one of the best seasons in CAA history, Hofstra never played that many consecutive games against teams in the Top 100 of the RPI.

[HUSID80]

sloppy game all around. With a minute to go I really thought we were going to fold.

Nice to see JG make that last shot, but I'm not sure why he did not take it to the hoop. He shot 4-14, so he was not exactly "feeling it", yet he pulls up for a jumper with the score tied and the other team cannot foul him. I'm glad he made it, of course, and it was very clutch, but I thought it was a poor shot to take.

The "Rok", "Rok" n Roll, "Rok" Solid, "Rok" of Gibralter, --- The guy is unstoppable. UNCW will be a good test, as they do have size.

Green said in the post game presser that they were playing great help defense so he thought better of driving to the basket to draw the foul. He is a player!

[Wags]

I don't agree with the idea that HU "won despite being at its worst" or that HU "played down to its opponent."

Maybe if you look at the final score only, you have that take. But HU led for 38:29, Elon for 45 seconds. And a good portion of HU's second half lead was by double figures.

This was all about an inability to put what had been a relatively comfortable game away at the line.

If Gustys hits his FTs, and if others do as well, there's absolutely no sweating it out or needed Green's game-winner at the end to pull it out. Hofstra was clearly the better team, just couldn't make FTs. With Gustys, you live with it because he's so incredibly dominant otherwise. But 3-10 at the line -- all in the second half -- is just inexcusable. Make FIVE, make SIX. Still bad percentages, but SOMETHING. But 30%? Hate to harp on that when he puts up 23 & 19, but it's something he HAS to improve upon, or Hack-a-Rok becomes an opponent's strategy in a game like this, and it works. And that's on top of Green's 3-6 at the line -- also all in the second half -- and 11-22 at the line as a team in the second half just opened the door wide open for Elon. Otherwise, Elon has no chance of making it a game late the way they did.

UNCW won at JMU tonight (78-73), so a great chance that next Thursday night at The Mack would be for sole possession of first place (UNCW is home on Sat. for Charleston, which blew a 30-20 lead with 13 min left to lose in OT, 68-61).