Men's Basketball: 7 Reasons Why Hofstra Earned a 71-56 Win Over Holy Cross

Freshman point guard Shemiye McLendon gave Hofstra basketball fans an early Christmas present with three first-half treys that led the Pride to a 71-56 victory over Holy Cross on Wednesday afternoon at the Mack Sports Complex.

Hofstra (7-4) continued their hot streak of late that saw them win six of their last seven contests.  Holy Cross (1-9) came into the battle fresh off their first win of the season, a 75-57 road victory over Marist on Sunday night.

Charles Jenkins Pregame Ceremony Fired Up the Crowd

Charles Jenkins

Charles Jenkins received a rousing standing ovation from the crowd in attendance as he was honored before the game for his stellar Hofstra playing career. 

He reached the 2,000-point plateau during the game against Manhattan on Saturday and ranks sixth all-time in total points scored for the Pride.  The pre-game ceremony got the crowd pumped up and the team responded with a fast start.

Taking an Early Lead

Strong defense

Hofstra won the opening tip-off and senior forward Greg Washington scored on a majestic layup just 20 seconds into the first quarter to give the Pride a 2-0 edge.  Washington went 2-4 from the floor in the first half and added two defensive rebounds.

Shemiye McLendon Drains Two Shots from Beyond the Arc

McLendon

Freshman guard Shemiye McLendon pushed Hofstra's lead to 17-10 with two consecutive shots from long-range at the midway point of the first period. 

14 Unanswered Points in the First Half

Charles Jenkins

Hofstra scored 14 unanswered points midway through the first period to push their lead to 24-10.  Brad Kelleher capped off the run with a layup at the seven-minute mark to put the game out of reach.

A 34-22 Lead At the Half

Solid defense

A solid first period by Greg Washington and Charles Jenkins boosted Hofstra to a 12-point cushion by halftime.  Jenkins had a pass-first mentality and secured three assists in the first half.

Mike Moore's Breakout Performance

Hofstra

Mike Moore scored a team-high 15 points and added two steals to lead Hofstra in the victory.

Dwan McMillan's Unselfish Play

McMillan

McMillan controlled the tempo of the offense and looked to push the ball to sharpshooting point guards Jenkins and Moore.  He finished with seven assists and six points.