The Hofstra Chronicle Special Edition March 24, 2026

THE HOFSTRA CHRONICLE

KEEPING THE HOFSTRA COMMUNITY INFORMED SINCE 1935

The music stops as Hofstra’s historic dance comes to an end against Alabama

By Eric Leaf STAFF WRITER

The Hofstra University men’s basketball team saw its season come to a close on Friday, March 20, after falling 90-70 to the University of Alabama in the NCAA Tournament. With the loss, the Pride remain winless in five all-time tournament appearances dating back to 1976. This was Hofstra’s first berth since 2001.

“Proud of my guys’ effort

today,” said Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton. “I thought we really went out there and competed. Kind of tough to win a game when you give up 17 offensive rebounds. For a team like us in a tournament like this, we pretty much almost have to play perfect basketball, and today we didn’t play well enough to win this game.”

The first half belonged to the Pride early on, as the No. 13 seed team looked poised to shock the world against No. 4 Crimson Tide. Trailing 16-12 midway through the half, the Pride flipped the game on its head with a 9-0 burst sparked by their surging offense, led by back-to-back 3-pointers from Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Player of the Year Cruz Davis and senior guard Biggie Patterson.

That momentum only built as

Hofstra rattled off a 16-2 run, capped by a Joshua Aaron Reeves 3-point shot that pushed the Pride ahead by double digits with under 10 minutes to play in the half. Alabama responded, answering with a run of their own and erasing the deficit, while seizing control late to take a 37-35 lead into halftime.

The second half opened with a 7-0 run from Alabama, giving them a 44-35 lead just two minutes into the period. The advantage quickly stretched to double digits with 16 minutes and 21 seconds remaining.

CAA Rookie of the Year Preston Edmead looked to carry over his conference tournament heroics after leading Hofstra to a title, and he delivered once again. Edmead led the Pride with 24 points while adding four rebounds and four assists, rounding out his

Four-year program veteran German Plotnikov closed out his career with the Pride on a strong note, scoring 12 points and knocking down a pair of 3-pointers. Plotnikov continued to set the tone early, becoming the Pride’s first scorer in all four of their postseason games.

“[We] got to embrace this

trol for good, closing the game on a decisive 19-4 run over the final four minutes and 40 seconds.

“I knew we had a special team from day one. There wasn’t a practice or a game that they didn’t compete.”

freshman campaign with another impressive performance.

Edmead’s 24-point performance is the most points by a Hofstra player in March Madness since Richie Laurel scored 35 points against the University of Notre Dame in 1977.

“We know what we did was special,” Edmead said. “We can always look back on that. We made history. I’m just proud of my teammates.”

moment,” Plotnikov said. “Not a lot of kids in college basketball get to do what we did – [I’m] not even just talking about Hofstra, just college players in general. It’s hard to get here and I’m happy me and my teammates got here. We’re extremely grateful to be here.”

The two sides traded blows, but Hofstra couldn’t cut the deficit to less than five. Alabama took con-

“I’m extremely proud,” Claxton said. “I knew we had a special team from day one. There wasn’t one day in practice or a game that they didn’t compete. [I’m] extremely happy to have been able to coach this team this year. We made history; we wanted to go further, but at the end of the day, we still did special things here.”

The Pride closed out a memorable season at 24-11 overall and 12-6 in CAA play, capturing their first conference championship since 2020 and earning a long-awaited return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 25 years.

Friendships and championships

By Calvin Wille

SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

Moments after bringing his alma mater back to conference championship glory for the first time since he was a player, Hofstra University men’s basketball head coach Speedy Claxton paused amid the celebration to reflect on something more enduring than any trophy: the relationships with his college teammates that he cultivated decades ago.

“I won championships on a high school level, college level and professional level, and my collegiate championship meant most to me,” Claxton said during the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) trophy presentation on CBS Sports’ postgame show.

“I speak to zero of my high school teammates, zero of my professional teammates and I still speak to a lot of my college teammates.”

It is clear that it wasn’t all about the basketball itself, though. But rather, it was about the chemistry that defined Hofstra’s 2000 America East Championship team that was built in the moments they spent together outside the gym.

“We hung out off the court,” Claxton said. “We did a lot of things together as a group, and I think that ultimately helped us on the court.”

One of the teammates from Claxton’s collegiate period, Jay Hernandez – a guard for the Pride from 1998 to 2001 who is now an assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets – strengthened this notion.

“I think our chemistry off court

definitely helped us with winning that America East Championship in 2000 because we just were able to talk to each other,” Hernandez said. “There were no feelings getting hurt; we could address issues right away if there were any on the court, and they got rectified right away … I think it was easier for us to pull for each other, figure out what our roles were … I think that’s what really helped us get over the hump and finally win that championship.”

Norman Richardson – the second leading scorer on Hofstra’s 2000 Championship team –remembered the closeness of the team and painted a picture of what life was like.

“I hung out with my teammates pretty often,” Richardson said. “We had a very, very close relationship. We hung out a lot; we went to parties; we did the typical college thing … chased girls, went to class together … Whatever we needed to do, we did it together.”

Richardson recalled many fond memories, yet it’s one specific memory that encapsulated that bond between teammates, and it came just hours after taking home that conference title in 2000.

“The game was over by 1 [p.m.],” Richardson said. “By 3 p.m., we were all headed to one of the local bars across the street from Hofstra named Bogarts –one of our spots that we could hang out at after games … We all went out there, and I think we were there from 3 [p.m.] to 4 [p.m.] until after midnight … It was a huge party; everyone was so excited for our team, the community was incredible … That was probably the most fun I had while at Hofstra, and that was

something we did as a team … It’s something I will never forget, and I tell my kids about it to this day.”

On the other hand, Hernandez’s favorite memory with his Hofstra teammates and coaches is a quieter moment of connection.

“We spent time at Coach [Jay] Wright’s house for the holidays,” Hernandez said. “For Christmas … everybody got random gifts. I still have the ornament from Patty Wright – coach Wright’s wife – from that day, and it still goes up on my Christmas tree to this day … so that was a great time for us to spend together.”

Along with these off-court memories, the years they had together are what Claxton attributes the lasting friendships to – particularly in the modern era of college basketball.

“Back then, we were together for multiple years,” Claxton said. “That team I was on that won a championship, we were together for three years.”

There’s one final factor that Claxton thinks strengthened the bond they forged.

“I think we’ve stayed close because of how hard it is to win a mid-major championship,” Claxton said. “We kinda fell short the first two years, but we pushed through that last year … That championship meant so much more than when I won a championship in the NBA.”

All these years later, Richardson couldn’t be happier that he and his teammates have remained friends.

“Like [Claxton] said … we still speak to this day, and that’s something I’m extremely, extremely grateful for,” Richardson said. “I thought it was the most important thing that we all were able to do: [to be able to] create lifetime bonds and friendships that we are able to cherish to this day.”

As a player, Claxton learned that winning a conference championship can act as kindling for lifelong friendships. Now, as the head coach at his alma mater, he has carried this mentality

forward, imprinting it on his players after leading the Pride to another conference crown.

“This is a special moment for you guys; I hope you guys realize that,” Claxton said. “This will forever bond you guys.”

From the outside looking in, Richardson sees a reflection of the 2000 team in the 2026 squad, specifically in the star guards and their trust in their teammates.

“I do see some parallels between our team and this 2026 squad,” Richardson said. “What I see is that togetherness, an attitude, a trust factor … Cruz Davis was the player of the year in the conference … He didn’t play up to his standards in the last two games [of the CAA Championships], but he trusted his teammates to make huge plays in order for them to get where they needed to go. He fouled out in the semifinals, and you can see the team trusted other players to step up … We had the same thing during our years when we made it to the tournament … [Claxton] obviously always played very well in those big moments, but I think me, Hernandez [and] Roberto Gittens played a huge role in some of those games as well, and that was because [Claxton] trusted us.”

Atlanta on the road and got to see Duane Posey and Richardson. We were just telling stories and … [talking about] how much it means to us that Hofstra is back in the big dance.”

Hernandez was unable to comment on current college players due to his role in the NBA. Before the championship

began, Richardson was proudly optimistic that this 2026 team would deliver Hofstra’s very first NCAA Tournament win.

Hofstra’s CAA Championship and Claxton’s elation have Hernandez and Richardson feeling a reinvigorated connection to their teammates and a refreshed feeling of Hofstra pride.

“I couldn’t be happier for [Claxton], seeing the joy he has in this moment,” Hernandez said. “Me and the rest of the teammates are talking about it, and other people around our basketball team from that time are talking about it, so it’s really cool to see and feel like we’re a part of it … We’re definitely gonna be supporting and watching [the first round] …The other day, I was in

“I sure hope that this group has what it takes,” Richardson said. “We never had the chance to [win an NCAA Tournament game]. I think this group is in a position to do it because they have outstanding guard play … Davis and Preston Edmead … those two guys are an incredibly gifted backcourt who control the game, and they have fantastic players around them … I have my fingers crossed … I can’t wait to be in Tampa, [Florida], to watch them.”

The last championship created bonds that have outlasted any win or loss, and as Hofstra returns to the national stage a quarter century later, the current and former members of the Pride get to share something just as special.

Mad Moments

For the first time in 25 years, the Hofstra University men’s basketball team made an appearance in the annual March Madness tournament. The team got the full NCAA experience from selection day until gameday, where they faced off against University of Alabama at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida.

By Olivia Hillestad EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Lives can change in a matter of seconds.

It’s Monday, March 4, the day of the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Championship semifinal game. The score is tied, and time is slipping away. Preston Edmead rises, releases and banks it in. The arena erupts.

In the span of a few seconds, everything changed. For the program, it’s history. For the players, it’s validation. And for three Hofstra University seniors sitting behind their headsets, it’s something else entirely: it is the moment their voices became part of the story.

The voices belong to Dylan Brett, Calvin Wille and the Hofstra Chronicle’s own basketball beat reporter Eric Leaf. For years, they’ve been calling Hofstra men’s basketball games for WRHU 88.7 FM. They have refined their craft in quiet gyms and late-night prep sessions. Now, suddenly, everyone is listening.

Brett’s call of Edmead’s buzzer-beater went viral. When the play-by-play commentator woke up the next morning, his phone was flooded with roughly 2,900 text messages, 1,000 new Instagram followers and posts about the call from Barstool Sports, CBS Sports and ESPN.

“In that moment, my life kind of changed,” Brett said. “It took such a weight off my shoulders, just seeing all these people care about the program and care about the team. That means I did my job as a storyteller. I got the story out there. It was a story worth telling – people care about it.”

For Wille and Leaf, the moment felt just as surreal.

“[It was] kind of like a dream come true,” Wille said.

The story didn’t start with that game in Washington, D.C. All three arrived at Hofstra by different roads.

Brett was drawn by opportunity.

“Hofstra gave me the clearest window to get on the air as fast as possible,” Brett said. “I was always about just hitting the

The voices of the Pride

ground running.”

Wille toured the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication and saw students his own age working in industry-level studios without anyone getting in their way.

“As soon as I walked in, I pretty much knew right away,” Wille said.

Leaf, whose first choice was Syracuse University’s Newhouse School, never even toured Hofstra before enrolling. They started the same way – by taking the training class, taking on small roles and working long hours.

Brett was taken under the wing of an older group of students who were already embedded in Hofstra basketball.

“I 100% would not be here without them,” Brett said. “And after they were gone, the communication never ceased. They were always kind of helping each other get better.”

Wille worked his way into broadcasts, learning the rhythm.

“I loved it,” Wille said of his first men’s basketball game. “It was more fun than I actually expected.”

Leaf grinded at the Chronicle, covering whatever game he could before becoming the men’s basketball beat reporter. He gives a lot of credit to his WRHU mentor who believed in him early on.

Now, in March 2026, all three are seniors, and Hofstra’s men’s basketball team found something. They’d been up and down through the regular season, but in Washington, D.C., they caught fire – and so did the broadcast. Brett on play-by-play, Wille on color and Leaf on sideline – each role is distinct yet dependent on the others.

Brett described the philosophy driving their coverage.

“What makes a good broadcast, especially in a championship setting, is your ability to set the scene and build up the game, to make it feel like it’s the biggest game in the world,” Brett said. “If you

can make any game feel like it’s for the fate of the universe, you’re gonna go very far in the play-by-play field.”

Wille and Brett have developed a clean division of labor.

“[Brett] explains what is happening while it’s happening,” Wille said. “I come in after he does that and explain how it happened and why it happened.”

The two had only shared a booth together six times before the tournament, but their friendship outside of broadcasting filled in the gaps. That chemistry usually requires years to build.

While Leaf’s role is different, he delivers incredibly impactful hits and interviews.

Together, that’s what the three of them do. They tell the story. But as anyone in that industry will tell you, storytelling like that is not easy.

The week in Washington was as exhausting as it was exhilarating.

“That was the most stressful but the most rewarding week of my entire life,” Brett said. “I wasn’t eating or sleeping very much because I was so nervous.”

The preparation was relentless. Brett spent hours breaking down each team, digging beneath surface statistics, hunting for trends and conducting interviews.

“Building relationships makes preparation so incredibly easy,” Brett said. “Speedy [Claxton] already knows what I’m gonna ask him. The players already know what I’m going to ask them. It’s just very easy, very casual.”

After the semifinal game, Wille went back to the hotel and, after basking in the moment, immediately pivoted to preparing for the championship. He was up until 4 a.m. before the title game, and he was running on four hours of sleep by tip-off.

“It was hard,” Wille said. “But it was an unbelievable weekend that I wouldn’t trade for the world.”

The Edmead buzzer-beater nearly broke the broadcast in

the best possible way.

“That was the most excited I’ve ever been on air in my short career,” Wille said.

On the night of the CAA Championship game, when the final buzzer sounded, everything hit at once.

“I don’t think you can put it into words,” Brett said. “I cried a little bit … then I cried a lot when I got back to my hotel.”

“It means the world to this program and this school and this student body,” Brett continued. “When you put all that into account, I was overcome with emotion because we’re finally getting to see [Hofstra] on the big stage. [Hofstra is] getting the respect it deserves – getting the recognition it deserves.”

Wille reflected on the strange dual identity of a student broadcaster – simultaneously a journalist trying to stay neutral and a fan who chose this school, this team and this ride.

“You have pride for the university you’re covering – no pun intended – because you also chose to go to school here,” Wille said. “So, you root for the team, kind of as a fan, while also having to try and cover the team from a somewhat neutral standpoint, which makes it really difficult.”

For Leaf, the word that kept coming back was “rewarding,” because for them, it was never just about the game: it was about being there to capture it.

“To provide the soundtrack for the biggest moment of

a young man’s life at any moment,” Brett said. “You know, these guys are gonna watch that game and listen to that game over and over again throughout their lives, no matter where they go or how old they are.”

Now, the future looms. Brett and Wille graduate in May and Leaf graduates in December. Jobs, uncertainty and the reality of leaving Hofstra is all coming fast.

The last month has taught them a lot – lessons they will carry with them forever and impart onto others at the school.

For Wille, the advice he’d pass on to anyone chasing this path is simple: never say no to an opportunity and never stop reminding people what you love.

There aren’t many college students who get to call their school’s championship run, but for one week in March, three voices did more than just describe history; they became part of it. Long after the nets were cut down and the arena emptied, their calls will remain – echoing, replaying and telling the story over and over again, just the way they always dreamed.

Editor’s note: Eric Leaf is a staff writer for the Hofstra Chronicle and thus could not be quoted.

Hofstra women’s basketball’s Cinderella run

By Thomas Montana STAFF WRITER

The Hofstra University women’s basketball team finished out one of its most magical runs in program history on Sunday, March 15, after their loss to the College of Charleston in the championship game of the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Women’s Basketball Tournament. While the Pride were unable to punch their ticket to the big dance, this season will be looked back on as one of the most special and memorable in recent years.

Hofstra came into the tournament 8-21 and the 10th seed in the conference, barely receiving a first-round bye. The expectations around this team were a little different just before the tournament compared to where they were just two months prior, as the team went on a run to finish conference play. The Pride were once 3-18 and lost eight straight games with just one conference win; they ended the regular season 5-3 with three double-digit victories.

Throughout the season, Hofstra head coach Danielle Santos Atkinson said that she believed the team had what it takes to win.

With their dominance of the bottom half of the conference in this stretch, it seemed that she might be right.

“We had talked about [our connection] early in the season, how connected we are as a team,” Santos said after the Pride’s win over Northeastern University. “That plays a role

in what that looks like on the offensive side and the defensive side. There’s been a better connection on the floor with our team and amongst our team and so, defensively, they’ve been able to play better as a unit.”

Hofstra was slated for game four of the tournament against seventh seed Towson University. Coming into the game, Towson ended the year 3-1 with a +23-point differential. Their only loss came against Monmouth University, a sixpoint loss where Gigi Gamble scored 41 points on 14-20 from the field and 6-7 from 3-point range. Towson was 2-0 against the Pride with just a +4-win differential this season. The Tigers averaged just 52.5 points in the two games, while they were second in points per game in the CAA with 66.4.

“We held a team that has four people scoring in double digits [and] averages 70-75 points to 47,” Santos said after the first loss to Towson. “Lot of positives that we can pull from this game. We got to continue to work on putting that ball in the basket and down the stretch making sure that I have this team prepared to go and close it in the final seconds of the game.”

The game was as back-andforth as it could possibly be, with Hofstra leading after the first and third quarters and Towson in the second quarter. The Tigers’ sixth Player of the Year and All-CAA Second Teamer, India Johnston, took over the fourth quarter, scoring 14 of her 21 in the final 10 minutes, including a step-back

3-pointer and an and-one floater to put Towson up four with a minute remaining. Chloe Sterling cut the lead to two, and Alarice Gooden made a great defensive play at the rim against the 6-foot-3-inch Hannah Dereje, which gave the Pride the final possession down 71-69 with 19.1 seconds to go.

Despite not being able to call a timeout on the final play, Santos and the Pride drew up a play to get the best shot possible. Nevaeh Brown took the ball up and passed it to Sterling to drain the clock. Gooden wrapped around the baseline through a screen to the right wing, which got Johnston – who was guarding Brown –out of a position to potentially double-team the ball handler. Emma Von Essen caught a pass while splitting between a double screen of Brown and Sandra Magolico to get Masyn Marchbanks off balance. A jab step and a step-back put Marchbanks on the ground, and Von Essen knocked down the game-winning 3-pointer with 2.6 seconds to go. Their next matchup was against the second seed Campbell University the following day. Santos stressed how important it was to have strong performances on short turnaround games; four of the Pride’s five wins during the regular season were games with just two days of rest. Despite opening the game ugly with eight points and seven turnovers in the first quarter, Campbell was right there with them.

Hofstra led 39-32 going into the fourth quarter, playing some of their best defense of the season. At this point, the Fighting Camels were 2-17 from 3-point range with 10 straight misses. Magolico totaled four steals herself. Campbell tied the game at 44 from a 7-0 run with three minutes left, and the next two minutes featured no points from either side. Ema Karim knocked down her second 3-pointer of the game to break the spell, and Gooden put the game to bed with a wild hopstep layup. Hofstra became the first 10 seed in CAA history to make the semifinals.

“I kind of know it’s my last go around, so [Santos] always tells me to just play free, have confidence,” Gooden said. “We have no pressure on us; you guys saw the results. None of us, no one on our team won any [CAA Women’s Basketball Major Awards], so we’re all playing free, and we’re all playing with a chip on our shoulders.”

The Pride’s next matchup was against third seed Drexel University. The previous matchups against the Dragons were not the prettiest, with the Pride losing by an average of 21.5 points and scoring just 47 points per game. Drexel was the most efficient team in the CAA, meaning Hofstra would have to make minimal mistakes to pull this one out.

This game, like many games this season and tournament, opened ugly. After an early Pride lead to end the first quarter, Drexel went on a dominant run in the second quarter, holding Hofstra to five points on 2-14 shooting and led the Pride 22-19. The third quarter was sloppy at first with missed layups and turnovers but was cleaned up toward the end. The Pride held the Dragons to just two points with under five minutes to go, taking the lead going into the final 10.

Hofstra played great defense in the fourth, but their offense stalled, scoring just seven points in the first seven minutes. Drexel led by four with just under two minutes remaining.

Sana’a Garrett grabbed an offensive rebound to cut the lead

and, with good defense, the Pride once again had a chance to win one in the final seconds. Gooden missed the tying layup, forcing Hofstra to foul. Drexel’s inbound with nine seconds left was stolen by Sterling, who found Magolico under the basket for the layup to send the game to overtime.

With minimal scoring in the period, Hofstra led 48-46 with a little over a minute to go. Off a missed Gooden 3-pointer, Magolico made the play of the season, tipping the ball to Karim, who gave it right back to Magolico for the and-one, which put Hofstra up five. Drexel couldn’t come back, and the Pride were the lowest seed to ever make it to the championship game in CAA history.

“‘Tired’ is not even in our vocabulary,” Santos said. “It means more to us, and they are more than willing to give it everything that they have.”

The final game of the tournament run was against first seed Charleston. The Cougars were the highest scoring and best defensive team in the conference.

Charleston had the CAA Player of the Year, Taryn Barbot; the Defensive Player of the Year, Grace Ezebilo; and the Coach of the Year, Charleston head coach Robin Harmony. Two players made the All-CAA Team and two made the AllCAA Defensive Team.

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Hofstra women’s basketball’s Cinderella run cont.

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This was the biggest uphill battle this season for Hofstra. Their last matchup against Charleston reinforced that, as they lost by 17 points.

The first quarter was once again ugly for Hofstra.

Charleston went on an 11-0 run and totaled seven turnovers. The Cougars didn’t look invincible, with their star player and the rest of the team not shooting the best. This was much clearer in the second quarter, with Hofstra going on a 9-0 run, which tied the game and gave Hofstra the lead at halftime. Barbot was

quiet, and Hofstra had all the momentum.

All hope for the Pride was cut short in the third quarter, with Barbot and the rest of the Charleston team going on one of their most dominant runs of the season. It came when they needed it most.

The Cougars opened the quarter with a 17-0 run, with Hofstra not scoring for the first five and a half minutes. Von Essen broke the run with a 3-pointer, and the Pride eventually cut the lead to as little as nine in the fourth quarter. The barrage

of 3-pointers didn’t end, and Charleston came out CAA Champions.

“This team played their hearts out the entire tournament,” Santos said. “The way they showed up here, the way that they fought this entire weekend is just so special. I couldn’t be more proud of the way they played.”

It was a tough moment in addition to the fact that seven members of the Pride won’t be returning to the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex in November. With some of the graduating seniors

being transfers and some being homegrown, the impact that these players left on the program will be felt and missed.

“You have [Gooden] and [Von Essen], who’ve been here four years with this program, and [Sterling, who has] been here for two [years],” Santos said. “[It] feels like forever. When you talk about not only great players but great people – [I] not only took a chance on [Sterling] but [Sterling] took a chance on us. What she’s done and what [Gooden and Von Essen have] done as a part of our program and having players that are loyal

– four years – it’s hard to have four-year kids nowadays, and to have those stick around with our program [and] then do what they’ve done in their senior year is just special.”

More freshman involvement is expected next year, as this team is going to look extremely different for the first time in a while. Hofstra will look to some players who didn’t get much time on the hardwood, such as Michaela Hodge and Olivia VanPatten, as well as increased roles for those who helped push the Pride forward, like Micaela Carter.

Preston Edmead and Emma Von Essen: From Long Island locals to legends

By Thomas Montana STAFF WRITER

The week of Monday, March 9, and Thursday, March 12, will go down in Hofstra University’s history books. The school’s basketball program, known as “Guard U,” birthed talents such as Speedy Claxton, Charles Jenkins, Dia LaBella, Justin Wright-Foreman and more. Guard U is now more known for its clutch moments from hometown heroes in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Tournament.

Hofstra men’s basketball team came fresh off a dominant win over the College of William & Mary, in which they won by 31 points and scored their most points against a Division 1 opponent: 92. The Pride’s top scorer and this season’s CAA Player of the Year, Cruz Davis, led the way with 30 points. Towson University’s men’s basketball team was also coming off a blowout win; they defeated the College of Charleston 81-56. The Tigers’ top scorer and last season’s CAA Player of the Year, Tyler Tejada, led the game with 30 points. Hofstra’s game against Towson was set up to be one of, if not the best, game of the tournament.

The game was chippy, with multiple scuffles breaking out from hard contact and diving bodies. Tied at 52 with four minutes left, neither team was able to buy a basket. Hofstra freshman Preston Edmead knocked down a 3-pointer to end the two-minute drought. With just one minute to go, Tejada hit an and-one over Davis to tie the game up at 55, putting Davis in serious trouble with four personal fouls. Edmead and Tejada each missed their shot, sending the

up to the challenge, later knocking down a 28-foot 3-point shot, which put the Pride ahead by four. Towson was able to tie it back up with a Tejada midrange shot. Hofstra missed and Jaquan Womack made a bucket with 20 seconds to go. With Hofstra holding the possession, everyone in the building knew that Edmead would be the one to take the shot; the game was in his hands. He dribbled to the right wing, stepped back and banked a 27foot contested 3-pointer with 0.3 seconds left on the clock.

“It means so much being a kid from Long Island,” Edmead said. “This program is based in Long Island; it means everything. I wouldn’t want to win with anyone besides this team.”

On Thursday, March 12, the Hofstra women’s basketball team was coming fresh off a dominant win over Northeastern University. They won the game by 16 points. The Towson women’s basketball team was also coming off a blowout win, defeating Drexel University 74-58. The parallels between the men’s and women’s basketball teams were evident.

Neither Hofstra nor Towson pulled away in the first three quarters, despite both putting on good runs throughout the game. It took until the fourth

quarter for the Tigers’ top scorer, India Johnston, to get going, but when she was on, there was no stopping her. She scored 14 points in the first nine minutes of the final quarter, shooting 3-3 from 3-point range in that span. She showed off an incredible level of shot-making ability by knocking down a step back 3-pointer and an and-one floater, which put Towson up by four points with a little over a minute to go.

Chloe Sterling brought the Pride within two points with a pair of free throws, and 5-foot7-inch Alarice Gooden had the most underrated moment of the game by stopping the 6-foot3-inch forward Hannah Dereje at the rim. This allowed the Pride to have a chance to either tie or win the game. They were down 71-69 with just over 19 seconds to

go – just a one second difference from the time Edmead had. Sterling found Emma Von Essen battling through a double screen. Von Essen got to the left wing. She stepped back, dropping Towson’s Masyn Marchbanks to the ground. Von Essen proceeded to knock down the game-winning 3-pointer with 2.6 seconds remaining.

“My teammates and my coaches just had confidence in me,” Von Essen said. “They drew [the play] up for me, and I was like ‘Now I gotta hit this shot.’ This is the best feeling in the world for me; I’m never gonna feel this as a senior again.”

Each set of Hofstra and Towson teams came into their matchups directly from a blowout. Both members of the Pride who hit the shot were guards from Long Island: Edmead from Deer Park and Von Essen from Rockville Centre. Edmead and Von Essen both knocked down a step back 3-pointer from the wing, and both knocked Towson out of the CAA Tournament in the same week. This was a “two”in-a-million scenario, which is now the standard for the newly appointed “Clutch U.”

THE HOFSTRA CHRONICLE

March 24, 2026

For the first time in a quarter century, the Pride played in the NCAA Tournament.