On a day when Hofstra honored Speedy Claxton – one of the best players in school history – it was only fitting that the game was won with defense, a staple of Claxton’s game. Unfortunately for Hofstra, that strong defensive effort was put forth by its opponent, Virginia Commonwealth, which beat the Pride 66-62 yesterday in Hempstead.
“Today was a great moment,” said Claxton, whose No. 10 jersey was retired before the game. “This place is like a family to me, and it was great that they decided to do this for me. I almost shed a tear up there.”
Claxton played at Hofstra from 1996-2000, scoring over 2,000 points, and is the school leader in career assists (660) and steals (288). In 2000, he led the team to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 23 years.
If the Pride were inspired by his presence, that wore off as the game went on. Hofstra (14-8, 6-5 CAA) led nearly the entire first half, but was unable to close out the Rams (16-6, 9-2) after leading by as many as 12 points. The Pride were outscored, 37-26, in the second half as their four-game winning streak ended.
“It was a tough-fought, CAA game,” Hofstra head coach Tom Pecora said. “We didn’t execute defensively in the second half.”
Hofstra was led by sophomore Charles Jenkins, who scored 22 points, but shot just 5-for-23 from the field.
The Pride had no answer for VCU senior guard Eric Maynor, who scored 21 of his 33 points in the second half. He shot 9-for-18, made 12 of 13 free throws, had nine rebounds and at one point scored 11 in a row.
“He took the game over,” Pecora said.
“I’m just out there to try and make my teammates better,” Maynor said. “But if shots come open to me, I’m taking them.”
VCU 66 Hofstra 62
