Game Story; Hofstra 65, JMU 61

Saturday, February 21

Hempstead, N.Y.

TBA

James Madison University

7-18, 3-13CAA

Hofstra

13-13, 9-7CAA

JAMES MADISON

HOFSTRA

2/21/2004 1:58:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (2/21/2004) – Hofstra took control with a 10-0 scoring burst midway through the second half and held on to beat JMU 65-61.

JMU, after trailing 39-30 at halftime and 43-32 early during the final half, pulled to within 45-42 on Cavell Johnson's three-pointer with 11:12 to play. However, Hofstra hit for three-point field goals during each of its next two possessions and raised its lead to 55-42 by the 8:33 mark.

JMU didn't get as close as four points again until the final 1:27, and the Pride all but sealed the victory by hitting on free throws at the 31- and 18-second marks. JMU pulled to within 63-59 on Dwayne Broyles' steal and dunk with 1:27 to play but couldn't score after getting a turnover on Hofstra's ensuing possession.

The Pride's Aurimas Kieza then hit on one of two free throws for a 64-59 Hofstra lead with 0:31 left, and the Pride's Woody Souffrant hit on one of two with 0:18 left for the game's final margin. JMU's Ray Barbosa had hit on two free throws with 20 seconds left, but Johnson couldn't connect on a three-point try with six seconds left, and Hofstra rebounded.

Kieza and Mike Radziejewski hit on three-point field goals 25 seconds apart after JMU pulled to within 45-42, and Radziejewski added a fastbreak layup and Loren Stokes a field goal as Hofstra's lead went to 13 points during a 1:53 period.

The Pride had overcome an 8-0 JMU start to the game to pull even at 10-10 and went on to its 39-30 halftime advantage while hitting on 15 of 32 first-half shots (46.9 percent), including seven of 15 three-point attempts (46.7 percent).

Hofstra hit on nine three-point field goals (25 attempts) overall and had a 47-33 rebounding advantage. The Pride finished with a 37.1 percent shooting mark after shooting only 26.7 percent (8-30) during the final half.

JMU shot 39.3 percent overall (24-61) overall but only 18.2 percent (4-22) from three-point range.

Kieza led Hofstra with 19 points and 10 rebounds in 34 minutes. Stokes added 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 35 minutes.

Broyles led JMU in scoring (20), rebounding (8) and assists (3). Johnson had a career-high 16 points and tied his career rebounding high of six, and Daniel Freeman had 15 points. Johnson hit on seven of 13 shots and had a career-high four blocked shots, and Freeman hit on seven of 11 shots.