HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – Having the solid non-conference performance that the Hofstra Pride had to start the season was encouraging, but it won’t mean much without translating to conference play.
If Hofstra’s Coastal Athletic Association opener was any indication, the Pride (10-4, 1-0 CAA) intend to make it last a while.
Following a non-conference slate highlighted by a three-game Cathedral Classic sweep in Philadelphia, a pair of road wins over Atlantic Coast Conference foes Pittsburgh and Syracuse, and a home victory against Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference preseason favorite Quinnipiac, Hofstra sent a message to the rest of the CAA with an easy 86-72 triumph over the Campbell Fighting Camels (6-8, 0-1 CAA) at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex Monday night.
The Pride used a 24-5 surge to turn an early 11-7 deficit into a commanding 31-16 lead from which the Camels never fully recovered.
Although Campbell responded with an 11-4 answer to get within 35-27, Hofstra swelled its advantage to 49-31 by halftime after closing the opening frame on a 14-4 run.
That lead ballooned to as much as 60-37 with 14:07 left and was still 18 points in the final minute while never dipping below the final margin of 14 throughout the second half.
The Camels’ trio of double-figure scorers, which included a game-high 25 points from sophomore guard Jeremiah Johnson, 13 from sophomore forward Dovydas Butka, and 12 from graduate guard Tasos Cook, was no match for the Pride’s four double-digit scorers, who each scored at least 14 points. Junior guard and leading CAA Player of the Year candidate Cruz Davis led the way with 22 points.
Davis and sophomore forward Joshua DeCady (15 points) each shot 6-for-11, while freshman point guard Preston Edmead (16 points) went 5-for-11, and freshman guard Jaeden Roberts (14 points) was 5-for-8 (including 4-for-6 from 3-point range) in 15 reserve minutes.
Senior forward Silas Sunday barely missed giving the Pride a fifth double-digit scorer with eight points and six rebounds off the bench. Roberts and Sunday accounted for all but three of Hofstra’s bench points to lead the Pride to a difference-making 25-7 advantage in that category.
“It was a total team effort,” Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton said. “We got contributions from everyone. Jaden Roberts coming off the bench, he was big [with] 14 points. Silas was great. [Edmead and DeCady] were terrific. Cruz was terrific. Cruz has played like the best player in the NCAA.”
In particular, Claxton underscored the efforts of DeCady (who unexpectedly led the Pride in first-half scoring with 14 points) while further espousing Roberts’ play.
“[DeCady’s] one of our hardest workers on the team, so I’m extremely happy for him that he’s seeing it come to fruition for him,” Claxton said. “Jaden Roberts is a special, special talent. He is just now starting to come into his own, and when we get that kind of point production from him off the bench, we’re going to be pretty hard to beat.”
For Campbell, Hofstra’s defense and rebounding were also tough to overcome, as was the Pride’s 54.4% shooting (31-for 57), including a sizzling 65.5% (19-for-29) in the first half. The Camels were held to 40.3% shooting (25-for-62), while going just 12-for-33 (36.4%) overall and only 3-for-16 (18.8%) before intermission.
“We’re always gonna go as our defense goes,” Claxton said. “I think once we buckled down, when we really locked in on defense, that’s when we kind of took off and started getting out in transition and started getting easy baskets.”
The Pride held a significant 42-27 rebounding edge.
“The game plan was the tougher team that was going to rebound would win the game,” DeCady said. “Coach [Claxton] had to make us adjust and reset to get those rebounds that we needed.”
“We knew… whoever won the glass was going to win this game, ” Claxton said. “They came out and were outrebounding us, so we kind of had to refocus during that [first media] timeout, get organized and win the glass.”
If there was something to improve upon going forward, it was Hofstra lacking a killer instinct even though Campbell never seriously threatened after the Pride was comfortably ahead since late in the first half.
“Overall, a good job by the guys,” Claxton said. “I thought we had a great first half. Then the second half, I think we kind of took our foot off the pedal a little bit.”
Nevertheless, Claxton mentioned the importance of starting CAA play in the same good manner as most of the Pride’s non-conference play went.
“It’s a confidence builder,” Claxton said. “You always want to get the first one, especially when you’re at home. I’m happy with the way that we came out, the way we performed, and we came out and handled business.”
Hofstra hopes to keep doing that, and to keep putting the rest of the CAA on early notice, with yet another trip to the state of Pennsylvania (where the Pride is 5-1 this season) as the Pride travels to Drexel on Saturday. Campbell goes to Monmouth on the final day of 2025 before starting 2026 at home against Northeastern on Saturday.
