Hofstra women fall in CAA quarterfinals
The fifth-seeded Hofstra women's basketball team lost to fourth-seeded Virginia Commonwealth, 87-76, in a Colonial Athletic Association Tournament quarterfinal Friday in Upper Marlboro, Md.
A 13-5 run gave Hofstra a 52-48 lead, and the Pride tied the score at 64 when Jael Pena fed freshman forward Anma Onyeuku with 8:34 left. But VCU scored seven of the next eight points to go ahead for good.
Shante Evans had 17 points and eight rebounds and Pena 14 points and four assists for the Pride (19-12). Candice Bellocchio scored 11 points and Nicole Capurso had seven points, eight assists and seven steals.
Hofstra was outrebounded 52-40 and fell behind 10-0 and 34-22 in the first half. "We've got to give VCU credit," Hofstra coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey said. "We just got physically beaten down. They pounded the offensive boards. Physically, they are going to put their hands on you all night long.''
The Pride shot 9-for-37 after halftime. "We just couldn't get into an offensive rhythm,'' Kilburn-Steveskey said. Andrea Barbour had 28 points and Courtney Hurt 22 points and 12 rebounds for VCU (19-10).
Hofstra hopes to receive a postseason invitation Monday evening. "We have a chance to get into the NIT," Kilburn-Steveskey said. "If we got to do that, that would be pretty nice."
