Hofstra women get offensive

Ok, so we aren’t seeing the 21st Century’s version of Loyola Marymount. But you have to admit the Hofstra women have scored enough points to last for a couple of weeks.

The Pride scored 90-plus points for the second straight game and has scored 88 or more points for the third straight contest in a 93-82 win over St. John’s at the Mack Sports Complex on Friday night.

How potent as the Pride’s offense been? Hofstra had four players in double figures, including sophomore guard Kate Loper with a career-high 29 points. Shante Evans had 27 points and 14 rebounds, while Nicole had 14 points. Point guard Candice Bellocchio got in the act, too, with 12 points.

The four shot a combined 27-for-51 from the field. What was more impressive was the Pride’s assist to turnover ratio of 21 to 16. Bellocchio had 12 assists and just one turnover.

“Our offense is made for us to score a lot,” said Evans. “Eventually no team is going to want to run with us…It was definitely fun. We had [93] points, so that means a lot of people were scoring.”

Pride coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey was impressed with her team’s offensive versatility. “I knew we had a special group, but I certainly didn’t know we’d be able to put up 90 the first couple of games,” Kilburn-Steveskey said.

Even St. John’s coach Kim Barnes Arico, who has her share of quality offensive players, was impressed with Hofstra’s potency.

“They kind of force you to play that style. You try and slow them down and you try to take the ball out of Bellocchio’s hands, but that kind of wears you down, too, if you don’t have the depth,” said Barnes Arico. “I think one of the greatest things about them, especially Bellocchio, is just her ability to go. You could probably put her in the New York City Marathon and she would finish.”

With Hofstra’s talent, depth and incredible offensive efficiency, is it too early to talk about the Pride’s NCAA Tournament possibilities? Nope. With no guarantee that it will win the CAA tournament, the Pride needs to put together a strong non-conference resume to convince the selection committee that it deserves an at-large bid.

The Pride (2-1) dropped its first game of the season against potential tournament team Gonzaga, which meant a win over St. John’s was a must to keep its at-large hopes alive. The Red Storm (1-2) played without star forward Da’Shena Stevens, but it was still a quality victory for the Pride.

With eight games remaining on its non-conference schedule, including contests against Hartford, Kansas State, Princeton and a possible showdown with Marist, a strong finish before CAA play begins should keep Hofstra in the national mix.

“We need to get a bid,” said Kilburn-Steveskey. “That’s what our goal is.”