Jenkins (35) helps Hofstra win in overtime

As if Hofstra had not done enough in this one big exciting surprise of a season, it had enough up its sleeve and inside its chest to make anyone a believer. On a night that looked ho-hum for most of the way, it turned out to be the Pride's greatest "oh wow" moment.

"It's just a will to win," Charles Jenkins said after a 92-90 overtime victory over visiting James Madison Monday night in which he scored 35 points and wasn't even the biggest hero. "We have every reason not to be successful. All the odds are against us."

He mentioned the background that is so familiar by now - first-year coach, offseason turmoil. But Hofstra has had one shining effort after another to move to 8-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association, 14-6 overall. "I don't think anyone in this room would have thought we'd be 8-1, myself included," said Mo Cassara, that unheralded first-year coach. "But this team has come together as a group and a family."

This time it was the family's youngest members who came through as Hofstra overcame a 45-30 deficit. True freshman Shemiye McLendon sank two free throws with 17.2 seconds left in regulation to force overtime at 79-79. The Pride had a seven-point lead cut to one in OT before true freshman Stephen Nwaukoni grabbed a huge defensive rebound and hit two free throws with 3.9 seconds left to give Hofstra a 92-89 lead.

The Pride fouled Julius Wells (23 points), who made the first free throw and intentionally missed the second. Denzel Bowles got the rebound but Jenkins tied him up, preventing him from adding to his 27-point total.

Earlier in the game, Jenkins moved past Steve Nisenson and into second on Hofstra's all-time scoring list; with 2,241 points, he needs 36 more to pass Antoine Agudio and become No. 1.

He had words of encouragement for his young teammates. Of McLendon (14 points), he said, "I told him he owed me that one from the Towson game." And before Nwaukoni made the long walk downcourt to try the two biggest free throws of his life, Jenkins told him, "You've worked too hard not to make these."

The two freshmen have learned to believe by watching Jenkins in practice and in games, not letting Hofstra sink into self-pity after two head coaches and two players left after last season. "You face him every day, you can only get better," McLendon said. "You work harder."

Hofstra's gym wasn't filled with people, but it was filled with noise at the end. "For all these kids have been through," Cassara said, "they deserved this." And at the buzzer, Jenkins made a sprint past the seven NBA scouts into the student section. "I would have hugged the whole section," he said, "if my arms were big enough."

Notes & quotes: Hofstra and VCU, tied for the CAA lead, will meet in Richmond Thursday . . . JMU is 15-6, 5-4 . . . Greg Washington had 13 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks for Hofstra, which trailed by 11 with just over five minutes left in regulation. Mike Moore had 14 points and Brad Kelleher 10.