Mike DePaoli fills in for Speedy Claxton and Hofstra responds with hard-fought win over UNC Wilmington
Hofstra assistant coach Mike DePaoli, who was subbing for head coach Speedy Claxton, talks to his players during a timeout in a game against UNC Wilmington at the Mack Sports Complex on Saturday Credit: Lee S. Weissman
Mike DePaoli learned Saturday morning, just hours before Hofstra’s home game against UNC Wilmington, that he would be coaching the Pride.
Hofstra coach Speedy Claxton missed Saturday afternoon’s game because of personal reasons. DePaoli stepped in as the acting head coach for the first time since March 3, 2021 — the sixth of his six games as Fordham’s interim coach.
Hofstra responded well to the new voice, eking out a 66-63 CAA win over UNCW at David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex in Hempstead.
“It’s a testament to [Claxton’s] leadership that he wasn’t here today and we performed the way we did,” DePaoli said. “That’s a true testament to Speed. These guys, they didn’t miss a beat tonight. We’re hoping everything gets resolved and gets better quickly for him, but this one was absolutely for Coach Speed.”
Hofstra’s 11-point second-half lead flipped to a 63-61 deficit with 55.3 seconds left, but sophomore guard Jean Aranguren took matters into his own hands.
Aranguren caught the ball on the wing, backed down UNCW guard Bo Montgomery with five dribbles and made a layup while being fouled with 31.1 seconds left. The three-point play gave Hofstra (10-7, 2-2 CAA) a 64-63 lead.
Redshirt sophomore guard Khalil Farmer hit two free throws to make it 66-63 with 1.9 seconds left, and Cruz Davis blocked Joshua Corbin’s three-pointer at the buzzer.
The Pride snapped a skid of four losses in their last five games.
“I think we reacted good,” forward Silas Sunday said of playing for DePaoli. “Everybody stepped up to the plate. The energy on the bench was just the highest it has been this whole season, and we just had fun with it and we went out there and competed.”
Aranguren, a Venezuela native who attended Upper Room Christian School in Dix Hills, had three points and shot 1-for-5 in the first half. He had 17 second-half points, shooting 6-for-10 and making four threes.
What changed?
“I don’t know, to be honest with you,” DePaoli said. “What I love about Jean more than anything, he does a million things that help us win. His toughness just stands out every single day. And it’s not just his physical toughness, like his mental toughness — he runs to the fight. In his mind, and I could be wrong, I don’t think he even knew he was 1-for-5 at halftime. He has that type of confidence, and that’s what good players have.”
Hofstra survived a massive outing from guard Donovan Newby, who had 30 points, including eight three-pointers, and five assists for UNCW (12-5, 2-2).
Newby hit two free throws to give UNCW a 63-61 lead in the final minute but missed two shots for the lead in the final 18 seconds. Farmer, making only his second career start with German Plotnikov (lower leg) out, defended Newby on both misses.
Farmer scored 13 points in a career-high 38 minutes. He played only two minutes against Charleston on Thursday, six at Northeastern the previous Saturday and one against William & Mary on Jan. 2.
“Over the past few games, the coaches as a unit [have] just been keeping me just mentally sharp,” Farmer said. “Just saying like, ‘Yo . . . whenever your number’s called, just stay ready.’ ”
Said DePaoli: “I can’t say enough good stuff about him.’’
Ben Dickson joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
