Defense digs in as Hofstra runs away in 2nd half in win over Drexel

With his team in an eight-point hole early in the second half against Drexel on Saturday, Hofstra coach Joe Mihalich used a media timeout to discuss the Pride’s defense.

He didn’t need to address the offense, which can get hot at any time and had been performing well. His team’s defense simply had been too inconsistent for his liking, and it was the reason for the deficit.

“Nobody talks about our defense. They say, ‘Oh, they play zone.’ But we can be good defensively,” Mihalich said. “It’s why we win a lot of games. We talked about defending and rebounding.

“And these guys responded. They were great.”

Hofstra’s response featured a suffocating defensive effort down the stretch that fueled a 35-14 run to close out a 72-59 win at the Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex.

Hofstra (15-7, 6-3 Colonial Athletic Association) held Drexel (12-10, 5-4) scoreless on 11 straight possessions in the last 10 minutes and produced a 17-0 run.

“We came out, we were down, we were soft and we changed that,” Desure Buie said. “We defended them well, played aggressive and forced turnovers.”

Senior forward Tareq Coburn led Hofstra with a career-high 24 points and senior guard Buie established the program record by playing in his 129th game, breaking a tie with Charles Jenkins and Nat Lester.

Coming off a last-second loss to Delaware on Thursday that featured a poor defensive effort on the final play, Buie said he and his teammates enjoyed having such a quick turnaround. The Pride wanted to erase the bitter taste from that loss and end a two-game losing streak.

Hofstra took a 33-32 lead into halftime despite allowing Drexel to shoot 50% in the first half. The Dragons then opened the second half with two quick baskets, forcing Mihalich to call a timeout 46 seconds into the half. Hoping to force more tough looks, Hofstra then switched from man-to-man defense to a zone.

It didn’t pay immediate dividends — Hofstra trailed 45-37 entering the first media timeout — but the Pride’s defense started taking hold of the game and Hofstra tied the score with 10:40 left.

Jalen Ray’s corner three-pointer gave the Pride the lead for good at 52-51 and the zone defense did the rest, forcing Drexel into six missed shots and five turnovers in its next 11 possessions.

Drexel went 7 minutes, 23 seconds without scoring while Hofstra built a 66-51 edge.

“You got to go hard, regardless of what defense you’re playing,” Coburn said. “It’s you and your man, and you got to help your teammates, too. We just fought.”

Notes & quotes: Hofstra awarded senior walk-on Connor Klementowicz of Freehold, New Jersey, with a scholarship during a pregame ceremony. “He is the best walk-on I’ve ever been around in my life,’’ Mihalich said, “and I’ve got a lot of games under my belt over the years. There’s no one more deserving.”