Hofstra wins as Lester reaches 1,000 points
Hofstra's Nathaniel Lester hits a three-pointer during the second half against Towson. (Feb. 1, 2012) Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
Hofstra chose to look at this game as a fresh start and decided to see their rough season as 0-0 going into last night. No looking back. Except they couldn't help reflecting on the past for just a moment, when Nathaniel Lester scored his 1,000th point.
It occurred on a free throw with 15:19 left in the Pride's 74-49 rout of Towson, which was coming off its first win after an NCAA Division I- record 41 losses. It said something about the player who hung around after he graduated in December 2010; who hung in there after he had to miss all of last season with a quad injury.
"It was great for Nat. The guy has been through a lot here," said teammate Mike Moore, who had 28 points last night. "He's been here five years. It's a credit to his work ethic and his stick-to-it-iveness to get his 1,000th point."
Lester finished with 19 points in a choppy, chippy game against Towson (1-23, 1-11). The Pride forced 27 turnovers and limited high scorer Marcus Damas of Bay Shore to seven points. Maybe it won't be one that the Hall of Fame will want to catch on tape, but it was a night that Lester never will forget and one that he had been waiting for a long time.
"I love the program," said Lester, who has 1,009 career points. "Hofstra has always been good to me. The coaches here have always been good to me so this is a great place to be. I stuck with it."
On his way off the court, he received congratulations from one of his fellow 29 Hofstra 1,000-point scorers, Speedy Claxton. And he had another interested spectator on the other side of the continent. Former teammate Charles Jenkins, the Pride's all-time scoring leader and a rookie with the Warriors, was watching over the Internet.
"I talk with Charles every day," Lester said. "He called me up before the game because he read about it that I was 10 points away. He was really happy for me. He told me to make sure I get it today."
Check. Of course, Lester and Moore both said the win was the most important thing for a team that is 8-16 overall and 2-10 in the conference.
"We made it a challenge for ourselves to outplay them, outwork them," Moore said. "We were in the same boat, only not as drastic as theirs."
