Justin Wright-Foreman's buzzer-beating trey lifts Hofstra over Northeastern
Hofstra guard Justin Wright-Foreman (3) launches the game winning shot from 34 feet past Northeastern guard Vasa Pusica (4) during the second half on January 5, 2019. Credit: Lee S. Weissman/Lee S. Weissman
It seemed just a matter of time before Justin Wright-Foreman entered the rarefied air still occupied by Speedy Claxton, who set the standard for everyone who has played basketball for Hofstra since the end of his brilliant career.
On Saturday, Wright-Foreman joined the club. He scored a career-high 42 points — the last three on a 34-foot shot at the buzzer that beat Northeastern, 75-72 — in perhaps the most dominating performance since Claxton, who had two 40-point games as a senior in the 1999-2000 season. No one had scored at least 40 since Charles Jenkins in 2010-11.
“Just to get 40 points, I guess, is an honor,’’ Wright-Foreman said after Hofstra’s 10th straight victory. “But I’d rather win with my teammates.’’
A victory seemed in doubt when Hofstra trailed 70-61 with a little more than five minutes remaining, but Wright-Foreman, who played all 40 minutes, led the comeback.
His three-pointer cut the deficit to six. When Northeastern fouled him, he connected on four free throws to make it 70-68. Jacquil Taylor tied the score with two foul shots.
With the score tied at 72 in the final seconds, Northeastern’s Vasa Pusica missed a three-pointer from the top of the key. Taylor tipped the ball to Wright-Foreman in the lane and the senior guard raced downcourt with less than two seconds remaining.
“I just kind of looked at the clock before I was going to heave it,’’ he said. “But I saw how much time was on the clock. I just wanted to get as close to the basket as possible.’’
Hofstra Pride guard Justin Wright-Foreman (3) celebrates his game winning shot over Northeastern at the Hofstra University Pride on January 5, 2019. Credit: Lee S. Weissman/Lee S. Weissman
His shot from the middle of the court hit the backboard and banked in, and Wright-Foreman was mobbed by his teammates.
There was no set play before the wild finish. During Hofstra’s last timeout, according to coach Joe Mihalich, “We said in the huddle, ‘We’re gonna stop them, then we’re gonna get a rebound and just go rather than call a timeout and try to get some play to work that probably won’t work.’ We just said, ‘Get it and go.’ ”
Mihalich was asked about the impossible nature of the shot. “I don’t know if ‘impossible’ and ‘shot’ go together with Justin, I really don’t,’’ he said. “He makes shots every day you would say, ‘That was impossible.’ But he made it. He’s just a marvelous, marvelous basketball player who every game, every day, he does something to make you say ‘wow.’ ’’
Hofstra is 13-3 and 3-0 in the CAA. Northeastern dropped to 7-8, 1-2 but is expected to be one of the contenders for the conference title now that the team has key players back from injury.
Wright-Foreman shot 15-for-30 from the floor and 8-for-9 from the free-throw line. The reigning CAA player of the year, who is averaging 26.6 points a game, also had seven rebounds.
Taylor had 10 points and seven rebounds. Bolden Brace (cq)had 17 points for Northeastern.
“I think when you are a having a good year, you’re going to have a game like that. You just find a way to win,’’ Mihalich said, “Our guys did that. It was 70-61, a lot of people thought we were dead in the water, except us. We rallied, we believe in ourselves, we did what we had to do in those last four minutes.
“There’s a lot of ways we could have lost. We found a reason to win, we found a way to win.’’
