Jenkins scores 32 as Hofstra defeats Drexel

It is one of the oldest and truest axioms in sports: When someone is out, someone else has to step up. This time, it was most of the usual audience that was missing and it was the Hofstra student section that picked up the slack. All but about 600 of the seats were empty, yet the arena was filled with noise.

A big assist went to the 125 hardy souls who made it across campus through the snow and sat near the baseline. They set out to make it a regular game on an unusual night and helped make it much more. They chanted for Charles Jenkins as he scored 32 points, they roared for Chaz Williams, who had a dynamic night (20 points, eight rebounds, nine assists). They applauded Greg Washington, who made his school-record 179th career block.

Most of all, they set the tone for a 75-64 win over Drexel (14-12, 9-5 CAA), arguably the Pride's best win of the season.

It was the first victory for Hofstra (13-13, 6-8) against one of the conference's top five teams. It was especially spirited because, with a storm raging outside, there was a chance it could have about as much electricity as a preseason scrimmage. "You see a lot of the same faces on the front line in the student section. It was fun that the students came through the weather," said Washington, a junior.

Coach Tom Pecora said of the crowd, officially announced at 893: "God bless the fans who came out; the students were good, they were noisy."

The band played the Hofstra fight song as the Pride raced onto the court for pregame layups. The public address system poured out the usual pregame music. The cheerleading and dance squads performed as if there were a full house.

But it was the vocal group of students who went the extra mile. The students, after a day of canceled classes, did their best to make it feel like a regular game. They cheered, chanted, taunted. They repeatedly sang "Char-rles Jen-kins" for the Pride star who played aggressively and had 16 points in the first half. It was an effort to pump life into one of the few live sporting events held during a blizzard.

Pecora said that the Colonial Athletic Association strongly encourages its teams to play all the games on schedule. "I just got a phone call," he said before the game. "Someone said, 'I can't get in. It's not fair. I'm an avid season ticket-holder. I want to be at the game.' I said, 'We're not making that choice.'

"What happens is that when we get later in the season, it becomes more difficult to reschedule. With 2 1/2 weeks left, there are questions about the availability of facilities, who's traveling, where teams are," he said. "In January, this game is postponed, but in February it's just not possible."

Drexel coach Bruiser Flint said, "We were already here. By playing this game, we don't disrupt the rest of our schedule."

Hofstra disrupted Drexel's momentum, going up by 20 in the second half and holding off a run. Williams nearly achieved the first triple-double in school history. Jenkins took the whole team on his shoulders, accepting the coach's challenge to take more responsibility. "We watched tape of games when I was more aggressive," said Jenkins, who was 11-for-26 from the floor. "When I was more aggressive, we won."

His fellow undergraduates along the baseline can say the same, loudly.