Jenkins scores 31 as Hofstra beats Rider in OT, 92-89

For a team like Hofstra that has no chance of earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, coach Tom Pecora said playing an ESPN BracketBuster game - especially one that wasn't televised - was a "distraction because you're so into league play.''

Searching for a source of motivation before facing Rider of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, Pecora reminded his team that Hofstra had never lost a BracketBuster game in four previous attempts.

Maybe that accounted for Hofstra's running up an 11-point second-half lead. But when the Broncos pulled ahead by one with 2:50 left in regulation, it was game on in what became a 92-89 overtime victory for the Pride.

Hofstra (16-13, 8-8 Colonial Athletic Association) and Rider (15-14, 8-8 MAAC) entered with identical records, and although both might be middle-of-the-pack teams, both will be tough outs at conference tournament time.

As they came down the stretch Saturday at Mack Sports Complex, both teams got big-time games from their leading scorers. Ryan Thompson scored a career-high 38 points and added six assists for the Broncos and Charles Jenkins had 31 points for Hofstra, including six of the Pride's 17 points in overtime.

In the end, Jenkins had a little more help from his teammates as Hofstra moved to 5-0 in ESPN's gimmicky setup and earned its seventh victory in the past eight games. More importantly, it was the tough kind of game teams face in conference tournaments, and the Pride's confidence should grow after a victory over a team that upset the SEC's Mississippi State in the season opener.

"I think we've finally turned it around,'' said Jenkins, who scored at least 30 points for the third time in the last four games and lifted his average to 20.1 points. "This is a good time for us to make our run. We had a meeting the other day and said we had three games left to tournament time. This is the time we pick it up.''

Hofstra went on a 15-6 roll to take control with a 44-35 halftime lead, and the Pride maintained a cushion deep into the second half. Thompson got his points, but Hofstra had a balanced attack.

Nathaniel Lester scored 14 off the bench, 5-9 Chaz Williams had 12 points, nine rebounds and five assists, Greg Washington added 12 points, 11 rebounds and eight blocked shots, Cornelius Vines chipped in 10 points and Halil Kanacevic scored nine points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

But Rider fought back to take a 69-68 lead with 2:50 left in regulation, and a layup by Novar Gadson (16 points) with 13.4 seconds left tied the score at 75. In OT, Hofstra put together an 8-2 run for an 85-79 lead and held on by hitting nine of 10 foul shots in the extra period.

Hofstra's next game is Tuesday at CAA co-leader Northeastern, which lost its BracketBuster game to Louisiana Tech of the Western Athletic Conference.

"I feel we can win against anybody now,'' Pecora said. "We've always played well against Northeastern. I think we can go and play anybody and beat them. Whether we win or lose Tuesday, I'm going to feel we can beat Georgia State Saturday and whoever gets in our way the rest of the way.''