City of Basketball Love

Stephen Pianovich (@SPianovich)
--

Drexel got a new career high 33 points from Tavon Allen, but it was not quite enough as Hofstra, a first-place team in the CAA, came from behind for a 70-64 victory on Saturday.

At first…
Drexel never trailed in the first half of this one, and the Dragons grew their lead to as many as 11 in the first half. That happened near the 5:30 mark when Sammy Mojica hit a 3-pointer. Hofstra was held without a 3-pointer in the first half despite 12 attempts, and the Dragons were up by six at the intermission.

Turning point…
Philadelphia native Ameen Tanksley had a steal and layup with 7:44 left in the second half which was part of a 22-5 run and gave Hofstra its first lead of the game. The Pride grew that lead a few possessions later when Denton Koon knocked down a 3-pointer.

Shining stars…
Allen was on for most of the game, finishing 12-for-24 from the field. The senior guard – who was honored beforehand for his 1,000th point – also scored eight consecutive points at one stretch in the second half. For Hofstra, Tanksley finished with 15 points, while Archbishop Carroll product Juan’ya Green also poured in 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds.

Noteworthy numbers…
Drexel did not trail for the first 32 minutes and 16 seconds of the game. …Hofstra, which entered the game shooting 36.4 percent as a team from distance, went just 4-for-20 on threes. …Hofstra shot 62.5 percent from the field in the second half after a lousy 33.3 percent mark in the first 20 minutes.

Up next…
Drexel (3-18, 1-9 CAA) vs. James Madison (Feb. 4, 7 p.m.)
Hofstra (16-6, 9-2) vs. UNCW (Feb. 4, 7 p.m.)