Colonial Athletic foes will lock horns when the Hofstra Pride (18-8) square off against the Towson Tigers (18-9) at Mack Sports Complex. The game starts at 7:00 pm ET on Thursday, Feb. 18.
The Pride come into this game hoping to repeat their last performance, topping Delaware 77-66 in their last game. With 18 points and 21 rebounds, Rokas Gustys recorded his 15th double-double of the season. The Tigers, meanwhile, are coming off a 99-82 win against William & Mary in their last game. Mike Morsell led the game in scoring with 34 points on 11-for-17 shooting.
Over the last five games, Gustys has been playing at a high level for the Pride. During that stretch, he has averaged 15.2 points, 17.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.8 steals, and 2.0 blocks. On the other side, the Tigers have been led by Morsell. He has been hot, averaging 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.2 blocks, and 2.2 three-pointers in the same time frame.
The frequency with which the Tigers shoot free throws could play a key factor in this game. They rank fifth in the nation in FTA rate (47.8), but Hofstra is among the best in the nation at keeping opponents off the line (ranking sixth by allowing a FTA rate of 24.3).
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Pride winning the first matchup 90-58. Brian Bernardi had a stellar game with 21 points, one assist, one steal, and four three-pointers.
The Pride have gone 18-8 Straight Up (SU) and 10-12-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Hofstra has averaged 71.3 points per game over the last 10 games, lower than its season average of 80.3. The Pride are one of the best in Division I in terms of three-point field goals, making 8.0 shots per game from beyond the arc. Few teams in the nation have a higher assist-to-turnover ratio than Hofstra, which ranks 48th at 1.33. The Hofstra defense is doing better against opposing offenses during the last 10 games. It is allowing an average of 67.7 points per game, well under their season average of 74.6.
Over on the other bench, the Tigers have records of 9-10 ATS and 18-9 SU. Offensively, the Tigers have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 71.8 points per game by averaging 79.9 during that stretch. The Tigers have controlled the offensive glass with an average of 14.1 offensive rebounds per game, 10th in the country. The Towson defense has allowed an average of 74.4 points per game during the last 10 games, higher than their season average of 66.1. They average 4.9 blocks per game, good for 40th in the nation.
In their previous meeting this season, Hofstra beat Towson, evening up the two teams’ head-to-head record over their most recent games (5-5). The teams also have an even 5-5 record ATS in the most recent meetings. Hofstra held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers twice in the last five games, while Towson wasn’t able to do so in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Hof, ATS Winner – Hof
Notes
The Hofstra Pride average 80.3 points per game, ranking 27th in the nation. The Towson Tigers rank 44th in points allowed with 66.1.
The Hofstra Pride rank 68th for their offensive rating of 111.4. The Towson Tigers have a defensive rating of 98.9 (ranked 83rd).
Hofstra has an average field goal percentage of 44.2%. Towson is a solid 5-3 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Hofstra Pride rank lower for their field goal percentage (172nd) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (124th), but the Towson Tigers have a better FG% ranking (247th) than eFG% ranking (280th).
Hofstra ranks 55th in assists, registering 15.6 per game. Towson performs worse at 311th with 11.4 assists per game.
Towson, the 40th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 4.9 per game. Hofstra does worse, ranked 209th with 3.2.
Hofstra ranks 78th in offensive rebounding. Towson ranks 166th in defensive rebounding.
The Towson Tigers make an average of 6.3 steals per game. When the Hofstra Pride give up 6 or more steals, they are a winning 7-4.
