Hofstra Escapes with a 76-75 Win Over Drexel

Saturday, January 28

Daskalakis Athletic Center

TBA

Drexel University

Hofstra

1/28/2006 12:00:00 AM

Box Score

Philadelphia - Hofstra's Carlos Rivera made three of five free throw attempts with 6.2 seconds remaining in overtime as the Pride (14-4, 7-3) escaped with a 76-75 win. Rivera was fouled on a three-point attempt and was awarded two more shots on a technical foul assessed to Head Coach Bruiser Flint. Bashir Mason's (Jersey City, N.J.) long three-point attempt to win it from beyond the top of the key bounced out to give the Pride the victory.

Drexel (12-10, 6-5) started the overtime period with a three-pointer from Dominick Mejia (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern) and another by Mason to open up a six point lead. The lead got up to six again when Stevenson, who finished with a career-best 15 points, hit a jumper. Hofstra's Antoine Agudio was fouled with 25 seconds to play. He made the first and missed the second, but the Pride got the board and Rivera nailed a trey to make it 75-73 with just 18 seconds left. Drexel couldn't get the ball in and was called on a five-second call which set up Hofstra's improbable finish.

The Dragons forced the overtime period by holding Hofstra scoreless for the final 3:53 of regulation and scoring six points during that stretch. Stevenson cut the lead to one on a jumper with 1:50 to play in regulation and Bashir Mason made one of two free throws with just over a minute to play to tie it. Hofstra got the ball with 11 seconds left but had a shot bounce off the rim.

Mason led the Dragons with 19 points and six assists. He played the entire 45 minutes. Chaz Crawford (Philadelphia, Pa./Hargrave Military Academy) finished with 15 points, nine rebounds, six blocks and five assists. The junior now has 200 blocked shots in his career. Kenell Sanchez (Camden, N.J./Bishop Eustace) had his second-straight double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

All five Pride starters scored in double figures. Agudio led the team with 19 points and Loren Stokes had 17 points and four steals. Aurimus Kieza had a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds.

Drexel played without starting center Frank Elegar, who was ejected in the final minute of Thursday's game against Old Dominion, and therefore sat out with a CAA-imposed one-game suspension.

Drexel will play at UNC Wilmington on Thursday night at 7 p.m.