Providence, RI - Sophomore forward Shante Evans had a monster game with 26 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Hofstra Women's Basketball team to a thrilling 80-76 victory over Providence on Monday evening at Alumni Hall/Mullaney Gymnasium. It marked the second straight season that Hofstra had defeated the Big East member Friars as Hofstra defeated Providence, 72-68, in Hempstead last season.
Junior center Marie Malone had her second straight stellar performance as she poured in 17 points and added nine rebounds to assist Evans. The double-double was the second of the season for Evans, who notched 16 double-doubles a season ago.
The win improved Hofstra's record to 3-1 after a season-opening loss to Virginia. Providence slips to 3-2 with the loss.
The win was Hofstra's fifth-ever against a current member of the Big East Conference.
A high-scoring first half would see the two teams combine for 75 points as the Pride took a 42-33 lead into the break as Evans was a force in the opening twenty minutes with 11 points and six boards.
Providence took an early 9-6 lead just under five minutes into the game courtesy of a jumper from Mi-Khida Hankins before Hofstra mounted its rally. Back-to-back baskets from senior guard Aamira Terry would give Hofstra its first lead of the contest at 10-9 and the Pride would use an 8-0 run in all to lead 14-9 following a layup from freshman guard Kate Loper with 12:07 left in the first stanza.
The Friars would regain the lead at 15-14 on a layup from Lauren Okafor and the teams would trade baskets for the next few minutes until Hofstra pushed its lead to nine, 37-28, with a 6-0 scoring that culminated with a jumper from Malone at the 1:59 mark.
A pair of free throws from Malone with just over a minute left in the half would give Hofstra its first double-digit lead of the game, 39-29, and the Pride would take a nine-point lead into the break as Symone Roberts hit two from the charity stripe with three ticks left on the clock.
Providence came out of the locker room on fire as the Friars scored the first seven points of the half and forced Hofstra to utilize its first timeout of the stanza just 1:33 into the second half.
The run would continue for Providence as they extended it to a half-opening 13-0 run almost three minutes into the final twenty minutes of regulation.
Hofstra would pick up its first points of the second half as Evans hit a pair of free throws at the 16:31 mark to make the score 46-44 in favor of Providence.
Malone would give Hofstra the lead back with an old-fashioned three-point play at the 15:31 mark that allowed Hofstra to take a 48-46 lead nearly five minutes into the second stanza.
A back and forth second half would see Providence regain its advantage at 57-56, but it was only for a short moment as Evans continued her strong showing with a basket just over nine minutes into the half to make the score 58-57 Hofstra.
The contest would be tied at 72 with 3:59 to play in regulation after a free throw from Evans and the teams would head under the two-minute barrier on the clock still knotted, this time at 73.
A driving layup from Evans with just under a minute to play would give Hofstra a narrow 75-73 and the Pride would ice the game at the free throw line as they earned a hard-fought victory of the Big East member Friars.
Terry finished with 10 points and four rebounds for the Pride, while junior guard Candice Bellocchio had eight points and five assists.
Symone Roberts scored a team-best 18 points and added seven assists for the Friars, who got a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds from Teya Wright.
Hofstra will have a little bit of a break before its next contest as the Pride will host Fairfield on Sunday, December 5 at 2 p.m.
