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Buies Creek, NC- This past Saturday, Hofstra headed down to North Carolina just one week after blowing a 16-point lead to Campbell on their home floor. Hofstra got a huge win at Elon on Thursday to get them back on the right track, while Campbell entered their rematch with the Pride off of their best home win in program history, defeating William & Mary by 41 points. When you combine the revenge factor with both teams coming off of a win, it only adds to the excitement behind the matchup.
Due to the energy and intensity, the game had the feel of a CAA Tournament game in Washington D.C. As usual for the Camels, this game was a battle in the first frame. TJ Gadsden scored the game's first basket on Hofstra’s first possession. With these being the two best defenses in the conference entering this matchup, it was bound to be a grind-it-out type of game. This defensive focus could be felt through the first 14 minutes of the game. Hofstra would cut the Campbell lead to as low as six points on a Cruz Davis layup with 5:37 remaining in the half. After that bucket, the Camels would close the half on a 16-2 run and, capping off the run with a Colby Duggan buzzer-beater from beyond half court. Campbell led 43-20 at the break.
The second half began like the first half closed, with the Camels extending their lead to 54-25 before the next few possessions got a bit chippy.
Throughout the game, Campbell guard Nolan Dorsey was guarded closely by Hofstra's Joshua Decady. At the 15:07 mark, Dorsey scored an acrobatic layup with his left hand, and in frustration, Decady in gave Dorsey a little shove on the way up the court. A few possessions went by without much friction between them. However, at the 13:43 mark, Dorsey scored a contested three-pointer from the right win on Decady, and things went south.
The two were talking back and forth on defense, and when Dorsey made the three-pointer, he chirped back. Decady proceeded to shove Dorsey, and the two went after each other. The coaches from both benches had to come out and separate them by 30 to 40 feet as things settled down. After a review by the officials, both were assessed double-technicals, subsequently earning ejections. As of the time this is posted, there has been no word from the CAA on whether these two will be suspended for their next game.
Even down by 32, something that unusual in a basketball game can sometimes spark a team's comeback. Hofstra would make a run at the end, but the 35-point lead for the Camels was too much to overcome for the Pride. Campbell did not score in the final 4:42 of the game and they would eventually go on to win by a margin of 23 points, 75-52. Colby Duggan and Nolan Dorsey each finished with 15 points and for the Pride, Silas Sunday, Jean Aranguren, and Cruz Davis recorded 10 points.
Saturday's victory marks 5 straight for the Camels. Campbell Head Coach Kevin McGeehan was asked postgame about the streak and if something sparked it:
"...We're taking a significant amount of pride in being great defensively and the guys are starting to feed off each other...it's building a confidence in us that's allowing us to perform well...I thought we played really well and were competitive at North Carolina. We lost by 15, but we were in a fight with them...The confidence was coming even before the winning."
His response to being asked about the 5-game win streak was also quite candid:
"There is such a drive within me and our team to improve. I'm trying to force myself not to enjoy it too much. I'm enjoying it because I love the fact we are getting to be a good basketball team but we are still locked into our prove it mentality [prove it together everyday]. We don't want to be comfortable.
He expanded on how teams gel and grow as seasons progress:
"Part of the problem with all of it...guys that do this for a living have to make a preseason poll and projections so there is constant talk about, 'how is your team going to be or what are you going to look like, how about your transfers, got any freshmen?' and it forces you to project out how the season is going to be...I can give my best guess. I have been honest about my teams and when that [winning] doesn't immediately happen, people wonder what's wrong. No. This is the process. Teams gel through time and experience. We played 13 road games out of our first 20 games. It was hard. We had a difficult deal. I think it has helped us grow as a team, and now we are maybe starting to see the fruits. At the end of the day, none of that stuff matters."
The Camels are rolling, and they have a chance to make it six in a row at home in a rematch with Elon on Thursday, February 6th, 2025 at 7 p.m. Hofstra has a chance to get back in the win column on Thursday, February 6th, 2025 at 7 p.m at home against Northeastern. Both games can be seen on FloCollege. Follow along on X (@TrevorEverette) for live game updates, and for more of my work on House of College Hoops and House Enterprise, head here.
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