Last week, Hofstra defeated a pair of opponents the program hadn’t beaten in the previous 50-plus years.
The Pride won’t have to wait nearly as long to get another chance against Florida State, which will look to avoid an upset on Tuesday night in Tallahassee, Fla.
The Seminoles (3-1) have been off since Friday, when they fell 87-74 at home to then-No. 20 Florida.
Jamir Watkins had 19 points on Friday to lead four scorers in double figures for Florida State, which allowed Florida to shoot 55.6 percent (15 of 27) from the field in the first half, including a 46.7 percent mark (7 of 15) from 3-point land. The Gators led by as many as 18 on their way to a 44-31 halftime edge.
Florida State cooled off the visitors from distance in the second half, holding Florida to just 23.1 percent shooting (3 of 13) from 3-point range. The Seminoles closed within four points but ran out of gas over the game’s final 2:22, missing their final four shots while the Gators hit three straight to end the comeback bid.
“We are making progress,” Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said. “I thought we had better focus in the second half. We need to get more consistent stops, but I believe we can learn from this game.”
Hofstra (4-0) has learned plenty about itself during an unbeaten start that includes narrow wins over Seton Hall on Wednesday (49-48) and UMass on Saturday (75-71 in overtime).
Three players are averaging at least 15 points per game for Hofstra, which beat Seton Hall for the first time since the 1966-67 season. Jean Aranguren (20 points, 11 rebounds) posted a double-double in the Pride’s first victory over Massachusetts since the 1971-72 campaign.
“We’re a well-balanced team,” said Hofstra coach Speedy Claxton, who played for the school from 1996-2000 before being selected in the first round of the NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. “It could be anybody’s night.”
Florida State leads the all-time series 3-1, though Hofstra won the most recent meeting between the schools on Nov. 20, 2015, when the Pride earned an 82-77 victory in the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
