Parise: 3 Pointers From Iona-Hofstra

By Vin Parise
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I had the chance to catch Tim Cluess and Iona at Hofstra last night against Mo Cassara and the improving Pride, who have now won three in a row after their 83-75 win over the Gaels.

Here are my 3 Pointers from Iona vs. Hofstra:

Top Guys Gotta Show Up

When Hofstra plays its best basketball, Nathaniel Lester and Mike Moore are usually playing well offensively. And that was the case last night as Moore and Lester combined for 45 of Hofstra's 83 points in the big win for the Pride. Hofstra shot 43% from the field, scored 26 points of Iona turnovers and scored 13 second chance points off their 15 offensive rebounds. On the other side, Iona leader Scott Machado did not play one of his best games in the maroon and gold. Machado had 6 turnovers, 5 points and zero free throw attempts in 27 foul plagued minutes.

Take Care of the Rock

John Wooden would not have been happy with many possessions last night. The two teams combined for 39 turnovers and many were unforced. Iona's biggest issue last night was turning the ball over. The Gaels committed 18 first half turnovers and Hofstra scored 26 points off the Iona offensive mistakes. The 15 point halftime deficit was just too much for Cluess' team. Coincidentally, when Iona played its best basketball, outscoring Hofstra by 7 in the 2nd half, the Gaels only turned the ball over 5 times.

Team Effort for Pride

Hofstra coach Mo Cassara was especially pleased with the win last night because of several guys stepping up without the Pride having their floor general -

"It was a great team effort against a very talented and well coached Iona team," Cassara told me this morning. "When we get multiple guys in double figures and share the ball, we know we're improving as a basketball team. This win was great for us, especially without our starting point guard Stevie Mejia."

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