Pirates Take On Hofstra In Icons Of The Game Matchup

Published: Wednesday, November 13, 2024

by Michael Federico

The Seton Hall Pirates (1-1) will head north to Uniondale, N.Y., to take on the Hofstra Pride (2-0) in the Nassau Coliseum for a neutral-site matchup.

The Pirates are looking to bounce back after a heartbreaking loss at the buzzer against Fordham last Saturday in historic Walsh Gymnasium. 

In their last game against Fordham, Jackie Johnson III emerged as the hero for the Rams, sinking a mid-range floater to secure a 57-56 victory over the Pirates. This was Fordham’s first road win over a high-major opponent since 2005 and their first road win against a BIG EAST team since 2000. The thrilling finish also handed the Pirates their first loss at Walsh Gymnasium since 1989, coincidentally also against Fordham.

A standout moment in the Pirates' defeat was the performance of graduate transfer Yacine Toumi from Evansville, who led the Pirates with 12 points, shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, including a three-pointer. Though only two games into the season, Toumi has already shown himself to be a reliable option off the bench, capable of playing multiple positions for Coach Shaheen Holloway.

Looking at Hofstra, the Pride are off to a strong 2-0 start this season, with a familiar face leading the way. In his first year in blue and yellow, Jaquon Sanders has been filling up the stat sheet. In their last game, Sanders played the entire 40 minutes, scoring 24 points on 7-of-12 shooting. He's reached double-digit scoring in both games, including a 15-point performance in the season opener.

A player to keep an eye out for the Pirates is sophomore Isaiah Coleman, who last game played 27 minutes off the bench and recorded 7 points with 3 rebounds in his season debut. Coleman can be expected to take a bigger role in the Pirates offense as the season continues, similar to his role last season.

This is the sixth all-time matchup between the Pirates and the Pride. The Pirates hold a 4-1 record in series history, with the last matchup dating back to 1970, when The Hall came away with a 60-58 victory.

An interesting note about this neutral-site matchup is that Seton Hall will be traveling 51.5 miles, while Hofstra has a short one-mile trip to Nassau Coliseum.

Michael Federico is the Technical Operations Director at WSOU 89.5 and can be reached at michael.federico@student.shu.edu. 

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