Pecora’s Pride Upsets Charlotte
by Jay Pearlman
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – For reasons that pass understanding, they’re no longer the Flying Dutchmen. (Is that because Dutch women were offended, or just the Dutch in general?). For reasons that are crystal clear, two of the Three Amigos are gone, including conference Player of the Year Loren Stokes. The lone remaining member of the trio is certainly the best shooter and perhaps the best player. Antoine Agudio came into Saturday’s game tied for the national scoring lead at 27 points per game, two points better than Gary Neal averaged last year; his 30 on Saturday improved that average.
But with his mates gone, to date Agudio’s points weren’t enough to prevent four excruciatingly close losses, two in overtime, resulting in a 1-5 record as Charlotte came into Hempstead. And their last loss was a particularly bad one, by three at home to local rival Stony Brook. Charlotte, on the other hand, came to Long Island 6-2, with three straight quality wins against Wake Forest, Davidson and Southern Illinois.
In a conference in which three guards are as much the norm as the exception, and with great success the last three years with the Amigos, Tom Pecora reloaded at that position, bringing in 6-3 Charles Jenkins from Springfield Gardens in Queens, and prize recruit 6-4 Nathaniel Lester from Canarsie in Brooklyn. But replacing two star seniors with two freshmen can be painful. Coming into Saturday’s game, Jenkins averaged a respectable 12.5 points, shot 44%, and added 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. On the other hand, Lester averaged just 8 points and 2 rebounds, and had just 1 assist all year. And both have turned the ball over way too much, as has Agudio. With that production from his freshmen mates, Agudio’s 27 points were just enough to lose most every night out.
For thirty or more minutes, Saturday was much the same. Agudio had 12 at the half, no one else more than 3, and Hofstra was fortunate to be down just 33-25. Lester made just 1 out of 8 shots in the first half, and most of his shots missed by a mile. With everyone in the gym groaning with each shot, at halftime Pecora told his prize recruit to keep on shooting.
Like much of the first stanza, the second half began with Charlotte in control, and the 49ers quickly doubled their lead to 16. Then a shootout developed between Agudio and Charlotte’s undersized senior shooting guard Leemire Goldwire, with Goldwire ending up with 26 (15 in the second half) and Agudio with 30 (18 in the second half). Goldwire hit 8 three-pointers (5 in the second half), and Agudio hit 6 of 6 (4 in the second half). But it was the play of the freshmen guards (2/3 of the new Three Amigos) that made the difference.
In a great second half, and in a game that almost made up for the home conference overtime loss to UNC-Wilmington two weeks earlier, Hofstra caught and passed Charlotte, switched late – and just in time – from zone to man, and held off Goldwire and Charlotte, 70-68.
Jenkins finished with 10 on 3-4 shooting (including 1-1 from behind the arc), two rebounds and two assists. And with 4 seconds to go, when Agudio was screened at the top of the key, Jenkins picked up Goldwire and guarded him just as tightly, preventing a game-winning shot.
But the player who stepped up to join Agudio down the stretch was Lester, improving on his 1-8 first half to score 14 points for the game, 12 in the second half as he shot a more respectable 5-18, and grabbed six rebounds. Even his 1-8 from behind the arc is deceiving, as his final three was the game’s biggest shot. And unlike the first half, everyone in the gym knew it was pure the moment he took it.
So no, this isn’t Pecora’s best team, and certainly not his best guard group. But except for Mason over Kansas State (and including VCU over Maryland, I think), this was the biggest win for the conference so far this season. Now that Hofstra’s freshmen guards know they can win a close game, and can provide at least some offensive support to Agudio, Hempstead should be a challenging stop for every league team the rest of the season.
I thought I was going to see a Charlotte road win, perhaps by 30, boding well for the A-10 in its rivalry with the CAA. Now, Hofstra should have a ton of trouble at South Kingston, Rhode Island in its next game, and the formula for the opponent is the same: hold Agudio to 25 and beat Hofstra. The freshmen should be inconsistent the rest of the year. But at least for this day – and I suspect for a few more nights yet this winter – we got to see the Pride that Pecora thought he’d recruited. So at least until Agudio graduates, look out for the new Three Amigos.
