Hofstra builds off 25-win season

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Hofstra had one of its most successful seasons in women’s basketball program history in 2015-16, finishing with an overall record of 25-9 (13-5 in Colonial Athletic Conference) and advancing to the quarterfinal round of the WNIT where it lost to tournament runner-up Florida Gulf Coast.

There will be few easy nights for Hofstra in the CAA in 2016-17. Three-time defending champion James Madison, Elon, and Drexel figure to be in the mix for conference supremacy. The Pride, Delaware, William & Mary, and Northeastern all have the talent to compete with anyone on any given night.

Hofstra must replace a slew of talent, but a few key returnees, namely junior forward Ashunae Durant and senior point guard Krystal Luciano, along with a solid freshman class should enable the Pride to be a tough foe.

Head coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey, the winningest coach in program history, spanned the globe to compile a freshman class comprising players who have gained tremendous experience competing at the international level on national and club teams. The group includes a pair of players from Finland, one from Slovenia, and another from the Canary Islands. 

Kilburn-Steveskey knows it’ll take time for her team to develop. “Right now, the mantra is to be patient,” Kilburn-Steveskey said. “We have a talented group, and they pick things up very quickly, but there’s a learning curve. We’re just trying to get better every day. I’m real excited about this group.”

Durant followed up a spectacular rookie season by averaging 11.4 points and 8.9 rebounds per game as a sophomore. She’s lethal from mid range, attacks the basket, and has a knack for getting to the line. The preseason All-CAA First Team selection has the Pride off to a 3-1 start. Durant is averaging 16.8 points and 9.5 boards per game through the team’s first four games.  

Having experience at the point is a huge plus for Hofstra. Luciano averaged 9.0 points and 3.8 assists per game as a junior. Her ability to drive and dish, and shoot from the perimeter, makes Luciano real difficult for opponents to defend. She led the Pride with 56 three-pointers, and scored a career-high 21 points in a win over William & Mary last season.

Junior guard Aleana Leon has an increased role. When Hofstra was hit with the injury bug, Leon stepped in and put up some big numbers. She was one of the team’s top performers in the WNIT, posting 11 points in back-to-back victories against Harvard and Villanova, and putting up a career-high 15 in a win over Virginia.

Senior guard/forward Syndi Epps missed nearly all of 2015-16 with an injury. Epps’s versatility and court presence were sorely missed. She’s off to a solid start, averaging 6.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Guard Olivia Askin made the most of her increased minutes in the postseason. She’ll be a regular in the rotation as a junior.

Freshman Ana Hernandez Gil, who played for Spain at the FIBA European Championships in 2014 and 2016, can shoot the lights out from behind the arc. She’s a big part of the present and future of Hofstra basketball. Freshman Sandra Karsten has a similar resume, having competed with multiple Finnish national teams. Another pair of freshmen, E’Lexus Davis and Slovenia’s Petja Krupenko, provide depth at guard.

Sandra Dongmo, a 6-foot-4 forward from Dschang, Cameroon, saw time in nearly every game in 2015-16, hitting double figures in rebounds on four occasions. The Pride will be looking for more from Dongmo as a senior. Marianne Kalin, a 6-foot-1 freshman from Lappeenranta, Finland, has tremendous upside. 

“One of our strengths is our ability to share the ball,” Kilburn-Steveskey said. “We’ll work the ball through our veterans, but we have a lot of players who can score. As a team, we’re inexperienced at this level, but we’re getting there. We have an opportunity to be very good. It’s just going to take time.”