Pride boasts mix of veterans, newcomers

Hofstra comes off an up-and-down women’s basketball season that saw it finish with a 14-17 record, including a 6-6 mark in the Colonial Athletic Conference.

Gone are Shante Evans, a three-time All-America who averaged 16.1 points and 11.5 rebounds as a senior, and Candace Bond, the CAA’s 2012-2013 Defensive Player of the Year, but a blend of talented veterans and a solid freshman class gives the Pride reason for optimism.   

Hofstra got the season off to a good start with an exciting 65-63 road victory over Robert Morris. A late three-point play by sophomore Dee Thomas-Palmer gave the Pride a 65-61 lead and put the game away. Anma Onyeuku scored 13 points and pulled down seven rebounds, and sophomore Ruth Sherrill added nine points.

In a home win over Fordham, Onyeuku dropped a career-high 23 points to lead the Pride. Sherrill grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds. Prior to the win over Fordham, Hofstra fell to Boston College. The Pride has lost its past two games, a road loss to Northwestern, and a heartbreaking overtime loss at home to Virginia Tech to fall to 2-3 on the season.

Head coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey, in her eighth season at Hofstra, likes the makeup of her team. “We have a passionate group of young women who put winning ahead of everything else,” Kilburn-Steveskey said. “We need to take care of business at home, and learn how to deal with the tougher atmosphere on the road. I’m excited about this group.”

While the loss of Evans will be tough to overcome, Hofstra figures to be a less predictable team, and a more difficult one to scout. Expect James Madison, Drexel, Northeastern, and Towson to be among the elite teams in the CAA. 

Onyeuku, who averaged 9.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest, shot a team-leading 51.2% from the field as a junior. She figures to be one of the Pride’s go-to players. The senior captain opened eyes a year ago when she scored 21 on the road at Auburn. 

The Pride is very deep in the backcourt, led by the tandem of junior point guard Andreana Thomas and senior Annie Payton. Thomas, who scored 21 points and dished out five assists in the win over Fordham, was first in the CAA and 10th in the nation in assists as a sophomore. Payton buried a team-high 41 three-pointers and averaged 8.5 points in 2012-2013.

Sophomore Asia Jackson played in all 31 games as a freshman, and scored a career-high 20 points in a win over Norfolk State. Sophomore Alexis Carter saw action in 27 games as a freshman. Carter figures to start or be one of the first guards off the bench. 

Kilburn-Steveskey believes guard Krystal Luciano will be the type of player who can shift the momentum in a game. The freshman from Puerto Rico is a crafty player who never stops working. Fellow freshman Kelly Loftus brings a strong perimeter game and does all the small things. Sophomore Syndi Epps adds depth at guard. The Pride also welcomed in sophomore Jakelle King-Gilchrist, who transferred from Florida State.

Sherill, Thomas-Palmer, and junior McKenzie Kudron should be much improved in the frontcourt. The coach is excited about the upside of freshman Elo Edeferioka. The 6-foot-3 forward from Nigeria is an athletic player who loves to perform on the defensive end. Edeferioka showed the home crowd her athletic prowess by pulling down 11 rebounds in the loss to Virginia Tech. 

Kilburn-Stevetskey believes her team has tremendous potential. “There will be growing pains, and nights when freshmen play like freshmen, but I think we’re going to be a team that’s dangerous in the open court,” Kilburn-Stevetskey said. “We believe we have the making of something special. It’s time for Hofstra to become the best program in the conference.”