After mounting a valiant comeback from 11 points down in the final 10 minutes of the game, the Georgia State men’s basketball team dropped a heartbreaker to Hofstra 68-67 in the first round of the CAA basketball tournament.
In a game that seemed a microcosm of their season, the Panthers watched Hofstra’s Greg Washington drain a foul line jumper with 15 seconds left to give Pride the final lead.
The Panthers struggled finishing games this season, losing several in the final possession and all three over-time games, finishing at 12-20.
Before Washington’s final shot, the Panthers had taken a 67-66 lead with 30 seconds left on a driving lay-up by Joe Dukes, who tried to get to the basket for the final shot but could not get a good look and had the ball stripped.
“Congratulations to Hofstra. They’re a tough team to guard because their guards can penetrate, but they’re also very good shooters,” said Georgia State head coach Rod Barnes.
“On that last possession, obviously we wanted to stop Jenkins, who is a really great player and definitely the Player of the Year in our league. We wanted to stop their penetration, but we let him get too deep, and he found Washington. Give him credit for making a big shot.”
Dukes, who was voted to the All-Colonial Athletic Association third team, finished with 15 points, six rebounds and six assists, while Charles Jenkins led the way for Hofstra with 24 points and four assists. Dukes, a transfer from Wake Forest, ranks in the Top 10 in Georgia State history in assists and steals after just two seasons in a Panther uniform.But the big story for the Panthers was senior Ousman Krubally, the consummate warrior who scored a career-high 19 points, 17 of them coming in the second half.
“Ousman had a really good night because he’s a battler, a warrior,” said Barnes who was happy with the overall contribution by all the seniors.
Trey Hampton finished with seven points, two rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots. Kevin Lott made two three pointers to go with his four rebounds and two assists, while Xavier Hansbro had eight points and four rebounds. Departing Trae Goldston scored eight points to finish his career as one of the most prolific scorers in Georgia State history with 1,033 points, putting him in the top 15 in school record books. Goldston also ranks second in the Panther record book with nearly 200 career three-pointers.
“It’s unfortunate to have it end this way, but I’m very thankful for a group of seniors that I have so much respect for,” Barnes continued. “I’m so proud of these guys and all that they have accomplished and all they have done for our program.”
Krubally was also recognized as Georgia State’s nominee for the Dean Ehlers Leadership Award along with sophomore Jihad Ali, who was also named to the CAA All-Academic second team.
While this game marked the end of the season for the Panthers, Hofstra joined Towson, Virginia Commonwealth and James Madison in the second round of the CAA tournament.
Towson blew out UNC-Wilmington, 91-74, as did Virginia Commonwealth in their victory over Delaware, 66-49. James Madison provided the only upset in the first round with their victory over sixth-seeded Drexel 77-65.
A dramatic battle between Hofstra and second-seeded Northeastern ended in a double overtime victory for the Huskies, 74-71. James Madison could not pull out another upset as they fell 70-65 to third-seeded William and Mary. Virginia Commonwealth continued their hot shooting with a resounding win over fourth-seeded George Mason 75-60 while Towson was no match for first-seeded Old Dominion. ODU beat the Tigers 86-56.
The first semifinal had long-time rivals Old Dominion and Virginia Commonwealth slugging it out in one of the most exciting CAA Tournament games in recent memory. Virginia Commonwealth had a 12 point lead with 11 minutes to go in the second half before Old Dominion stormed back to tie the game and take it into overtime. Old Dominion’s Ben Finney scored five of his 11 points in overtime to lift the Monarchs (73-69) over the Rams.
Northeastern was not as lucky, as the Huskies were upset by the Tribe of William and Mary 47-45 in the second semifinal of the tournament.In the championship game between Old Dominion and William and Mary, the Monarchs jumped out to an early lead and never looked back in their 60-53 victory over the Tribe. Ben Finney led the way for the Monarchs again with nine points and eight rebounds, while William and Mary’s Danny Sumner had a team high 19 points to go along with five rebounds.
“We wanted it. We wanted this win really bad,” said Old Dominion’s Gerald Lee, the tournament’s most valuable player. “We know we accomplished something tonight.”
Panthers lose to Hofstra; Old Dominion wins fifth CAA Championship
Published: Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Updated: Wednesday, March 17, 2010
 "Photo: N/A")
Trey Hampton, F, could not carry the Panthers past Hofstra in the first round of the CAA tournament.
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