WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. (Interstat) — Cruz Davis scored 24 points and Hofstra used a dominant first-half shooting performance to build a lead it never relinquished, defeating Monmouth 73-57 in a Colonial Athletic Association men’s basketball game Saturday at the Multipurpose Activity Center.

The Pride snapped a three-game losing streak, improving to 14-9 overall. The Hawks fell to 11-12.

The most decisive stretch of the game came early, as Hofstra raced out to a 20-5 lead in the first seven minutes, a surge from which Monmouth never fully recovered. The sequence was fueled by precision offense and stifling defense. Davis, a 6-foot-3 guard from Plano, Texas, opened the scoring with a 3-pointer and added a dunk shortly after. Silas Sunday, the 7-foot center from Lucan, Ireland, controlled the paint with early rebounds and a jump shot, while Joshua Aaron Reaves connected from deep.

Monmouth, meanwhile, opened the game ice cold, missing eight of its first nine shots and committing three early turnovers. The Hawks finished the first half shooting just 3 for 13 from 3-point range, a struggle that persisted throughout the contest. They ended the game 3 of 18 from beyond the arc.

Hofstra took a 37-33 lead into halftime, but the margin felt wider due to the Pride’s efficiency. They shot 51.7% from the field in the opening period, including 6 of 13 from 3-point range. Monmouth stayed within striking distance primarily by forcing 10 first-half turnovers and converting them into 12 points.

Any hope of a Hawks comeback was extinguished early in the second half. Hofstra opened the period on a 9-3 run, capped by a German Plotnikov 3-pointer that pushed the lead to 46-36 with 14:01 remaining. Monmouth never cut the deficit below eight points the rest of the way, as their shooting woes continued. The Hawks managed only 24 points in the second half on 30% shooting from the field.

Davis, Hofstra’s top star, rebounded from a string of quieter offensive performances to lead all scorers. His 24 points came on an efficient 9-of-17 shooting, including four 3-pointers. He added four rebounds. Reaves provided crucial support with 17 points, and Sunday recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Point guard Preston Edmead orchestrated the offense with a game-high eight assists to go with 13 points.

Monmouth was led by Justin Ray with 15 points and Cornelius Robinson with 14. Andrew Ball added 10 points. Jason Rivera-Torres contributed six points, seven rebounds and two blocks, but the Hawks’ offense consistently stalled. They finished with an offensive rating of 87.4 points per 100 possessions, a stark contrast to Hofstra’s mark of 114.5.

The Pride’s ball security, a problem in the first half where they committed 10 turnovers, improved after halftime. They finished with 16 giveaways, which Monmouth converted into 18 points. However, Hofstra’s significant advantages in shooting percentage (51.9% to 38.3%) and rebounding (35-28) proved insurmountable. The Pride also outscored the Hawks 26-24 in the paint, with Sunday’s interior presence being a key factor.

The game was a reversal of the teams’ first meeting on Jan. 10, which Hofstra won 67-64 in overtime at home. This victory gives the Pride a season sweep in the conference series.

A crowd of 2,572 watched as Hofstra executed a wire-to-wire victory, leading for over 39 minutes of game time. The win moves Hofstra forward as it prepares to host Northeastern on Thursday. Monmouth looks to regroup on the road at Stony Brook, also on Thursday.

The outcome defied the pregame statistical projections, which slightly favored Monmouth. Hofstra, installed as a narrow one-point favorite, covered the spread with ease. The combined final score of 130 points fell well under the over/under line of 140, largely due to Monmouth’s offensive struggles.