STEWART MANOR, N.Y. (Interstat) — A dominant first-half offensive display by Hofstra, fueled by a near-perfect offensive rating and a 20-point performance from Biggie Patterson, rendered Towson’s second-half adjustments moot as the Pride cruised to a 71-49 victory in Colonial Athletic Association men’s basketball on Saturday afternoon at Mack Sports Complex.

The game was effectively decided in the opening 20 minutes. Hofstra, playing with crisp efficiency, shot 53% from the field in the first half and built a commanding 46-20 lead by intermission. The Pride’s offensive rating of 117.2 for the game underscored a level of execution that Towson, which managed a rating of just 79.0, could not match. The Tigers’ 20-point first-half output represented a season low for a half.

Patterson, a junior from Richmond, Virginia, was the primary catalyst, scoring 17 of his game-high 20 points before halftime. His scoring burst included a personal 7-0 run late in the period, featuring a four-point play after being fouled on a made 3-pointer and a subsequent deep three, that stretched a 23-13 lead to 30-13 and sent the hosts into the break with full control.

While Patterson provided the scoring punch, the Hofstra offense was expertly directed by guard Preston Edmead. The Deer Park, New York, native orchestrated the attack with nine assists against only two turnovers, consistently finding open teammates against a scrambling Towson defense. Cruz Davis added 16 points and five assists, and Silas Sunday anchored the interior with eight rebounds and two blocks.

The most important sequence of the game occurred midway through the first half, with Hofstra leading 18-13. Over the next four minutes of game time, the Pride unleashed a decisive 15-2 run. It began with a Joshua DeCady dunk off a Davis steal and was punctuated by back-to-back 3-pointers from Edmead and Patterson. The surge transformed a competitive contest into a lopsided affair, pushing the lead to 33-15 and silencing any early momentum the Tigers had generated.

Towson, which fell to 13-12 overall and 6-6 in the CAA, showed more fight after halftime, outscoring Hofstra 29-25 in the second period. Tyler Tejada led the Tigers with 17 points and six rebounds, and reserve Ryan Conway provided a late spark with six points, including two 3-pointers, in just eight minutes. But the Tigers’ offensive struggles were pervasive; they shot just 29.6% from the field for the game and committed 11 turnovers leading to 14 Hofstra points.

The Pride, who improved to 16-9 and 8-4, also dominated defensively, recording six blocks and five steals. Victory Onuetu contributed eight points, five rebounds and two blocks off the bench, part of a Hofstra reserve unit that outscored Towson’s 17-13.

Hofstra’s victory completed a regular-season sweep of the Tigers, having also won 78-67 in Towson on Jan. 8. The win keeps the Pride firmly in the upper tier of the CAA standings as they head into the final weeks of conference play.

A crowd of 3,525 watched as the game’s final point total of 120 fell well under the betting over/under line of 138.5, a direct result of Towson’s anemic scoring. Hofstra entered the game as a 3-point favorite and outperformed that spread with ease, also exceeding the pregame win probability of 62.3% calculated by Interstat’s ELO system.

Towson will look to regroup at home against Stony Brook on Thursday. Hofstra hits the road for a key conference test at College of Charleston, also on Thursday.