PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — In a defensive struggle defined by missed shots and grinding possessions, the Hofstra Pride edged the La Salle Explorers in a non-conference men’s basketball game Friday afternoon at Campus Center Gymnasium.

Hofstra secured the victory despite a subpar offensive performance, holding off a late La Salle push to improve its season record to 3-3. La Salle fell to 3-4 with the loss.

The game was a contest of attrition from the start. Hofstra built a narrow 34-30 lead by halftime, but neither team could find a consistent offensive rhythm. The Pride’s offense operated at a measured pace, scoring 63 points across 68 possessions for an offensive rating of 92.3. The Explorers were even less efficient, managing 58 points on 66 possessions for an offensive rating of 88.3.

The difference ultimately came from beyond the arc. Hofstra connected on 9 of 26 attempts from three-point range, while La Salle managed to make only 3 of 15 from deep. Both teams shot nearly identically from the floor overall, with Hofstra at 24 for 59 and La Salle at 23 for 58.

Cruz Davis led all scorers, carrying the Hofstra offense with a game-high 22 points. The guard from Plano, Texas, also dished out five assists and grabbed three rebounds in 39 minutes of action. His backcourt mate, German Plotnikov of Minsk, Belarus, added 12 points and four rebounds.

For La Salle, Jerome Brewer from Camden, New Jersey, paced the team with 13 points and six rebounds. Justin Archer contributed seven points and six rebounds, while Eric Acker facilitated the offense with six assists to go with nine points.

The second half saw Hofstra maintain its slim lead, but La Salle refused to go away. The Explorers chipped away and, with just eight seconds remaining, Brewer hit a pull-up jumper to cut the deficit to 61-58.

On the ensuing inbounds play, La Salle was forced to foul Hofstra’s Preston Edmead, who calmly sank two free throws to extend the lead to five and effectively seal the game with seven seconds left. A last-second three-point attempt by La Salle’s Ashton Walker was off the mark, allowing Hofstra to escape with the win.

The contest was characterized by its physical, turnover-prone nature. Hofstra committed 12 turnovers, while La Salle gave the ball away 13 times. Both teams recorded five blocks and were nearly even in steals, with La Salle holding a slight 6-5 edge. La Salle won the battle on the offensive glass, grabbing 11 rebounds to Hofstra’s eight.

Hofstra’s Biggie Patterson provided crucial secondary scoring, finishing with 13 points and five rebounds. La Salle’s Edwin Daniel was a defensive presence off the bench, blocking three shots.

The game’s final score fell well below the pregame over/under line of 142. Hofstra, which had been installed as a 2.5-point favorite, covered the spread with the five-point victory.

Hofstra returns to action quickly, facing Merrimack on Saturday, also in Philadelphia. La Salle will travel to face Penn on Saturday.