The school, formerly known as the Flying Dutchmen, led the game from start to finish as former Arkansas Razorback Abayomi Iyiola finished the game with 18 points and 14 rebounds, while Aaron Estrada had 22 for Hofstra to lead all scorers.
Arkansas guard JD Notae had 20 points to lead the Razorbacks.
It wasn’t that Arkansas got beat, “they dominated us, just on effort,” Arkansas coach Eric Musselman, above, said in a quick postgame press conference. This loss follows Arkansas’s loss to Oklahoma last week that was also a neutral site game and dropped the Hogs to 9-2 on the season.
“Both those games,” Musselman said, “I’m disappointed.”
The reaction was quite a bit different on the Hofstra side.
Coach Speedy Claxton, in his first season at his alma mater, had a smile on his face that stretched from ear to ear.
“This is probably the biggest win in Hofstra history,” Claxton said. “To beat a ranked opponent … This is monumental. This is definitely big for the program.”
Hofstra played the game with leading scorer Zach Cooks on the bench and Claxton added, “We have a really good, really deep team and that on any given night, a number of guys could beat you.”
Both Musselman and Claxton talked about Iyiola’s performance.
“I thought he outplayed every guy on our roster,” Musselman said and “for him to have this type of game,” Claxton said, “we are extremely happy for him.”
Hofstra is now 7-5 on the season and travels to Monmouth in a CAA game on Wednesday, Dec. 22, while Arkansas will host Elon on Tuesday, Dec. 21. Attendance for the game played at North Little Rock’s Simmons Bank Arena was an announced 14,685.
Bonus Jerry Beach content:
“I know Jerry Beach,” Hofstra coach Speedy Claxton said. “He’s a good dude.”
Monmouth in the MAAC, not the CAA
Monmouth likely though will soon be in the CAA
Hopw So, as long as they bring Fairfield with them