The college basketball season is already brimming with drama, comebacks, and breakout performances as teams across the country battle to find their early-season identities. Friday night and the surrounding weekend delivered a slate of games that left fans buzzing, as squads like Hofstra, Carroll College, Southern Illinois, and Western Michigan all carved out storylines worth following as we barrel toward Thanksgiving tournaments and conference play. From clutch shooting to rebounding dominance, let’s break down the action and see what’s next for these teams.
In Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, the Bucknell Bison hosted the Hofstra Pride in a game that seemed, for a moment, to be slipping away from the visitors. Bucknell, coming off a tough loss but still boasting a 2-0 home start, looked poised to bounce back after racing to a 41-34 halftime lead. The Bison’s trio of Ruot Bijiek, Amon Dörries, and Jayden Williams each finished with 15 points, and early in the second half, Bucknell’s lead ballooned to 11 after Bijiek’s free throws and a driving layup by Williams.
But basketball is a game of runs, and Hofstra’s Preston Edmead had a second half to remember. Edmead, who would finish with a game-high 23 points, poured in 18 after the break, including back-to-back three-pointers that sparked a furious 10-0 Pride run. Suddenly, Bucknell’s double-digit cushion evaporated. Edmead continued his onslaught, drawing a foul on a long-range attempt and sinking all three free throws. He then found Biggie Patterson for a three-pointer that gave Hofstra their first lead since early in the first half.
Bucknell briefly reclaimed the lead at 53-52, thanks to another Williams bucket, but Edmead answered immediately with another three, swinging the momentum back to Hofstra for good. The Pride’s margin swelled to 14 with under eight minutes to play after German Plotnikov’s free throws. Still, Bucknell refused to go quietly. Achile Spadone’s clutch three-pointer cut the deficit to four with just 1:41 left, and the Bison had a golden opportunity to make it a one-point game, but Spadone’s next attempt rattled in and out. Four straight misses later, Hofstra iced the contest at the free throw line, closing out an 83-77 comeback victory.
The box score told a tale of two halves. Bucknell actually led in many statistical categories, including a 35-33 edge in rebounds and a whopping 20-8 advantage in second-chance points. The Bison also shot a strong 42.4% from the field and 85.7% from the line. But 17 turnovers—leading to a 26-12 Hofstra advantage in points off turnovers—proved costly. All five Hofstra starters hit double figures: Edmead (23), Cruz Davis (18), Biggie Patterson (17), Plotnikov (10), and Victory Onuetu, who notched a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Bucknell’s bench also shined, outscoring Hofstra’s reserves 19-4, with Aleksander Pachucki, Josh Fulton, and Jacob Meachem providing key minutes. Afterward, Naismith Hall-of-Famer and Bucknell alum Jay Wright, who also coached Hofstra from 1994-2001, spoke with the Bison, offering a moment of inspiration as Bucknell preps for a tough road swing at Pittsburgh and St. John’s next week.
Meanwhile, in Billings, Montana, the Carroll College Fighting Saints extended their mastery over Rocky Mountain College with a gritty 76-74 win to open Frontier Conference play. This marked Carroll’s seventh straight win over the Battlin’ Bears, a streak dating back to the 2023-24 season. The Saints, coming off a disappointing shooting night against College of Idaho, bounced back in style, hitting 52% from the floor. Guards Kellen Harrison and Drew Jones combined for 19 first-half points and each drained a pair of threes, helping Carroll to a 38-32 halftime lead. Rocky Mountain, however, wasn’t about to roll over. The Bears used a 10-2 run in the second half to briefly take the lead, but Carroll’s balanced attack and clutch free throw shooting—especially from Isaiah Crane, who scored 18 points and hit three crucial free throws in the final 30 seconds—sealed the win. Five Saints scored in double digits, and although Rocky Mountain dominated the boards 29-18, Carroll’s team effort and timely defense made the difference. The Saints, now 2-1 overall and 1-0 in conference, look to keep the momentum rolling as they head out for games at Dickinson State and Bismarck State.
Looking ahead, the Southern Illinois University (SIU) Salukis are gearing up for a Monday night showdown on the road against North Dakota State in Fargo. SIU, sitting at 2-1 after a heartbreaking overtime loss at Nevada, has been playing fast and physical under head coach Scott Nagy, averaging an eye-popping 88.3 points per game. Quel’Ron House is off to a scorching start, averaging 19.3 points, and he logged 22 in the Nevada game while playing nearly every minute. The Salukis have struggled at the free throw line, hitting just 62% as a team, and missed opportunities at the stripe cost them dearly in Reno. Improving in that department is a clear focus as they prepare to face a Bison squad (2-2) that has won two straight at home after dropping their first two games on the road. North Dakota State is led by Markhi Strickland, who’s averaging 15.8 points on a blistering 71.8% shooting inside the arc, while Damari Wheeler-Thomas and Tay Smith also provide double-digit scoring. The Bison finished 21-11 last season and were picked fourth in this year’s Summit League preseason poll. SIU’s schedule doesn’t get any easier, with games at the Jacksonville Classic and a Thanksgiving Eve trip to Memphis looming.
Another team to watch is Western Michigan, which announced a Sunday matinee at South Dakota. The Broncos (2-2) are coming off an impressive 83-71 comeback win over Purdue Fort Wayne, in which Jayden Brewer exploded for a career-high 26 points on 10-of-12 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. Freshman Brady Swartz provided a spark off the bench, draining six three-pointers and posting a career-best 20 points. Western Michigan dominated the glass, hauling in a season-high 53 rebounds, including 18 on the offensive end. Brewer and Max Burton are both top-10 in the MAC in rebounding, and the Broncos have now won the rebounding battle in all four games this season. Sunday’s contest is just the second all-time meeting between Western Michigan and South Dakota, with the Coyotes having taken the previous matchup 80-76 last season. South Dakota was picked to finish fifth in the Summit League preseason poll, and the Broncos are eager to reverse their fortunes against Summit League opponents, having dropped five straight to the conference over the last three years.
With non-conference slates heating up and conference play just around the corner, these early-season matchups are setting the tone for what promises to be a wild winter in college basketball. Will Hofstra’s balanced attack continue to shine? Can Bucknell clean up its turnovers and capitalize on second-chance opportunities? Will Carroll College keep their winning streak alive on the road, and can SIU and Western Michigan turn their statistical strengths into consistent victories? The next few weeks will tell the tale, but one thing’s for sure—college hoops fans won’t want to look away.
