Nathaniel Lester scored 33 points and Mike Moore scored 21 of his 23 in the second half to lead Hofstra to an 89-71 season-opening victory over Long Island University on Friday night.
Playing without Charles Jenkins, who ended his career last season as Hofstra's career scoring leader, the Pride shot 71.4 percent (15 of 21) in the second half. Moore made all six of his second-half attempts, including 3 of 3 from 3-point range.
Hofstra, which led 32-30 at halftime, used an 18-3 run to turn a 58-50 lead into a 76-53 advantage with 4:26 remaining in the teams' first meeting in 23 years.
The Pride shot 59.2 percent (29 of 49) for the game to 47.9 percent (23 of 48) for the Blackbirds, who were 27-6 and Northeast Conference champions last season.
Jamal Olasewere scored 13 points and Jason Brickman 11 to lead Long Island.
