Despite a tremendous effort, the William and Mary women’s basketball team fell just short in a comeback attempt against Towson in the first round of the Colonial Athletic Association conference tournament, falling 71-65 in Upper Marlboro, Md.
Junior guard Marlena Tremba did just about everything for the Tribe (15-15, 6-12 CAA), nearly garnering a triple double en route to 29 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. In the end, she had too little help, as junior forward Alexandra Masaquel, who had 16 points, was the only other player in double figures for the College.
The teams traded baskets throughout the first quarter, and the score was 14-13 in favor of the Tigers (7-24, 3-15) after the period.
Junior guard Marlena Tremba did just about everything for the Tribe (15-15, 6-12 CAA), nearly garnering a triple double en route to 29 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. In the end, she had too little help, as junior forward Alexandra Masaquel, who had 16 points, was the only other player in double figures for the College.
Towson started the second quarter on an 8-0 run to jump out to a 22-13 lead. Two threes and three converted free throws after being fouled on a third three-point attempt from Tremba helped the Tribe to narrow the margin, and they trailed just 33-30 after the first half.
The deficit remained mostly the same throughout the third quarter, as the College remained just one or two baskets behind. The period ended with a 45-41 Towson advantage.
The Tigers went on a 12-3 run to open up a 57-44 advantage with just over six minutes remaining in the game. The separation between the two teams held steady for the next four minutes, and with 2:09 left in the game, Towson led by 12, 64-52.
A quick three from Tremba and a strong layup from Masaquel cut the deficit to seven, and all of a sudden, the Tribe was right back in the game. Tremba hit another three and a pair of free throws to trim the Tiger lead to 67-62 with 58 seconds left in the game. On the ensuing William and Mary possession, senior guard Brooke Stewart made it clear she didn’t want to leave her last college game with a loss, converting an old-fashioned three-point play to bring the Tribe within 2, 67-65, with 35 seconds remaining.
The Tribe’s bench was severely outmatched by Towson’s, as the College reserves were outscored 29-8.
From there, the College rally fell flat, as they failed to score, falling 71-65 after Towson successfully converted their free throws at the end of the game.
The Tribe’s bench was severely outmatched by Towson’s, as the College reserves were outscored 29-8. Despite limited bench production, and a lack of scoring balance, the Tribe kept themselves in the game with three-point shooting. Although they shot under 30 percent from distance, they did convert on eight triples, led by six from Tremba. For the game the College shot just 31.4 percent from the floor, while the Tigers shot 48.8 percent.
The Tribe season concludes with a 15-15 record, equaling their win total from last year. This season’s high expectations were not met, in large part because of the loss of sophomore center Abby Rendle to injury midway through the conference schedule. Next year, the Tribe returns Rendle, Tremba and Masaquel in what should be a strong 2016-17 season.