William and Mary men’s basketball (11-8, 5-1 CAA) has been busy racking up victories as students enjoy winter break, riding a six-game winning streak to begin conference play in the Coastal Athletic Association .
“I feel very confident with how we stack up against conference teams,” junior guard Chase Lowe said after the Tribe’s final non-conference game against Navy (5-14, 2-4 Patriot League). “I think our system is going very hard for other teams to guard because we’re sending waves of guys at people.”
After defeating Navy 82-76 Sunday, Dec. 29, the Tribe began the CAA gauntlet at Hofstra’s (10-9, 2-4 CAA) Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex Thursday, Jan. 2, in Hempstead, N.Y.
Despite going down by eight points early in the first half, the Tribe mounted a quick comeback spearheaded by junior guard Kyle Frazier’s three consecutive 3-pointers. The Tribe’s attack, led by freshman guard Isaiah Mbeng and senior forward Noah Collier, powered to a 30-point lead with a few minutes left in the half before multiple Hofstra shots from beyond the arc trimmed the lead down to 21. The Tribe converted 57% of its field goals and a scorching 67% of 3-pointers to end the half at 48-27.
Fourteen seconds into the second half, Collier converted a layup, adding to the mounting pile of William and Mary field goals. The Pride never summoned much of a challenge for the remainder of the game, with Collier controlling a weak Hofstra defense in the paint and senior guard Matteus Case draining another three. Case recorded a team-high score of 15 points, closing out the game for the Tribe at 74-56. 39 of these points came from a deep Tribe bench led by Case and Frazier, and another eight points came from second chance plays, compared to Hofstra’s zero.
Saturday, Jan. 4, the Tribe defeated Stony Brook (4-15, 0-6 CAA) 83-76 at Stony Brook Arena in Stony Brook, N.Y. The Seawolves, who lost their first conference game, looked to turn things around. However, the Tribe’s shooting clinic continued. The away team boasted a 52% field goal conversion rate, of which 12 came from 3-point territory.
Both teams went back and forth to begin the game before Stony Brook jumped out to an eight-point lead, its largest of the game. Senior guard Gabe Dorsey immediately responded with a three, cutting the lead back down to five. Lowe gave the lead back to the Tribe two minutes later off a fast break opportunity. The Tribe controlled the narrative for the remainder of the half, taking a 42-37 lead back to the locker room at halftime.
Thanks to Tribe foul trouble, the Seawolves regained the lead in the second half. Needing a response, Gabe Dorsey and senior forward Caleb Dorsey took control of the game, dominating the paint. Crucial steals by Gabe Dorsey and Mbeng also helped upset the Seawolves’ tempo, with 16 points off of turnovers contributing to the Tribe’s victory in a game that saw 13 lead changes and nine ties.
The Tribe traveled home Thursday, Jan. 9 and defeated Elon (13-6, 4-2 CAA) 78-65 at Kaplan Arena in Williamsburg, Va. Graduate forward Keller Boothby shined in this game, notching a season-high 19 points and also leading the team by shooting 3-6 from 3-point range.
The Phoenix were also undefeated in conference play coming into this game, making for a heated contest. Elon jumped to an early 18-10 lead, thanks to a tip-in by Phoenix freshman forward Brayden Crump. The Tribe bounced back quickly, scoring eight unanswered with a Lowe shot from beyond the arc tying the game up. Boothby began to take over the game, scoring a layup and a 3-pointer in quick succession to keep the game close. Elon would earn a one-point lead going into the halftime break thanks to a critical and-one conversion by sophomore guard Nick Dorn with less than a minute remaining.
A strong second half performance for the Tribe would prove the difference, with the home team outscoring the Phoenix 48-34 in the final 20 minutes. Boothby picked up where he left off with a jumper 30 seconds in, taking back the lead for the Tribe. Elon senior forward Sam Sherry took advantage of a missed Gabe Dorsey 3-pointer, corralling the rebound before scoring a fastbreak dunk to put the Phoenix ahead again. This proved to be the last time the Phoenix held a lead, with Boohtby scoring seven points in three minutes. Lowe and Mbeng helped extend the lead to double digits at the free-throw line before Lowe hit Boothby with a key assist to put the match out of reach for the Phoenix. Lowe went a perfect 4-4 on both field goals and free throws to complement Boothby’s stellar night, earning 13 points. Gabe Dorsey added 11 points to the final tally.
“It was a good win,” head coach Brian Earl said after the game, emphasizing the team’s strong offensive rebounding and success in running down the clock. “It was a frustration, especially in the first half, and I thought we were able to bust it open in the second half.”
The Tribe also defeated North Carolina Agricultural and Technical 81-78 (4-15, 0-6 CAA) Saturday, Jan. 11 at Kaplan Arena. The crucial last-second win propelled the Tribe into first place on the CAA table.
Desperate for their first win of the season, the Aggies started off strong, scoring five unanswered points. This began a back-and-forth between the teams, with a Caleb Dorsey jumper grabbing the first lead of the night for the Tribe at 8-7. A Case turnover would lead to a fastbreak for Aggies sophomore guard Ryan Forrest, who scored nine of the first 11 points for the Bulldogs. Collier claimed six points in the paint to begin a big night, including one fastbreak dunk, stretching the lead slightly to four points, the Tribe’s largest of the half. Boothby found success from beyond the arc with under five minutes to spare in the half, continuing his torrent shooting success. The Tribe headed back to the locker room with another four-point lead after Mbeng converted two free throws with three seconds to play.
The second half saw more back-and-forth action, with the Tribe leading by as many as five and the Aggies by as many as eight with 14 minutes, 50 seconds to play. Gabe Dorsey whittled the Aggies lead down to five with a 3-point shot only 12 seconds later, with another triple five minutes later, finally handing the lead back to William and Mary. Mbeng added five crucial points to keep the lead safe for the Tribe. Another Gabe Dorsey three-pointer with three minutes left on the clock extended the lead by four, though it would begin a long scoring drought. The Aggies tied the game off a Forrest free throw and a critical three-point heave from sophomore guard Jahnathan Lamothe, his only make of the night, with three seconds left. Boothby would prove the hero, hitting a dagger from 35 feet as time expired, sending Kaplan Arena into a frenzy. Free throws proved to be the difference maker, with the Tribe going 14-17.
“I think we have a team where everyone has an opportunity to shine,” Collier said after the game. “It doesn’t really matter who scores the baskets. At the end of the day, we have such a beautiful system where everyone has an equal opportunity.”
The Tribe defeated Hampton (9-9, 2-4 CAA) 67-64 in another shooting clinic at Convocation Center in Hampton,Va. Again William and Mary overcame adversity, storming back after the Pirates opened the game at 9-0 and shaking off two deficits in the last three minutes. Case saved heroics for late, scoring six points in the final two minutes, part of his 18-point night coming off the bench. A common trend in the Tribe wins, 48 points came from the bench. The Tribe also shot 40% from the three, compared to Hampton’s 26%, with junior guard Kyle Pulliam, going 3-4 from deep. The Tribe also went 15-20 on free throws.
The Tribe’s hot streak did come to an end on Jan. 20, when it finally dropped its first CAA matchup against UNC Wilmington (14-5, 4-2 CAA) 85-74 in the Trask Coliseum in Wilmington, NC. However, the Green and Gold will have the opportunity to get back into the win column when it hosts Hampton at home in Kaplan Arena on Jan. 23.