Thursday, Jan. 17, William and Mary men’s basketball (11-8, 5-1 CAA) defeated Hampton (9-9,2-4 CAA) 67-64 at Convocation Center in Hampton, Va.
While the Pirates led 9-0 within the first four minutes of play, the Tribe managed to bounce back. Freshman guard Isaiah Mbeng put up the first points for the Green and Gold with a 3-pointer.
The Tribe slowly climbed back toward the Pirates as the half progressed. Graduate forward Keller Boothby tied up the game with four minutes, nine seconds remaining in the first half. The Tribe then went on a six-point run by graduate forward Malachi Ndur and junior guard Kyle Pulliam. Hampton junior forward Kyrese Mullen answered with a layup in the paint. The half ended with junior guard Chase Lowe going 1-2 in his free throws, and the Tribe led at 27-22.
William and Mary started off the second half hot, pulling ahead to a nine-point lead in the first five minutes of play.
Pirates graduate guard Wayne Bristol Jr. answered with a fastbreak layup, followed by a free throw. The Tribe extended its lead to eight points following a layup from senior forward Caleb Dorsey. The away team held its lead for the majority of the half with contributions across the board.
The Pirates slowly climbed back to tie up the game in the last five minutes of play at 54-54. Free throws from Lowe and Pirates sophomore guard Trevor Smith continued the tied game at 56-56.
Dorsey faced back-to-back fouls by senior guard Tyler Rice and Bristol. He answered these fouls by making four consecutive free throws, giving the Tribe a one-point lead over the Pirates in the last two minutes of play.
A free throw from junior guard George Beale Jr. set the Pirates ahead by one point at 63-62. Boothby responded by stealing the ball, and Case nailed a layup in the paint. The Tribe held its lead to finish the game with a final score of 67-64.
“Overall, I don’t think our team performed our best, but I was thrilled that we were able to grind out a win on the road anyway,” Lowe said.
Lowe described Hampton’s offense as “methodological” and hopes that the team will be better prepared for it in the future.
“The matchup allowed us an opportunity to grow while handling adversity in an away game environment,” Lowe added.
The Tribe will face Hampton again Thursday, Jan. 23 at Kaplan Arena in Williamsburg, Va., this time with a home court advantage.