Friday, March 13, William and Mary women’s basketball’s (17-14, 9-9 CAA) dream of consecutive NCAA tournament appearances ended in the Coastal Athletic Association tournament quarterfinals. The Tribe fell 58-55 to No. 1 seed Charleston (27-5, 16-2 CAA) at CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C.
Entering the tournament in the second round, just as they did in 2025 when the team managed four wins in four days to qualify for the NCAA tournament, the Tribe first defeated No. 9 seed North Carolina A&T (12-18, 7-11 CAA).
In the only regular season meeting between the teams, which resulted in a 60-49 William and Mary victory Jan. 2 at Kaplan Arena in Williamsburg, Va., the Tribe forced 18 N.C. A&T turnovers while shooting 40% from behind the paint.
While the Tribe’s three-point shooting from January’s game did not carry over to Thursday afternoon, its defense undoubtedly did.
In the first quarter alone, the Tribe forced eight N.C. A&T turnovers — allowing the Green and Gold to attempt 11 more shots in the first period. Junior guard Cassidy Geddes built on her 22-point performance in the regular season finale against Hampton (10-21, 4-14 CAA), scoring five points and contributing two assists.
The Tribe’s ability to turn the Aggies’ turnovers into points on the other end was key to its 29-18 halftime advantage.
Despite shooting only 39% from the field and 21% from behind the paint, the Tribe outscored the Aggies 10-2 on points off turnovers.
“Defense starts everything. When we defend, we score really well,” head coach Erin Dickerson Davis said.
The second half played out differently, however, as N.C. A&T built offensive momentum. Despite only shooting 3-16 from the field in the third quarter, the Aggies shot 8-10 from the free-throw line.
The Aggies also shifted the battle on the glass, grabbing seven offensive rebounds in the third quarter alone, which turned into eight second-chance points.
Even with N.C. A&T raising its level in the third quarter, the Tribe maintained its double-digit lead behind crucial contributions from senior guard Alexa Mikeska and junior center Tika Sallman.
The game completely shifted in the fourth quarter, as the Aggies launched a last-ditch comeback to try and save their season.
“They are going at a different speed,” Dickerson Davis said. “We are trying to use [the] clock, and they are trying to speed us up.”
After making only two three-pointers throughout the first three quarters, the Aggies hit four in the fourth quarter alone, led by freshman guard Crystal Hardy. Hardy scored nine points in the final period.
With 1 minute, 15 seconds remaining, the Aggies cut the Tribe’s lead to one point, setting up a photo finish.
The Tribe responded with a basket from sophomore forward Marley Long and a pair of free throws from Geddes, extending the lead to 60-55.
“Being able to withstand runs in March and being able to make big plays is what it is all about,” Dickerson Davis said.
The win versus N.C. A&T set up a Friday afternoon date with CAA No. 1 seed Charleston. Just two weeks before on Feb. 27, the Tribe lost to the Cougars 70-48 at TD Arena in Charleston, S.C.
Even with that outcome in mind, Dickerson Davis saw the recent meeting as an advantage for her team.
“We have played them twice,” Dickerson Davis said. “We know what they do, they have the [CAA] player of the year, they have first team all-conference players.”
William and Mary started strong, with Long and Sallman attacking Charleston in the paint. The Tribe front-court duo scored nine of the Tribe’s 15 first-quarter points, giving the team a narrow advantage entering the second quarter.
However, the Tribe’s ability to force turnovers and convert them into easy baskets on the offensive end soon flipped.
In the first half, Charleston forced nine Tribe turnovers.
Additionally, Charleston junior guard and 2024-25 and 2025-26 CAA Player of the Year Taryn Barbot challenged the Tribe in the first half, recording 10 points.
While Charleston’s strong third-quarter performance troubled the Tribe in the teams’ previous matchup, William and Mary avoided such a fate this time around.
Geddes, who scored 11 points and knocked down three three-pointers in the third quarter alone, was the main protagonist for the Tribe.
The Tribe also slowed down Barbot offensively, holding her to only two points in the quarter on 1-7 shooting.
“We know she is a main character. We were keeping pressure on her, making her take contested shots,” Mikeska said about her team’s plan to limit Barbot.
Heading into the fourth quarter, the Tribe held a one-point lead and the chance to knock off the CAA No. 1 seed for the second consecutive season. However, the former CAA champions lost steam.
After shooting 52.5% from the field in the first three quarters of the game, the William and Mary offense grinded to a halt.
Two separate scoring droughts hurt Dickerson Davis’ team, during one of which a 7-0 Charleston run turned a four-point Tribe lead into a three-point deficit.
“I think we had some tired legs, we missed some wide-open shots that we make every day,” Dickerson Davis said. “Honestly, I think that was just fatigue.”
Additionally, Charleston brought down nine offensive rebounds, allowing the Cougars to survive another poor shooting quarter from Barbot.
Down 58-55 with 14 seconds remaining, the Tribe had one last chance to force overtime and keep its season alive.
The Tribe, however, never managed a final attempt, bringing its season to a close.
Despite the loss, Dickerson Davis praised her team.
“We were resilient against a really good, ranked mid-major team,” she said.
Dickerson Davis also honored the contributions of Mikeska, who recorded five points and seven assists during her final game with William and Mary.
“We would not be here without her, and [I] am very lucky to have coached her,” Dickerson Davis said.
Looking ahead to the offseason and the 2026-27 season, Dickerson Davis remains confident.
“I hope that I can retain my team because then, we will be the same team coming back next year, but better,” she said.
