WILLIAMSBURG — Behind another stellar defensive performance and sparked by a 21-2 second-half run, William & Mary soared to a 75-56 win over American on Thursday night inside Kaplan Arena.
The Tribe limited the visitor to 36.7% shooting (22-of-60) and started the season 2-0 for the first time since 2019-20.
Graduate guard Sean Houpt led a balanced Tribe attack with 17 points, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range, while junior Gabe Dorsey and sophomore Trey Moss added 14 points apiece. Dorsey was a perfect 8-of-8 at the free throw line and just missed a double-double by pulling down a game and career-high nine rebounds.
The Tribe led by 11 at the half, but the visiting Eagles (0-2) hit six of their first eight shots to start the second half and cut into the home team’s advantage. Matt Mayock knocked down a 3-pointer from the right side, before Lorenzo Donadio’s bucket on the break cut the W&M lead to 42-37 and forced a Tribe timeout with 15:22 remaining.
W&M responded with a game-changing 21-2 run led by the duo of Dorsey and Houpt. The pair connected on four-straight 3-pointers, before sophomore Charlie Williams found a cutting Moss for a lay-up to push the lead to 20, 61-41. The Green and Gold capped the run at the free throw line, hitting 5-of-7 during the spurt, including three of Dorsey, to extend teh margin to 66-41 with 7:55 left.
Offensively, the Tribe had six players score at least seven points, while shooting 48.9% (22-of-45) from the floor. Sophomore Jack Karasinski added nine points, while classmate Chase Lowe had eight to go along with four rebounds and a team-leading five assists. Junior Matteus Case chipped in seven points and five rebounds off the bench.
W&M also connected on 75% (24-of-32) at the free throw line and outrebounded American, 34-32.
The Tribe jumped out to a double-digit lead just six minutes into the game behind its defense. The Green and Gold limited American to just one field goal on its opening nine shots. Lowe capped an 11-0 Tribe run with driving layup to put the home team on top, 13-3, at the 14:07 mark.
The margin ballooned to 15 behind back-to-back Trey Moss buckets, including a dunk at the 9:15 mark to give the home team a 21-6 lead. The advantage reached its largest of the opening half at 29-12 with six minutes left thanks to four-straight Matteus Case points.
American closed to within nine on a fast-break layup by Colin Smalls off a Tribe turnover with 47 seconds remaining in the half. W&M capped the scoring in the opening 20 minutes and took a double-digit advantage to the break as Lowe dished to Karasinski for a baseline jam and a 35-24 lead at the intermission.
Up Next
The Tribe hits the road for the first time in 2023-24 when it travels to George Washington on Saturday, Nov. 11. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. from our Nation’s Capital and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+. Tribe fans can tune into the audio broadcast on TribeAthletics.com with Jack Angelucci on the call.
