WILLIAMSBURG — William & Mary used a strong second-half to top rival Richmond, 93-87, on Wednesday night at Kaplan Arena.
Following a two-week break for exams, the Tribe (5-6) shot 57.1% in the final 20 minutes, and a late 14-2 run propelled the Green and Gold to victory. Six W&M players scored in doubles figures, including a team-high 15 apiece from seniors Noah Collier and Matteus Case. Collier also had seven rebounds, while Case dished out a career-high six assists.
Trailing 74-72 with 5:20 remaining, the Tribe ripped off its decisive 14-2 run. Senior Gabe Dorsey knocked down a 3-pointer to put the Tribe in front for good, before Collier made it seven straight in just over a minute with a top-of-the-key, banked 3-pointer to extend the margin to 79-74 with 4:07 left.
A pair of Richmond (4-7) free throws briefly halted the run, but W&M answered with seven more in a row to push the advantage back to double digits. Graduate student Keller Boothby knocked down a side-dribble corner 3-pointer with just over a minute remaining to extend the lead to eight. The margin grew to 86-76 with 51 seconds remaining on a pair of Case free throws, and the Tribe hit 7-of-8 at the free throw line over the final 35 seconds to pull out the win.
Senior Caleb Dorsey, who missed the previous eight games due to injury, returned to the lineup and scored 14 points on 4-of-8 from 3-point range off the bench. Junior Chase Lowe added 14 points, seven rebounds, and three assists, while classmate Kyle Frazier scored all 12 of his points in the first half, including a trio of 3-pointers. Boothby finished with 10 points and six rebounds, while Gabe Dorsey chipped in nine points on 3-of-6 from 3.
The Tribe shot 51.7% (31-of-60) for the game, including 13-of-31 (41.9%) from 3-point range. The Green and Gold connected on 75% (18-of-24) at the free throw line and held a 33-26 advantage on the glass. W&M dished out 19 assists compared to just seven turnovers, including just one of the second half.
Richmond shot 62.5% in the opening half to take a 3-point lead, 41-38, to the locker room on an Apostolos Roumoglou 3-pointer in the closing seconds.
W&M hit its first three shots and led 6-2 on a Malachi Ndur driving lay-up. The margin reached 12-6 following a Frazier 4-point play less than four minutes into the game.
Richmond used a 10-3 run to take its first lead at 16-15. Jonathan Beagle capped the run with three in a row, including a free throw at the 12:33 mark to put the Spiders on top.
A Mikkel Tyne 3-pointer at the 4:02 mark gave Richmond its largest advantage of the opening 20 minutes at 36-27. W&M responded with an 11-0 run to recapture the lead. Caleb Dorsey hit back-to-back 3-pointers, before a right wing triple in transition from Boothby put the Tribe in front 38-36 with just over a minute left in the frame.
The Tribe used an 8-0 to take the lead less than four minutes into the second half. Lowe scored on back-to-back lay-ups, before a Caleb Dorsey driving finger-roll pushed the margin to 48-43 at the 16:28 mark.
W&M’s advantage reached double digits, 62-52, for the first time on a Collier lay-up with 11:43 left.
A 12-3 Richmond run pulled the Spiders even with 6:33 remaining. Dusan Neskovic and Delonnie Hunt each scored five during the spurt, before a pair of Beagle free throws tied the contest at 67. A corner 3-pointer from Roumoglou at the 5:50 mark gave the visitors a 72-69 lead, before Gabe Dorsey quickly answered with a three of his own on the other end to tie it back up.
Neskovic led all scorers with 20 points, while Beagle and Hunt each finished with 17 points. Roumoglou was 5-of-5 from 3 and tallied a career-high 15 points. Richmond finished the game shooting 53.7% (29-of-54).
Up Next
The Tribe travels to VCU on Sunday, Dec. 22, for its final game before Christmas. It marks the first time the teams have met since the Rams left the CAA in 2012. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and MASN.
