WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Five players scored in double-figures as the William & Mary women’s basketball team topped defending Colonial Athletic Association champion Elon, 81-75 on Sunday afternoon at Kaplan Arena. With the win, the Tribe snaps a two-game skid and improves to 12-4, 3-2 in CAA play, while the Phoenix drop to 10-6, 2-3 in league action.
Elon built a pair of 3-point leads in the first quarter, but that was as most separation the Phoenix could get. The Phoenix scored four of the game’s first five points to take a 4-1 advantage, and then extended the lead to a 6-3 cushion on a Ra’Shika White lay-up.
Up by three, W&M used a quick 7-0 run to extend its lead into double-figures at the midway point of the second quarter. Senior Jenna Green sparked the rally with a jumper before sophomore Nari Garner canned a triple, and a classmate Victoria Reynolds jumper made it 33-23 with 5:05 left in the half.
The Phoenix was able to cut the halftime deficit to five, and then bring the lead back to three on the opening possession of the second half, before W&M used an 8-0 run to take its largest lead of the game. Again, Green spurred the rally with a jumper, before Reynolds had a lay-up, and Green scored four in a row to make it 45-34 with 7:58 to go in the quarter.
W&M had a 10-point advantage as it went into the final quarter, but Elon was able to cut the lead to three points three times in the final minute of the game. Each time the Tribe answered as junior Bianca Boggs hit a lay-up to make it 76-71 with 49 seconds left, freshman Nyla Pollard pushed the lead back to five on a putback, and Green hit 3-of-4 from the line down the stretch to ice the victory.
W&M Starters – #2 Boggs, #11 Pollard, #12 Green, #24 Rendle, #30 Reynolds
Elon Starters – #1 Munford, #5 Burnett, #10 Graves, #32 Garner, #44 Johnson
Individual Leaders
Junior Bianca Boggs recorded a team-high 20 points to lead five Tribe players in double-figures in the victory. She added three rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocks. Sophomore Nari Garner chipped in 19 points off of the bench, including connecting on a five 3-pointers. Senior Jenna Green and sophomore Viktoria Reynolds added 14 points apiece. Green had her second career double-double with 12 assists, six rebounds, and one seal, while Reynolds chipped in with seven boards, three assists, and three steals. Senior Abby Rendle rounded out the Tribe double-figure scorers with 10 points, four rebounds, and six blocks.
Shay Burnett turned in a game-high 22 points while adding seven rebounds, four assists, two blocks, one steal to lead four Phoenix players in double-figures. Malaya Johnson and Ra’Shika White each added 16 points. Johnson contributed four blocks and five rebounds, while White had a double-double with 11 rebounds, one block, and one steal. Jada Graves just missed a double-double with 11 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and four steals.
Inside the Numbers
– W&M shot 48.4-percent (31-for-64) from the floor and for the eighth time this season shot better than 45-percent from the floor. The Green and Gold is 7-1 in those games.
– The Tribe had 21 assists in the ball-game, with 12 games from senior Jenna Green.
– W&M added 11 blocks and 11 steals in the win. Senior Abby Rendle led the Green and Gold with six blocks, while sophomore Victoria Reynolds, junior Bianca Boggs, and freshman Gabby Rogers each added three steals.
– Elon controlled the glass, outrebounding W&M 44-35.
– For the sixth straight season, W&M limited a team without a 3-pointer in the contest, as the Phoenix went 0-of-9 from range.
Notes
Junior Bianca Boggs recorded her fourth 20-point game of the season and her career … It was her 14th double-digit game of the year and 31st of the career … Sophomore Nari Garner added the fourth-double-digit game of the season and her career … Garner’s 62.5-percent from 3-point range is tied for ninth in single-game school history … Senior Jenna Green chipped her 12th double-digit game of the season and the 24th of her career … The senior added 12 assists, which were a career-high and the fourth-most in single-game school history … Green moved into second place on W&M career’s list for assists, and now has 466 career assists … She needs 38 more to break the school record … Green also recorded her second double-double of the season and her career … Sophomore Victoria Reynolds added her 13th double-digit performance and ninth this season … Senior Abby Rendle scored in double-figures for the 50th time in her career and in the seventh straight game … She added six more blocks, and now has 303 career rejections … The team’s 11 blocks are tied for the ninth most in school single-game history … It was the first time since Feb. 5, 2015, that the Tribe put five players in double-figures … W&M limited Elon without a 3-pointer in the game, which marks the sixth straight season the Tribe has limited an opponent without a triple … The last time it happened was at James Madison on Feb. 26, 2017.
What’s Ahead
W&M hits the road for two straight contests as they play the CAA’s Northern swing next weekend. The Tribe plays Hofstra on Friday, Jan. 19, before heading to Northeastern on Sunday, Jan. 21. Tipoffs are set for 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively.
