The William & Mary men’s basketball team returns home to Kaplan Arena its final two CAA games of the regular season, starting with UNCW on Thursday, Feb. 22. The contest is slated for a 7 p.m., tip-off and will be streamed for FREE in HD online at Tribe Athletics TV via Stretch Internet.
The Tribe and Seahawks are the top two scoring teams in the CAA this season, and over the last six games in the rivalry, both teams are averaging nearly 90 points per game.
Thursday will be Military Appreciation Night, and all members of the Military will receive free admission. Their families can purchase discounted $6 admission. Tribe faculty and staff can also claim complimentary tickets for themselves and up to four members of their immediate families.
Head to the Tribe’s Men’s Basketball promotions schedule to check out all the promotions for Thursday and all upcoming Tribe men’s basketball home games.
Tribe fans can also catch the men’s basketball action over the Tribe Radio Network with Jay Colley and Charlie Woollum on the call. The Tide 92.3 FM and 107.9 Bach FM are the flagship stations of the Tribe Radio Network and the audio is also available over the Web at TribeAthletics.com.
With March approaching, get prepared for the CAA Tournament in Charleston by visiting TribeAthletics.com/MarchOnTribe. Catch up with the Tribe through social media. Fans can keep up with W&M men’s basketball by following the program on social media as well. Be sure to check out the Tribe on Twitter (@WMTribeMBB), Facebook (WMTribeMBB), Instagram (WMTribeMBB) and Snapchat (TribeMensHoops).
WHEN: Feb. 22 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Kaplan Arena, Williamsburg — Seating Chart
ONLINE: Video stream, live stats, or listen live.
RADIO: 92.3 FM The Tide, 107.9 Bach FM.
TICKETS: Information, buy online, ticket promotions.
W&M News and Notes
• While UNCW leads the all-time series with W&M at 43-28, the Tribe has enjoyed the most recent success with the Seahawks, winning nine of the last 12 contests. Over the last six meeting, both teams are averaging nearly 90 points per game. The Tribe is at 88.7, while UNCW is scoring 88.5 per contest.
• With its nine CAA wins, W&M is one away from hitting double-digits for the fifth-straight season. It would be a first in program history. The Tribe owns six seasons with 10 or more CAA wins under head coach Tony Shaver. Prior to his arrival in Williamsburg, the Green and Gold had just one such CAA season. W&M would become the sixth CAA program on the eighth occasion to produce five-straight seasons of 10 or more CAA wins.
• Senior guard David Cohn established Tribe school record in assists for both a single season and a career. His 173 assists in 2017-18 surpassed Scott Coval’s 1985 record of 168. Cohn also topped Coval for W&M’s career assists mark with 456 in just three years. He leads the CAA and ranks 15th nationally at 6.4 assists per game. He owns a CAA-best five games of 10 or more assists this season.
• The Tribe is the best shooting team in the country, as the only program to rank among the top 10 nationally at all three levels. W&M leads the country in 3-point percentage (43.3), while ranking second in free throw shooting (80.0) and seventh in field goal percentage (50.8). No team in NCAA history has shot 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 80 percent from the free throw line in the same season, and only three have shot 50-40-75.
• Over the last eight games, sophomore Justin Pierce is averaging 21.8 points and 9.9 rebounds per game, while shooting 57.5 percent from the floor and 45.2 percent from 3. He poured in a career-high 33 points, the second most by a Tribe sophomore in school history, vs. Delaware on Feb. 10. He posted a 30-point, 12-rebound double-double vs. Elon on Feb. 1. Pierce ranks among the CAA leaders in nine different categories. He is fourth in the league and 48th nationally in rebounding (8.9).
• The Tribe has hit 292 3-pointers on the season, which ranks third in program history. W&M is only three triples away from the school record of 295 held by the 2009-10 team. The Green and Gold ranks 10th nationally at 10.8 3-pointers made per game and is 16th in total triples made.
• Over the last five years, the Tribe is the winningest program in the CAA in terms of league wins (52) and overall winning percentage (60.4). W&M’s 93 wins over the last five years are just two behind Towson’s league-leading 95. The Tigers have played nine more games than the Tribe during that stretch.
• For the sixth-straight season and 10th time in the last 11 years, the Tribe topped the 400-assist mark. W&M has 475 assists in 2017-18 and is only 25 way from its third-straight 500-assists campaign. The Tribe’s assists total ranks fifth in school history. W&M is ninth nationally at 17.6 assists per game, which would top last year’s school record mark of 17.5.
• Sophomore Nathan Knight was named to the Lou Henson Award Mid-Season Watch list given annually to the nation’s top Division I mid-major player. He ranks fifth in the CAA at 18.1 points per game to go along with 7.4 rebounds. Knight owns eight double-doubles this season, including three of the 30-point, 10-rebound variety. He is 37th in the country shooting 57.2 percent from the floor.
• According to advanced statistical website KenPom.com, the Tribe ranks fourth nationally in effective field goal percentage (58.9) and 39th in adjusted offensive efficiency (115.0). W&M has been in the top 60 in adjusted offensive efficiency each of the previous four seasons with a high of No. 31 in 2015. W&M has ranked among the top 25 in effective field goal percentage each of the last six seasons, including as high as No. 6 in both 2013-14 and 2014-15.
• Senior Connor Burchfield is the top 3-point shooter in country both this season and over his career. He currently leads the nation at 51.3 percent from long range, while ranking 49th in 3-pointers made (2.9). Burchfield is the active NCAA Division I career leader at 50.3 percent from 3-point range. His 168 career 3-pointers rank ninth in Tribe history, while his 78 triples this season are fifth in program lore.
• Sophomore Nathan Knight is just one blocked shot away from becoming the first player in W&M history to record 100 career blocked shots in his first two seasons. Knight’s 58 blocked shots in 2017-18 rank fifth in program history, and he is second in the CAA and 32nd nationally at 2.2 per game. He would be the sixth player in Tribe lore with 100 career rejections.
• Senior guard David Cohn is closing in on 1,000 points in his collegiate career. He is just 25 points shy of the milestone with 975 career points. Cohn tallied 120 points in his freshman season at Colorado State, before transferring to W&M where he has tallied 855 points in his three seasons. He currently ranks 19th in the CAA at 13.6 points per game in 2017-18, including a 15.7 scoring clip in CAA play.
