AUSTIN, Texas — At a university steeped in history, William & Mary women’s basketball continues to add to it.
Making the program’s first appearance in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night, the Tribe used a dominant effort on the glass, a suffocating defense late in the fourth quarter, and of course, a game-high 24 points from senior Bella Nascimento to knock off High Point, 69-63, in the First Four at the Moody Center.
In the process, W&M (16-18) became the first sub-.500 team on the women’s side ever to win an NCAA Tournament game. Chalk up another chapter in a history-setting season.
A six-point High Point (21-12) run gave the Panthers a 54-51 lead on a Lauren Scott banked-in 3-pointer with just 5:26 remaining in the game.
Like it did throughout its postseason run, the Tribe did not fold, answering with six-straight points to regain the lead. A pair of free throws from freshman Natalie Fox and a Nascimento driving lay-up gave the Green and Gold a 57-54 lead.
After another HPU triple tied the game, the Tribe’s finishing kick was led by the play of its front court. W&M seized control for good behind an 8-1 run that included a trio of offensive putbacks. Fox’s first of the sequence gave W&M the lead for good at 59-57. Junior Kayla Rolph, who had 10 rebounds, including five offensive, added another, before Fox added the final of the trio.
W&M was 6-of-6 from the free throw line over the final 30 seconds to put the game away. Sophomore Monet Dance knocked down four of those, while senior Anahi-Lee Cauley added the other two. As a team, the Tribe was 16-of-18 (88.9%) from the charity stripe in the victory.
Defensively, the Tribe held High Point to 1-of-8 from the floor over the final five minutes and without a field goal for the final 2:52.
Four W&M players scored in double figures. Along with Nascimento’s 24 points, Dance added 15 points and was 3-of-3 from 3-point range. Fox posted a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double, the second of her career. She was 5-of-7 from the floor and blocked a career-high four shots. Sophomore Cassidy Geddes finished with 12 points as well.
W&M held a 45-31 advantage on the glass, including 15 offensive rebounds which led to a 12-2 advantage in second chance points. The Tribe shot 39% (23-of-59) from the floor, including 7-of-18 (38.9%) from 3-point range.
High Point finished the contest at 38.7% (24-of-62) from the field, including 6-of-20 from 3. Scott led the Panthers with 19 points on 4-of-8 from 3-point range.
Aaliyah Collins, who finished with 18 points, scored six of the game’s first seven points to pace High Point to the early lead. On the other side, Nascimento, who scored seven first quarter points, pulled the Tribe even at 12 with a 3-pointer with 1:44 left in the first.
W&M took its first lead of the game with 23 seconds left in the opening quarter on a Dance 3-pointer. The triple was part of an 11-2 run spanning the end of the first and start of the second quarter.
Fox scored four during the run, including a lay-up just 1:22 into the second quarter to give W&M a 23-17 lead.
The sophomore duo of Geddes and Dance hit three-straight 3-pointers to give W&M its largest lead. Dance hit a pair, including the final one at the 3:27 mark, as W&M stretched its lead to 32-23. In total, W&M connected on six of its first eight from long range.
Despite High Point pulling within four on a Jalee Lawrence lay-up, W&M led 34-28 at the break following a Geddes jumper in the final minute.
Nascimento scored the first six Tribe points of the second half and her lay-up at the 7:40 mark gave W&M a 40-33 lead. The Panthers scored seven-straight points and retook the lead on a Collins and-1 with just under two minutes remaining in the third quarter. W&M led 47-46 at the end of a third following a pair of Geddes free throws.
Up Next
With its win, the Tribe advances to face top seed Texas on Saturday night. Tip-off is set for 9:45 p.m. ET from the Moody Center in Austin, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN2. Fans can also listen into the Tribe Sports Network with Jack Angelucci on the call.
W&M Athletics will host a watch party for Saturday night’s game inside Kaplan Arena with doors opening at 9:15 p.m. More details on that party as well as details about watch parties across the country are to come. Stay tuned to TribeAthletics.com/
