WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - The
William and Mary women's basketball team defeated Virginia Union, 78-44, on
Wednesday night at Kaplan Arena. Behind
a defensive effort that forced 36 turnovers and tied a school-record with 21
steals, the Tribe earned its first victory of the season. For the year, W&M improves its record to
1-2, while the Panthers fall to 0-3.
Sophomore Kyla Kerstetter filled up the stat sheet with a
career-high 14 points, eight steals, and a career-best six assists. The Brentwood, Tenn., native's eight steals
are tied for second most in a single-game in program history. Senior Janine
Aldridge poured in a game-high 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field,
while classmate Emily Correal netted 13 points and six rebounds. Additionally, Junior
Kaitlyn Mathieu scored nine points and pulled down a game-high eight rebounds,
while senior Taylor Hilton and sophomore Jazmen Boone each tallied eight
points, respectively.
The College shot 29-of-74 (39.2 percent) from the field,
while it netted nine 3-pointers on 28 attempts (32.1 percent). Furthermore, W&M owned the advantage in
points of off turnovers (35-15), second-chance points (18-8), fast break points
(21-6) and bench points (35-17).
W&M jumped out to an early, 9-6, lead at the 15:22
mark as Aldridge initiated the scoring with a 3-pointer just 13 seconds into
the contest. With 11:51 remaining in the
half, the Green and Gold pushed its margin to 16-10 courtesy of Kerstetter, who
reeled off nine consecutive points.
Virginia Union answered with a run of its own and with 9:57 left in the
half the Panthers' Ashle Freeman tied the contest at 16-16 after netting a
pair of free-throws.
The Tribe closed the opening stanza on a 24-7 run, which
Hilton's trifecta sparked with 8:33 remaining.
The onslaught continued as Mathieu extended the margin, 38-22, on a made
jumper with 59 seconds remaining in the half.
The Waterboro, Maine native closed W&M's first half scoring with
another jumper as W&M commanded a 40-23 halftime advantage.
After intermission, the Green and Gold's lead ballooned to a
20-point margin, 47-27, when Boone stole a Panther inbounds pass and laid it in
off the glass at the 14:57 juncture. Virginia
Union attempted to cut into the W&M lead, 47-31, when Freeman netted a
jumper at the 14:04 mark. However, the
College's lead swelled again, 57-31, with 11:25 left to play after a 3-pointer
by Kerstetter led to an ensuing Panther turnover in the backcourt, in which
Boone went coast-to-coast for the lay in.
With 8:57 remaining in the game, sophomore MacKenzie Morrison pulled down an offensive rebound and preceded to net her first points
of the season as W&M's lead grew to 63-33.
The Tribe maintained the cushion, as its advantage peaked at 75-43 with 2:03
left in the contest, for its first victory of the season.
Ashle Freeman led Virginia Union with 13 points with nine
coming from the foul line. Destiny Betts
poured in 12 points for the Panthers, while Melyce Brown chipped in with
six. The Panthers finished the night
shooting 15-of-50 (30 percent) from the field, while tallying 14 free-throws on
21 attempts (66.7 percent).
The Tribe returns to action on Sunday, Nov. 18, when it
travels to George Washington as it begins a seven-game road trip. Tip-off from Washington, D.C., is slated for
2 p.m.
