WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The William and Mary women's basketball team closed the game on an 8-0 run as they pulled away from the College of Charleston on Sunday afternoon, picking up a 74-59 victory in Kaplan Arena. Freshman Abby Rendle led three W&M players in double-figures with 18 points. With the win the Tribe improved to 12-13, 6-8 in Colonial Athletic Association play, while the Cougars fell to 4-20, 2-11 in league action.
Rendle added eight rebounds and six blocks to go along with her career-high 18 points. Sophomore Marlena Tremba finished with 17 points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while senior Jazmen Boone finished the game with her fourth double-double of the season on 14 points, 10 rebounds, and six steals.
Charleston opened the game on a 10-4 run to take a lead by the same score with 15:03 remaining in the first half. After the Tribe scored the game's first two points, Erin Hall and Schiclasia Brown each had baskets for the Cougars. Again W&M scored, but Charleston responded with a 6-0 run on a pair of baskets by Breanna Bolden and two points from Jackie Luna-Castro.
Trailing 13-6, its largest deficit of the day, W&M responded with a 10-2 run to build a 16-15 lead with 10:17 to go in the first half. Junior Brooke Stewart started the run with a 3-pointer followed by a layup from sophomore Latrice Hunter. After a CofC bucket, Rendle hit layup, before Stewart canned a triple to give W&M the lead back for the first time since it was 2-0.
Leading 30-29, the Tribe closed the first half on 6-0 run to build a 36-29 halftime lead. Rendle accounted for all the scoring during the stretch, on three consecutive layups
The Cougars used a 7-0 run to tie the score 38-38 with 17:27 remaining in the game, which was as close as the Cougars came down the stretch. Luna-Castro sparked the run with a traditional three-point play, before Bolden had the final four points of the rally, tying the score.
Leading by five points, W&M used an 11-2 run to build a 14-point advantage with 8:49 remaining in the half. Senior Kyla Kerstetter kick-started the run with a jumper, before Boone hit a pair from the charity stripe, and then completed a traditional three-point play to give the Tribe its first double-digit lead. Following a pair Charleston free throws, Stewart canned her third triple of the game, and freshman Jenna Green matched it with a 3-pointer of her own to push the Tribe's to 56-42.
Charleston was only able to cut the Tribe's lead to seven points with 1:43 remaining. With time on the shot clock waning down, Tremba buried a deep three from the left wing pushing the lead back to double-figures and sealing the game.
With today's victory head coach Ed Swanson picked up his 300th career Division I victory. For his career (Division I & II) he has amassed 426 victories as a head coach.
The Tribe's defense continues to stifle opponents, and the story was no different today. The Tribe forced College of Charleston into 24 turnovers on 16 steals. Boone led the Tribe with six steals, while Hunter chipped in three. W&M also had eight blocks in the game, thanks in large part to six rejections from Rendle.
W&M also handed out 18 assists in the victory. Hunter led with seven dimes, while Boone and Green each chipped in three helpers.
The Green and Gold shot 41.9-perecent (26-of-62) from the floor, including 42.9-percent (9-of-21) from long range. It was the 14th time this season W&M has shot the ball better than 40-percent, with the Tribe being 10-4 in game's that they do so.
Hunter and Stewart were key contributors today off of the Tribe bench. Hunter scored seven points, while handing out a career-high seven assists. She had just one turnover in the game. Stewart scored a season-high tying nine points on a career-high tying three, 3-pointers.
Bolden led the College of Charleston with a game-high 20 points to go along with a game-high 12 rebounds for a double-double. She was the only CofC player in double-figures and added five steals in the contest.
W&M closes out the month of February on the road with a pair of games. After the week off, the Tribe travels to Elon for a game on Sunday, Feb. 22. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. On the road swing, the Green and Gold also plays its return game with the College of Charleston on Thursday, Feb. 26. Tipoff for that contest is set for 7 p.m.
