WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The William & Mary women's basketball team closes out its season opening two-game homestand as they welcome in-state rival Richmond to Kaplan Arena on Friday, Nov. 18. Tipoff between the Tribe and the Spiders is set for 7 p.m. Fans can bring their William & Mary-Richmond football ticket to Friday's William & Mary women's basketball contest and receive free admission to the women's basketball game.
Opening Tip
William & Mary returns to action as it looks to get into the win column for the first time this season as they host in-state rival Richmond at Kaplan Arena on Friday, Nov. 18. Tipoff between the Tribe and Spiders is set for 7 p.m. Tonight's contest opens a stretch of three games in five days as the, W&M hits the road for its next two games. The Green and Gold meets Richmond for the 110th time in series history on Friday night.
Last Time Out
Three players scored in double-figures, but the William & Mary women's basketball team couldn't overcome a pair of big deficits, falling 73-57 St. John's in the season opener for both squads Sunday afternoon at Kaplan Arena. Seniors
Marlena Tremba and
Alexandra Masaquel led the way with 13 points apiece. Tremba added four assists, and three rebounds, while Masaquel chipped in with a career-high eight steals, picking up four boards, and an assist. Junior
Abby Rendle added 10 points, while adding seven rebounds in her first game since Jan. 22, 2016. Dating back to last year it is the eighth straight game Rendle has scored in double-figures. In her first career-game freshman
Victoria Reynolds scored seven points added four rebounds and a steal in 24 minutes of work.
Scouting the Spiders
Richmond enters Friday's contest also looking to get into the win column for the first time in the 2016-17. The Spiders are coming off of a 63-56 loss to Virginia and will be hitting the road for the first time this season. Micaela Parson leads the offense with 19.0 points per game, while Janelle Hubbard is also in double figures at 13.5 points per game. The Spiders are bringing down 35.5 rebounds per contest. Individually, Lauren Tolson leads the team with 7.0 rebounds a night, while Jaide Hinds-Clarke and Alicia Hudalla each average 6.0 per game. Richmond head coach Michael Shafer is in his 12th season at the helm, and has posted a 187-161 record in his tenure. A 1994 graduate of William & Mary, Shafer appeared in 34 games during his career with the Tribe.
Series History
The Green and Gold meets Richmond for the 110th time in series history on Friday night. UofR leads the all-time series 25-83-1, including the last seven meetings. Last season, the Spiders hung on for a 56-50 victory in Richmond. Junior
Abby Rendle led the Tribe with 14 points and nine rebounds, while seniors
Marlena Tremba and
Alexandra Masaquel each chipped in nine points apiece. The last W&M win in the series was a 67-54 triumph at Richmond on Nov. 16, 2006.
The Road Ahead
W&M heads out on the road for the first time this season for a pair of games, prior to Thanksgiving. The Tribe travels to Old Dominion on Sunday, Nov. 20 for a 2 p.m. game, before heading to USC Upstate for a game on Tuesday, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. The Green and Gold returns home to open another two-game homestand and close out November on Monday, Nov. 28 against Delaware State. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
On the Dotted Line
Head coach
Ed Swanson and his staffed announced the signing of four high school seniors to National Letter's of Intent on Nov. 16.
Bailey Eichner (Cudahy, Wisc./Cudahy),
Nyla Pollard (Virginia Beach, Va./Princess Anne), Gabrielle Rogers (Dallas, Texas/Bishop Lynch), and
Libby Underwood (Rye, N.H./Portsmouth) will all join the Tribe for the 2017-18 season.
Rendle's Rejections
Junior
Abby Rendle picked up where she left off last year in terms of blocked shots with three rejections in the opener against St. John's. Already third in school history in blocks with 124, she has recorded the second and fifth best-single season block performances with 68 and 53, respectively.
Rookie Reynolds
Freshman
Victoria Reynolds opened her collegiate career on a strong note, playing 24 minutes as a reserve against St. John's on Sunday afternoon. She added seven points, four rebounds, and a steal in her collegiate debut.
Thief in the Night
Senior Alex Masaquel grabbed a career-high eight steals in the season opener against St. John's on Sunday afternoon. The effort is the third-most in both Kaplan Arena and single-game school history.
