NEWARK, Del. – A strong defensive effort and a balanced scoring attack lifted the William & Mary women's basketball team to its 11th straight victory as they topped Delaware 60-49 in the Colonial Athletic Association opener for both teams on Monday afternoon in Newark, Delaware. With the victory, the Tribe improves to 11-1, 1-0 in CAA play, while the Blue Hens drop to 6-6, 0-1 in league action.
 
Junior Abby Rendle just missed another double-double as she finished with 13 points, seven rebounds, and added four blocks. Senior Alexandra Masaquel added 13 more with five boards and an assist, while sophomore Bianca Boggs rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points, four rebounds, four assists, and four steals.
 
After giving up 23 points in the first quarter, the Tribe allowed just 26 points the rest of the way, including allowing just 12 points in the second and third periods combined. It was the sixth time in the 11-game winning streak that the Tribe has limited an opponent to 50 points, or less.
 
Maybe the most impressive streak during the win streak is that the Tribe has started a perfect 5-0 away from Kaplan Arena. This is the first-time in school history that W&M has won five consecutive road games to open a season.
 
W&M opened the game with a quick 6-2 run, building the lead by the same score. Rendle scored the first four points of the game, before the Blue Hens got on the scoreboard. Masaquel followed with a long jumper, ending the run.
 
With the scored tied at 11-11, Delaware exploded for a 12-2 run, building its largest lead of the afternoon. Sade Chatman opened the spurt with four straight points, before Nichole Enabosi scored four in a row of her own. After a junior Jeanne Gaumont bucket, Enabosi scored four more giving the Blue Hens a 23-13 lead with 1:09 left in the opening stanza.
 
The Tribe dominated the second quarter and allowed Delaware just five points in the second 10-minute period. The Tribe used a 15-0 run, before closing the half on a 6-0 run. Senior Marlena Tremba sparked the first rally with a triple, freshman Victoria Reynolds hit a lay-up, then Boggs took over. The sophomore scored six in a row, to regain the lead for the Tribe. The rally continued with a senior Latrice Hunter and Reynolds connecting on consecutive lay-ups.
 
After Delaware scored its second basket of the quarter, W&M closed the half with four points from Boggs and a lay-up from sophomore Chandler Smith. With the last sprurt, W&M held a 36-28 lead at the end of the first half.
 
Leading by 11, the Tribe used a 7-1 run to extend to its largest lead of the game midway through the third quarter. Tremba sparked the outburst with a jumper, before Rendle hit one from the line, and senior Kasey Curtis added a lay-up. After a Blue Hen free throw, Masaquel answered with a lay-up of her own, making it 50-33 with 3:09 to go in the third quarter.
 
Delaware used a 9-2 run to cut the Tribe lead to just 10, but that was as close as the Blue Hens could muster. Chatman opened the spurt with four in a row, before Erika Brown added a jumper. After a Masaquel jumper, Chatman scored the final three points of the run, making the score 56-46 with 2:38 remaining.
 
For the sixth time in the last seven games, W&M won the rebounding battle, 39-30. Rendle and Tremba each grabbed seven, while Masaquel had five and Reynolds added four. The Tribe is unbeaten this season when the win the battle of the glass.
 
Each player that saw action for the Tribe scored today. Off the bench, Gaumont led the way with seven points, one rebound and two assists. Reynolds added four points, four rebounds, an assist, and one steal.
 
Enabosi scored a game-high 20 points and added 12 boards to lead the Blue Hens. Chatman was the only other Blue Hen in double-figures, finishing with 16 points, seven rebounds, adding an assist, block, and steal.  
 
The Green and Gold conclude its two-game CAA opening road swing as they travel to College of Charleston on Friday, Jan. 6. Tip time between the Tribe and Cougars is set for 6:30 p.m.