CHARLESTON, S.C. – Senior Abby Rendle scored a career-high 26 points and added seven rebounds as the William & Mary women's basketball team cruised to a 68-54 Colonial Athletic Association opening victory at the College of Charleston on Friday night. With the win, the Tribe improves to 10-2, 1-0 in CAA play, while the Cougars fall to 4-8, 0-1 in league action.
 
The Tribe opened the game on a 12-4 run to build a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Charleston scored on its opening possession, before Rendle scored the Tribe's first four points and junior Bianca Boggs added a lay-up. After the Cougars scored again, Rendle ripped off the next four points, before senior Jenna Green added a basket to make it 12-4 with 6:52 left in the opening 10-minutes.
 
W&M built its lead to as many as 21 in the second quarter thanks to outscoring the Cougars 20-9 in the stanza. The period opened as the Tribe burst out on a 10-2 run. Green opened the second frame scoring with a jumper, before Boggs hit a jumper. After Charleston scored, Rendle sandwiched two lay-ups around a Boggs lay-up giving W&M a 34-19 lead with 4:51 left in the half.
 
The Green and Gold used a quick 5-0 spurt to regain a 21-point cushion early in the third quarter. Rendle opened the rally with a lay-up, before sophomore Nyla Pollard added free throw, and Boggs scored to make it 49-28 with 6:03 left in the third.
 
Charleston used a late run to chip away at the lead, but could only cut it 67-54 on a Cailin Dorsey 3-pointer with 48 seconds left.
 
W&M Starters - #2 Boggs, #11 Pollard, #12 Green, #24 Rendle, #30 Reynolds
 
CofC Starters – #2 Huff, #3 Brown, S., #15 Brown, T., #21 Larson, #25 Ford
 
Individual Leaders
Senior Abby Rendle led all scorers with a career-high 26 points on 12-of-14 from the floor, and she added seven rebounds to lead three Tribe players in double-figures. Junior Bianca Boggs chipped in 15 points, while senior Jenna Green added 11 points, eight dimes, and four thefts.
 
Tanisha Brown was the lone Cougar in double-figures as she finished with a double-double on 10 points and 13 rebounds. Shiclasia Brown added nine points, while Cailin Dorsey had eight points off of the bench.
 
Inside the Numbers
- For the seventh time this season, W&M shot better than 45-percent from the floor finishing the game at 48.3-percent (29-60) from the field.
 
- Twenty of the Tribe's 31 misses were from 3-point range as the Tribe shot just 1-of-21 from deep. However, W&M was 28-of-39 from 2-point range, which is good 71.8-percent.
 
- Charleston won the battle of the glass, 36-27. W&M however is now 7-1 when they lose the battle of the boards.
 
- W&M forced Charleston into 26 turnovers and had 10 steals. W&M committed just 10 miscues of its own in the victory.
 
Notes
With her eight assists, senior Jenna Green now has 434 career assist, which moves her into third place all-time … Green was also in double-figures for the 10th time this season and 22nd time in her career … Senior Abby Rendle recorded her third 20-point performance of the season, her 10th double-digit contest of the season, and her 46th career double-digit game with her career-high 26 points … Rendle now has 913 career points and needs just 87 more points to become the 19th player in school history to score her 1,000th career point …   Junior Bianca Boggs was in double-figures for 10th time this season and 27th time in her career … The senior class of Green, Rendle, and Jeanne Gaumont won their 60th career game, which puts them just three wins away from becoming the winningest class in school history … W&M has now won its last three CAA openers, and Ed Swanson is now 3-2 in CAA openers … The Tribe now leads the all-time series with Charleston 12-7, and evened the road record at 3-3.
 
What's Ahead
The Green and Gold closes its two-game CAA opening road trip as it travels to UNCW for a game on New Year's Eve. Tipoff between the Tribe and the Seahawks is set for 2 p.m.