News and Notes
- W&M and Northeastern have won 11 games apiece in the all-time series since the Huskies joined the CAA in 2005. The Tribe has won five of the last eight meetings and holds an 8-1 advantage in Williamsburg.
- Thursday's match-up pits not only two teams tied for third place in the CAA standings, but the league's top two 3-point shooting teams. W&M leads the CAA at 38.6 percent followed by Northeastern at 38 percent. In league games, NU holds a slim advantage of 39.7 percent to W&M's 39.6 percent.
- The Tribe's offense has been running on all cylinders over its season-best three-game winning streak. During the stretch, W&M is averaging 95.3 points and 12 3-pointers per game, while shooting 58.9 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range.
- Over the last two games, seniors
Daniel Dixon and
Omar Prewitt have combined for 111 points (55.5 per game), while shooting 66.7 percent (42-of-63) from the field and 68.2 percent (15-of-22) from 3-point range. Dixon is averaging 29.5 points per game, while Prewitt added 26 per game.
- W&M scored over 100 points for the third time this season in the win over Drexel on Jan. 30. It is the second occurrence in W&M history and the first since 1954-55. The 108 points are the second most for W&M in a CAA game and tied for the most ever allowed in regulation by the Dragons.
- In each of the last three games, the Tribe handed out more than 20 assists, averaging 24 per game. W&M averages 17.4 assists per game, which leads the CAA and ranks 12th nationally.
Scouting Northeastern
- Northeastern enters Thursday at 13-9 overall and tied for third in the CAA standing at 6-4. The Huskies won eight straight, including their first five in the CAA play, earlier this season. Recently, NU lost four straight, including three on the road, before downing Towson at home, 69-62, on Saturday.
- Offensively, the Huskies average 72.7 points per game, while ranking third in the league in field goal percentage (46.9) and second in 3-point percentage (38.0). They are 26th nationally in effective field goal percentage (55.1). NU has been even better in CAA play from 3-point range, shooting 39.7 percent and hitting 10.2 triples per contest.
- In league action, Northeastern is second in defensive efficiency (97.4). NU is third in the league allowing 68.5 points per game, a number that is down to 65.1 per game in CAA action.
- Senior T.J. Williams is the CAA's leading scorer at 21.5 points per game. He is averaging the same exact number in league action. Williams is second in the conference in assists (5.2).
- Graduate transfer Alex Murphy is second on the team and 11th in the CAA at 14.4 points per game. He led NU with 24 points against W&M in the first meeting between the teams. Murphy leads Northeastern at 5.7 rebounds per game and ranks fourth in the CAA at 39.6 percent from 3-point range.
- Junior Devon Begley, who had 21 points in the first game with W&M, leads the CAA in steals (1.8), while ranking among the top 10 in both assists (seventh – 3.5) and 3-point percentage (eight – 37.9).
- The series between NU and W&M is tied at 11 apiece following the Huskies 84-64 win in Boston earlier this season. The Tribe has won five of the last eight meetings between the teams and holds an 8-1 advantage in Williamsburg.
The Dynamic Duo
- Seniors
Daniel Dixon and
Omar Prewitt have been a strong 1-2 scoring punch for the Tribe this season. They are one of two sets of teams among the top 10 in the CAA in scoring. Dixon leads the way at 17.7 points per game followed by Prewitt at 14.9.
- Over the last three games, the tandem has been even better, averaging 47 combined points, while shooting 64.6 percent (53-of-82) from the field and 69 percent (20-of-29) from 3-point range. Dixon is average 26.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game over the last three, while Prewitt is turning in a stat line of 20.3 points, six rebounds and 5.7 assists per contest.
- In CAA play, Dixon (21.9) and Prewitt (16.1) is the top scoring tandem in the league at 38 points per game. The duo has each scored 20 points in the same game three times in CAA play, including wins at Hofstra, vs. UNCW and Drexel.
- Both Prewitt (1,674) and Dixon (1,132) have score more than 1,000 points in their careers, making them the seventh pair of Tribe teammates from the same recruiting class to reach 1,000 points in their careers and the fourth under head coach
Tony Shaver. It marks the ninth time in W&M history that multiple players on the same team were members of the 1,000-point club at the same time.
Home Sweet Home
- The Tribe is currently 10-0 on the year at home in Kaplan Arena following its three-straight wins over Delaware, UNCW and Drexel.
- The Green and Gold's 10-game home court winning streak is the ninth longest in program history. It is the third best for the Tribe inside Kaplan Arena. W&M's school-record home court winning steak is 24 games from Feb. 21, 1948 through Jan. 7, 1950. With a win on Thursday night, W&M's current home winning streak would be tied for the fifth longest in program lore.
- The Tribe's current 10-game home win streak is the second longest under head coach
Tony Shaver. The Tribe won 14 consecutive home games between Feb. 17, 2014 and Feb. 11, 2015.
• With four remaining regular season home game, the Tribe is trying to go undefeated at home for the first time since 1950-51. In fact, W&M has gone unbeaten at home on six occasions in 1950-51 (13-0), 1948-49 (18-0), 1930-31 (7-0), 1921-22 (8-0), 1920-21 (3-0) and 1912-13 (6-0).
- Last three years, the Tribe is 34-5 (.872) inside Kaplan Arena. W&M was 12-2 in 2014-15 and 12-3 last season.
- This season, the Tribe averages 93.6 points per game inside Kaplan Arena, while shooting 54.9 percent from the field and 44.7 percent from 3-point range.
Elite Shooting
- The Tribe has shot over 50 percent from the field in each of its last three wins and in seven of its last nine games overall. In its last three victories, W&M is shooting 58.9 percent (106-of-180) from the field. Over hte last nine games, W&M has shot 51.7 percent (276-of-534) from the field.
- W&M has 11 games of 50 percent or better shooting in 2016-17 and is 10-1 in those contests. Under head coach
Tony Shaver, the Tribe is 90-12 (.882) when shooting 50 percent or better from the field, including an impressive 45-4 (.918) mark over the last four seasons.
- The Tribe has ranked among the national leaders in shooting in recent seasons. According to advanced statistical website KenPom.com, the Green and Gold has ranked among the nation's elite in effective field goal percentage and two-point percentage over the last seven seasons. W&M has also ranked among the country's top shooting teams in traditional field goal percentage in the last five years.
- This season, W&M currently ranks 26th (48.5 percent). The Tribe ranks among the top 30 nationally each of the previous four seasons. The Green and Gold ranked as high as No. 14 in 2014-15 (48.3), while coming in 21st in 2015-16 (48), 25th in 2013-14 (47.6) and 30th in 2012-13 (46.7).
- The Green and Gold is one of only three teams nationally, along with Gonzaga and Belmont, to rank among the top 30 nationally each of the last five years.
- W&M ranked among the top 70 nationally in effective field goal percentage in six of the last seven seasons and among the top 25 the last four seasons. In 2016-17, the Tribe ranks 24th at 55.3 percent. The Green and Gold ranked sixth in the category in both 2013-14 (55.9) and 2014-15 (56.3) along with coming in at No. 16 (54.8) last season. Effective field goal percentage is the same as regular field goal percentage, but gives teams more credit for made 3-point field goals.
- Like effective field goal percentage, the Tribe ranked among the national leaders in two-point field goal percentage in six of the last seven campaigns. The Green and Gold is currently 33rd nationally at 54.2 percent. Each of the previous three campaigns, W&M was among the top 25 nationally, coming in 12th in 2016 (54.7) and eighth in 2015 (54.8).
Lighting Up the Scoreboard
- After scoring 80 or more points in 13 games last season, including four contest with 90-plus, the Tribe is once again flexing its offensive muscle this season scoring 80 or more points in 10 contests. W&M has scored more than 90 points on six occasions in 2016-17. The Tribe owns three 100-point games this season, which is the second time in program history and first since 1954-55.
- W&M is averaging 81.1 points per game in 2016-17, which ranks second in the CAA and 34th nationally. It would rank second in program history and be the best since 1955 when W&M scored a school record of 81.4 points per game.
- Over the last four seasons, W&M has scored 80 or more points in a game on 42 occasions. The Tribe is 37-5 (.881) over the stretch when accomplishing the feat. Over head coach
Tony Shaver's first 10 seasons at W&M, the Tribe scored 80 or more points 39 times with the record of 29-10 in those contests.
- W&M has ranked among the top three in the CAA in scoring each of the last four years, the only program in the league to do so.
- The Green and Gold recorded its third 100-point game of the season in a 108-85 triumph over Drexel. The 108 points were the second most in a CAA game in program history and tied highest total ever allowed by the Dragons in regulation.
- The Tribe lit up the scoreboard in back-to-back wins over Milligan and Savannah State to the tune of 113 and 112 points, respectively. It marked the first time in the 112-year history of W&M basketball that the program topped the century mark in back-to-back games.
