HARRISONBURG, Va. - For the first time since 2001, the William & Mary women's basketball team have advanced to the Colonial Athletic Association semifinals thanks to a dominant fourth quarter in a 59-44 victory over Delaware on Thursday afternoon at the JMU Convocation Center. The guard combo of Marlena Tremba and Jenna Green combined for all 19 of the Tribe's fourth-quarter points as the Green and Gold held UD to just 2-of-11 in the final frame and only 28.6 percent over the last 20 minutes. With the victory, the Tribe tied the program record for wins in a season with its 20th, while the loss was the first for the Blue Hens (16-14) in 14 CAA Quarterfinals.
 
Tremba scored a game-high 23 points and just missed a double-double with nine rebounds. She was 5-of-10 from 3-point range and connected on all six of her free throw attempts. Green tallied 12 points on 4-of-6 from the field, including 2-of-3 from 3point range, to go along with three assists. Senior Latrice Hunter rounded out the double-digit scoring guards for the Tribe with 11 points, including nine in the first half.
 
Leading by three at the end of the third quarter, Tremba, Green and the Tribe defense took over in the final 10 minutes. Tremba (12) and Green (7) scored all 19 Tribe points, including three straight 3-pointers in the first three minutes of the fourth to push its lead to double digits. Tremba connected on back-to-back triples, the second of which at the 7:01 mark pushed the Tribe margin to 49-39 and forced a UD timeout.
 
The Blue Hens connected on just 2-of-11 and missed its final five attempts in the fourth quarter. UD could get no closer than seven, 49-42, following its final field goal of the game on an Erika Brown 3-pointer with 5:42 remaining. The Tribe lead ballooned its final margin of 15 thanks to a perfect 6-of-6 at the free throw line over the final 1:36.
 
For the game, the Tribe shot 45.7 percent (21-of-46) from the field, including 8-of-17 (47.1 percent) from 3-point range. W&M was 9-of-10 at the free throw line, including a perfect 8-of-8 in the fourth quarter. The Green and Gold outrebounded Delaware, 28-26.
 
Defensively, the Tribe limited UD to 36.6 percent (15-of-41) overall and only 3-of-11 (27.3 percent) from 3-point range. They also forced the Blue Hens into 19 turnovers and converted them into 16 points. Brown led Delaware with scoring with 15 points, while Makeda Nicholas chipped in 10. The Tribe held First Team All-CAA forward Nicole Enabosi to a season-low seven points on 2-of-6 shooting.
 
The Tribe scored the game opening five points on back-to-back buckets spanning 18 seconds. Green's offensive putback got W&M on the board, before a Hunter triple pushed the margin to 5-0 just under two minutes into the period. The Green and Gold defense took center stage in the opening quarter, limiting the Blue Hens to 1-of-8 from the field and five turnovers in the first eight minutes of the contest.
 
W&M pushed the lead to as much as nine, 12-3, on a Tremba triple with 2:29 remaining. The Blue Hens scored seven of the period's final 10 points to draw within 15-10 at the end of the first.
 
The Tribe maintained its advantage in the second stanza and led 22-16 at the 5:44 mark following an Alexandra Masaquel lay-up. The Blue Hens scored five-straight to close the gap to its lowest at 22-21.  Hannah Jardine knocked down a 3-pointer, before a pair of Brown free throws cut the margin to one.
 
W&M answered with seven in a row sparked by the play of Hunter. The Tribe senior scored the final six points of the run, including back-to-back buckets in transition. Tremba found Hunter for an easy deuce to extend the Green and Gold lead to 31-23 with 1:51 left in the half. It appeared the Tribe would take an eight-point cushion to the locker room as Masaquel putback beat the halftime buzzer. Upon further review, it was ruled the clock malfunctioned and stopped, disallowing the basket. W&M held a 31-25 lead at the intermission.
 
A Jardine 3-pointer in the opening minute of the third cut the Tribe lead to three, but W&M maintained its six-point cushion late into the period. Sophomore Bianca Boggs drove the right side of the lane for two, pushing the Tribe advantage to 38-32 with 2:17 left in the quarter.
 
For the second time in as many quarters, the Blue Hens scored five straight to draw within one. Brown's free throws with 27 ticks remaining in the period whittled the deficit to 38-37. Tremba came up with a big driving lay-up in the closing seconds of the third to give W&M a 40-37 advantage at the final period break.
 
The Tribe advances to the CAA Semifinals where it will face regular season championship and top-seeded Elon on Friday, March 10, at 4:30 p.m.  The game will be broadcast on Comcast SportsNet and available online at CAA.TV.