HARTFORD, Conn. – The William & Mary women's basketball team was unable to complete a fourth-quarter comeback in a 50-45 decision at Hartford on Friday evening. The Hawks (3-5) outscored the Tribe (3-3) 9-4 in the final six minutes of a physical contest.
W&M raced out to a 9-3 advantage in the opening period after scoring seven unanswered points. Freshman
Eva Hodgson knocked down a pair of free throws and had a steal to the cup, before redshirt sophomore
Harper Birdsong drained a 3-pointer at the 3:56 mark. In the final seconds of the period, senior
Bianca Boggs and Birdsong made two free throws apiece, but Hartford's Jada Lucas hit a 3-pointer at the first quarter buzzer to trim W&M's lead to 16-13.
During the second quarter, Hartford reclaimed the lead, 28-21, behind an 11- 0 run with 3:50 remaining. However, the Tribe quickly recovered to head into the locker room tied at 28-28. Back-to-back layups by Boggs and Hodgson and a triple from senior
Misha Jones made up a 7-0 spurt in leveling the score.
The Tribe knotted it up in the fourth quarter after Boggs poured in seven-consecutive points with 6:11 remaining. Boggs knocked down a three-pointer, before driving to the basket for a layup. She was then fouled in transition and made both free throws for a 41-41 score. However, the Hawks responded with five consecutive points and held off the Tribe's furious comeback for the win.
W&M Starters - #2 Boggs, #10 Hodgson, #11 Pollard, #25 Rogers, #30 Reynolds
Hartford Starters - #2 DaCosta, #4 Young, #5 Abad, #10 Awobajo, #14 Douglas
Individual Leaders
Freshman
Eva Hodgson scored a team-high 14 points, and added two rebounds, two assists, and three steals to lead W&M. Senior
Bianca Boggs was the only other player in double figures with 12 points and six rebounds. She added two assists, and six steals.
Ella Awobajo led the Hawks with 15 points and eight boards in the victory. She was joined in double-figures by Lindsey Abed, who added 14 points, six rebounds, and three steals.
Inside the Numbers
- W&M shot a season-low 22.2-percent (12-of-54) from the floor.
- The Tribe forced Hartford into 32 turnovers, including 15 steals, led by six from senior
Bianca Boggs.
- Hartford held a 45-32 edge in rebounding in the contest.
- For the second straight game, W&M held an advantage in free throws, shooting 22 compared to just 13 for Hartford.
Notes
Freshman
Eva Hodgson was in double-figures for the second straight game bettering her career-high to 14 points ... Hodgson also set a new career-high with three steals ... Senior
Bianca Boggs scored in double-figures for the fifth time this season and the 47th time in her career ... The game was the first-game W&M has played in the state of Connecticut ... It was just the second-time under coach Swanson that the Tribe held its opponent to 50-points or less and didn't pick up the victory.
What's Ahead
W&M concludes its two-game Connecticut road trip as it heads to Fairfield on Sunday, Dec. 2. Tip-off between the Tribe and the Stags is set for 2 p.m.
