WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – For the second straight game, three William & Mary women's basketball players were in double-figures as the Tribe cruised to a 78-50 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore in its home opener on Saturday night at Kaplan Arena. Sophomore Eva Hodgson led the Tribe with a team-high 15 points, while redshirt sophomore Sydney Wagner and freshman Bre Bellamy each had 11 points.
 
Maryland Eastern Shore (1-1) scored the game's first basket to take its only lead, before the Tribe held the Hawks scoreless for nearly the next 7:30 and scored 20 straight points to take an 18 point lead with 2:08 left in the first quarter. Four different Tribe players had baskets to burst out to an 8-2 lead. Hodgson added two from the line, before Bellamy hit a lay-up to give the Tribe a double-figure lead with 5:18 left in the quarter. Wagner and junior Bailey Eichner both split free throws, before Hodgson scored four in a row, and Wagner closed the run with two more from the line to make it 20-2 late in the first quarter.
 
W&M (2-0) took its largest lead of 31 points on a quick 5-0 spurt in the fourth quarter. Leading 60-34, redshirt junior Harper Birdsong canned a two-point jumper, before Bellamy buried a left wing 3-pointer to make it 65-34 with 6:45 left in the game.
 
W&M Starters - #10 Hodgson, #11 Pollard, #20 Bellamy, #25 Rogers, #30 Reynolds
 
MDES Starters - #3 Bailey, #4 Gills-Miles, #11 Jones, #13 Popovich, #22 Syndor
 
Inside the Numbers
- W&M shot 48.3-percent (29-of-60) from the floor in the contest, thanks to a blistering hot start from the field in the first quarter when it shot 7-of-12 (58.3-percent).
- Each team shot 19 free throws, but W&M had a better percentage hitting 78.9-percent (15-of-19)
- The Tribe out rebounded Maryland Eastern Shore 49-34.
- W&M forced the Hawks into 18 turnovers, but had 20 miscues of its own.
 
Notes
Sophomore Eva Hodgson had her second straight double-figure performance, which gives her 19 for her career … Dating back to last season she has scored in double-figures in three straight games and four of the last five contests … Classmate Sydney Wagner was also in double-figures for the Tribe as she accomplished the feat for the second straight game and the 17th time of her career … Wagner added a career-high six boards in the game as well … Freshman Bre Bellamy had her first-career double-digit performance with 11 points … Sophomore Caroline Stover recorded her first career points … All 13 Tribe players saw action in the game … The Tribe improves to 31-19 in home openers at Kaplan Arena and 4-3 under head coach Ed Swanson … W&M is now 3-1 all-time against Maryland Eastern Shore.
 
What's Ahead
W&M closes out a stretch of three games in seven days to open the season as it opens a two-game road swing at former CAA rival East Carolina on Tuesday, Nov. 12. Tip time between the Tribe and the Pirates is set for 7 p.m.