WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Both senior Bianca Boggs and junior Victoria Reynolds scored 16 points, but the William & Mary women's basketball team fell to first-place James Madison 78-65 on Sunday afternoon at Kaplan Arena.
 
JMU (22-4, 14-1 CAA) used a 16-2 run midway through the second quarter to push its lead to double-figures for the first time. Up 25-24, back-to-back triples from Jackie Benitez, before Kayla Cooper-Williams had a lay-up sparking the scoring run. Benitez and Cooper-Williams added five more points, before the Tribe scored. Beneitez gave the Dukes its largest lead of the first half with her fifth 3-pointer of the game to make it 41-26 with 1:25 left in the first half.
 
The Dukes put the game away with an 8-0 rally midway through the third quarter. Cooper-Williams started the rally with two free throw, before Lexie Barrier added two more from the line. Back-to-back jumpers from Aneah Young and Devon Merritt made it 60-39 with 3:01 in the third quarter.
 
W&M never quit and used a 9-0 run in the fourth quarter to get back within 12 points. Redshirt sophomore Harper Birdsong hit a pair of free throws, before Reynolds had a fast-break lay-up. Birdsong then knocked down an open triple, before Reynolds added two from the stripe to make it 73-61 with 2:16 left in regulation.
 
W&M Starters - #2 Boggs, #10 Hodgson #11 Pollard, #25 Rogers, #30 Reynolds
 
JMU Starters – #3 Smalls, #13 Reynolds, #15 Barrier, #31 Cooper-Williams, #42 Merritt
 
Individual Highlights
Both senior Bianca Boggs and junior Victoria Reynolds scored 16 points. Boggs added six rebounds, seven assists, and two steals, while Reynolds grabbed three rebounds and added an assist and a steal. Redshirt sophomore Harper Birdsong was the only other player in double-figures with 11 points, two rebounds, and one assist. Sophomore Nyla Pollard added nine points, two rebounds, an assist, and a steal.
 
Jackie Benitez scored a game-high 21 points on 6-of-13 from 3-point range. She added five rebounds, and three steals.  Kamiah Smalls had 17 points and five rebounds, five assists and a steal. Both Devon Merritt and Lexie Barrier each chipped in 11 points for the Dukes.
 
Inside the Numbers
- W&M shot 39.6-percent (21-for-53) in the contest, which included 9-of-25 (36.0-percent) from 3-point range.
 
- James Madison hit 11 3-pointers in the contest, which where the most for a Tribe opponent this year.
 
- The Green and Gold had just 13 turnovers, and had 19 assists on its 21 made baskets.

- Both teams played even in the second half, 34-34.
 
- The Dukes controlled the glass, 38-24.
 
Notes
Senior Bianca Boggs was in double-figures for the 22nd time this season and 64th time in her Tribe her career … She now has 1,345 career points and is in ninth place in school history … Boggs needs just five more points to move into sole possession of seventh place … Junior Victoria Reynolds recorded her 17th double-digit performance this season and the 36th of her career … Redshirt sophomore Harper Birdsong had double-figures for the 15th time this season … Sophomore Bailey Eichner played a career-high 15 minutes and added a career-high five points and two assists ... Classmate Nyla Pollard hit a career-best three, 3-pointers.
 
What's Ahead
W&M hits the road for the final time in the regular season as it makes trips to Drexel and Delaware. The road swing starts at Drexel on Friday, March 1, before heading to Delaware on Sunday, March 3. Tip times are set for 7 p.m. and 2 p.m., respectively.