W&M News and Notes
- W&M won the last two contests against Towson, including a 71-61 victory in Williamsburg on Dec. 30. Since Towson joined the CAA in 2001-02, the Tribe holds a 17-16 record against the Tigers.
- The Tribe has improved defensively in CAA play. W&M ranks second in defensive efficiency (105.0) in league games and has held six opponents to a point or less per possession, including in three of the last six games. In comparison, the Tribe limited two opponents in the non-conference to a point or less per possession. W&M also ranks second in league games in defensive field goal percentage (44.7) and defensive 3-point percentage (34.4).
- W&M shot better than 50 percent from the floor in both its wins last week. In fact, the Tribe has connected at a 50-percent clip in four of its last six games and is shooting 51.2 percent during that stretch. Overall, the Green and Gold ranks 40th nationally at 47.5 percent and has increased that to 48.1 percent in CAA play. Over the previous six years, W&M is one of two teams nationally, along with Gonzaga, to rank among the top 30 nationally in field goal percentage.
- Junior
Nathan Knight became the first player in program history to scored 30 points in three consecutive games with his 30-point effort in a win over Charleston on Feb. 21. Knight also was the first Tribe player with back-to-back games of 35 points after tallying a career-high 39 at Hofstra and 35 in the road win at Elon on Feb. 16. His 39 points against the Pride on Feb. 9 were the fifth most in W&M history, and the last time a W&M player scored more than 39 points was Jeff Cohen's school-record 49 against Richmond in 1961.
- Junior
Justin Pierce, who averaged 11 points, seven rebounds, 7.5 assists and 3.5 steals per game last week, came up huge in the win over UNCW, scoring five-straight points to spark a 9-2 run to end the game after the Seahawks closed within a point. Pierce ranks among the top 15 in the CAA in nine different categories, including 16th in scoring (14.4), third in rebounding (8.6) and sixth in assists (4.0).
- Over the last three games, junior
Matt Milon is averaging 21.7 points per game and shooting 53.8 percent (14-of-26) from 3-point range. He scored a CAA career-high 27 points in the win over Charleston and his 80 3-pointers this season rank sixth in program history. Milon ranks second at 3.4 triples per game in league action. Overall, he ranks 53rd nationally in 3s per game (3.0) and 57th in 3-point percentage (40.0).
- Knight was named the CAA co-Player of the Week on Feb. 18 after recording his 11th double-double of the season with 35 points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots in a win at Elon. It was his third career award and first in 2018-19. His 11th double-doubles are the most for a W&M player since 1992-93 and rank 31st nationally.
- The Tribe rallied from a 15-point first-half deficit in its win over Charleston on Feb. 21. It was the 30th double-digit comeback under head coach
Tony Shaver. The Tribe has done it four times this season, including three in CAA play, and erased a 20-point second-half deficit in an 87-85 win over Saint Joseph's on Nov. 24.
- Freshman
Chase Audige has come on strong in CAA play. In league games, he leads all rookies in scoring at 11.4 per game. Audige adds 5.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 40.7 percent from 3 in CAA contests. He is the first CAA freshman since 1992 to average 10 points, five rebounds and three assists per game in league action. Audige has been named the CAA Rookie of the Week on three occasions this season.
- On Feb. 8, Knight was selected as one of the top 10 candidates for the 2019 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Named after Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the annual honor is in its fifth year and recognizes the top centers in men's college basketball.
- As a team, W&M leads the CAA in blocked shots at 4.9 per game, which also ranks 19th nationally. In CAA play, the Tribe is blocking 5.8 shots per game. W&M owns the top three single-game blocked shot totals this season in the CAA with 14 against William Peace, 12 vs. Charleston on Feb. 21 and 10 on Jan. 31 against Drexel. W&M's 136 blocked shots this season rank 17th nationally and are the fifth most in program history.
- Knight has turned in an impressive stat line this season, averaging 20.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.3 blocked shots per game. Since 1992, former No. 1 pick and NBA MVP Tim Duncan at Wake Forest in 1996-97 is the only player in college basketball with a season stat line of at least 20 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots per game. Knight has been even better in CAA games, averaging 21.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. Since 1992, no CAA player has averaged a 20-9-4 stat line in league action.
- W&M, which has led the CAA five of the last six years, once again tops the league in assists at 17.1 per game in 2018-19. That number also ranks 12th nationally. The Tribe is sixth in the country according to KenPom.com in assists percentage, recording an assist on 62.5 percent of its field goals.
- The Tribe dished out 20 or more assists on 10 occasions this season, including seven in CAA play, and is 7-3 in those contests. Over the last nine seasons, the Green and Gold is 44-5 when dishing out 20 or more assists.
- Pierce ranks among the national leaders in both double-doubles and rebounding. He ranks 34th nationally in defensive rebounding (6.9), 57th in rebounding (8.6) and 71st nationally in double-doubles (8).
