WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Seniors Nathan Knight and Andy Van Vliet posted double-doubles and William & Mary used a strong start to the second half to roll past UNCW, 79-63, on Thursday night at Kaplan Arena. The Tribe (12-5) improved to 4-0 in Colonial Athletic Association play for just the fourth time in school history.
 
Van Vliet led the Tribe with 18 points and added 11 rebounds, while Knight tallied a career-high 17 rebounds to go along with 17 points for his nation-leading 13th double-double. He also topped the Green and Gold with five assists. Junior Luke Loewe and graduate student Bryce Barnes rounded out the Tribe's double-double scorers with 14 points and 11 points, respectively, and Barnes added five assists.
 
The Tribe held the visitor scoreless for nearly six minutes to start the game and jumped out to a 10-0 lead. Thanks to sophomore Jaylen Simms, who scored 17 of his game-high 21 points in the first half, UNCW (5-13, 0-5 CAA) was able to keep it close in the opening 20 minutes. His free throws with less than a minute remaining in the first half closed the gap to 31-29.
 
W&M used a strong start to the second half to push its lead to double-digits where it remained for the rest of the contest. The Tribe hit five of its first seven shots from the floor in the second half and took control thanks to a 12-2 run. Van Vliet (5) and Knight (4) combined for the final nine points of the run as Knight's free throws with 14:51 remaining pushed the Green and Gold lead to 47-33.
 
The Seahawks could get no closer than 12 point the rest of the way, narrowing the margin to 63-51 with 5:45 left on a Michael Okauru 3-point play. On the other end, the Tribe advantage ballooned to as much as 21, 79-58, on four-straight Quinn Blair points with less than two minutes left in the contest.
 
How It Happened
- The Tribe held the Seahawks off the scoreboard for nearly six minutes to start the game. UNCW missed its first five shots and had four turnovers during that stretch.
- W&M scored the game's first 10 points. Luke Loewe and Bryce Barnes each scored four points during the spurt, while Barnes assisted on the game's first two baskets. His lay-up at the 15:22 mark gave the Tribe a 10-0 lead.
The Seahawks used a 9-2 run to pull within a single possession. Jaylen Simms scored five points during the run and his 3-pointer with 10:30 remaining closed the gap to 17-14.
- Simms and Jake Boggs hit back-to-back 3-pointers to pull the visitor within one. Boggs' triple at the 6:30 mark cut the Tribe lead to 21-20.
- Back-to-back 3-pointers from Loewe and Thornton Scott as part of an 8-0 run pushed the lead to 29-20 and forced a UNCW timeout with 4:41 left in the opening half.
- Simms, who tallied 17 first-half points, drew the Seahawks within 31-29 thanks to five straight points.
- Loewe knocked down a right-wing jumper with just over second left in the first half and W&M lead 33-29 at the break.
- The Tribe used a 12-2 run to push its advantage to double digits less than four minutes into the second half. Barnes started the spurt with a 3-pointer before Van Vliet (5) and Knight (4) scored nine in a row. Knight's free throws with 14:51 left pushed the lead to 47-33.
- A 7-1 Tribe run push lead to 56-38. Barnes started the spurt with a steal and fast-break lay-up. Scott beat the press with a pass to sophomore Quinn Blair, who scored the hoop and was fouled. His free throw completed the 3-point play and extended the Tribe cushion to 18 with 10:35 left.
- The Tribe lead reached 19 on a Knight 3-pointer before UNCW answered with six-straight Ty Gadsen points. A Michael Okaura old-fashion 3-point play at the 5:45 mark closed the Tribe advantage to 63-51.
- Loewe answered with a 3-pointer on the ensuing Tribe possession to extend the lead back to 15, 66-51.
- Hamilton scored seven points over a two-minute stretch. He converted a conventional 3-point play and was a perfect 5-of-5 at the charity stripe during the stretch to push the advantage to 75-56 with 2:50 left.
- The margin reached its largest of the night at 21 with less than two minutes remaining. Blair scored on back-to-back lay-ups to extend the lead to 79-58 with just 1:48 remaining.
 
Inside the Numbers
- The Tribe shot 50% (14-of-28) in the second half and finished the game at 44.6% (25-of-56).
- W&M limited UNCW to just 35.6% (21-of-59) from the field, including 30% (6-of-20) beyond the 3-point arc.
- The Green and Gold connected on a season-high 22-of-25 (88%) at the free-throw line.
- W&M held a 44-30 advantage on the glass. The Tribe recorded 13 offensive rebounds and scored 12 second-chance points.
- W&M dished out 17 assists on its 25 made field goals.
 
Notes
Senior Nathan Knight tallied a career-high 17 rebounds … It marked the fifth game of 17 or more rebounds for W&M since 2015 after it only happened three times between 1964 and 2015 … Knight tallied his third-straight double-double and nation-leading 13th overall on the season … With his 17 points, Knight moved past Keith Cieplicki '85 for sixth place on the Tribe's career scoring list (1817) … Knight and senior Andy Van Vliet posted double-doubles in the same game for the sixth time this season … Van Vliet recorded his eighth double-double of the season (18 points and 11 rebounds) … W&M improved to 4-0 in CAA play for the fourth time in school history … The Tribe won for the 12th time in the last 16 meetings with UNCW and extended its home win streak to eight against the Seahawks.
 
Up Next
- The Tribe welcomes Charleston to Williamsburg on Saturday in a match-up of the two remaining undefeated teams in CAA play. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. from Kaplan Arena.
- The game will be broadcast on FloHoops. All Tribe home games and the program's remaining 15 CAA games will be streamed on FloHoops. A FloHoops subscription is $12.50 per month or $95.88 per year ($7.99 per month) and provides access to 130 CAA men's basketball games, as well as special features.
- Tribe fans can catch the men's basketball action over the William & Mary Sports Network with Jay Colley and Charlie Woollum on the call. The Tide 92.3 FM and 107.9 Bach FM are the flagship stations of the William & Mary Sports Network and the audio is also available over the Web via the Tune-In app.
 
Two chances for Tribe fans can get an inside look at William & Mary basketball next week. On Monday night, Tribe Talk Presented by Chesapeake Bank with Dane Fischer is back at Precarious Beer Hall. The 30-minute on-air show begins at 7 p.m. Fans can hear the live broadcast on the William & Mary Sports Network and its flagship station 92.3 FM The Tide. Tribe Talk will also be available online via the Tune-In App.
 
'Dining with Dane' also returns on Tuesday, Jan. 14. The monthly luncheon featuring Tribe head coach Dane Fischer, which begins at noon, is held at Anna's Brick Oven and include a buffet for $13.75. The 'Dining with Dane' series provides fans the opportunity to get Coach Fischer's thoughts on the season and upcoming games.