By Dave Johnson

W&M Athletics
Prior to every basketball game, you can expect rebounding to be high on each coach's priority list. And occasionally, you get two opponents on opposite ends of the spectrum.

Take this weekend's two-game set between William & Mary and Delaware in Newark. The Tribe is ninth in the Colonial Athletic Association with a rebounding margin of minus-7.4. The Blue Hens are first (and 25^th nationally) at plus-10.8.

That has W&M coach Ed Swanson's attention.

"We've been doing a pretty decent job led by Bailey Eichner, but we're going to need more team rebounding if we're going to have a good weekend," Swanson said. "We're going to have to have three or four players put up solid stats on the defensive glass.

"Delaware's one of the top offensive rebounding teams in the country, so that's going to be highlighted more. We're going to have to stay even. I don't think we necessarily have to win it, but we can't get blitzed on our defensive glass."

Rebounding was an clear point of emphasis for the Tribe (4-3, 1-1 CAA) going into the season. In seven games, W&M has won the boards once. It has been within minus-8 four times.

At 6-1, Eichner leads the Tribe and is fourth in the Colonial with 8.4 rebounds a game. Next is 6-1 Gabby Rogers at 4.0 per game followed by 5-9 guard Nyla Pollard at 3.9.

"It's going to have to be a team thing," Swanson said. "A lot of our post players are going to be tangled up inside with some pretty good size, so our guards will have to do their part to clean things up and scrap rebounds out.

"I think it's unfair sometimes to look at the post players and say 'You've got to do a better job.' Our guards — Sydney Wagner, Chaniqwa Gilliam and Bre Bellamy — they have to get in there and (get) some rebounds. We have people capable of doing it. We've got to do it on a more consistent basis."

Delaware (5-1, 2-0) is led by 5-10 forward Jasmine Dickey, who is averaging 22.8 points and 8 rebounds a game. Ty Battle, a 6-footer, is next at 12.3 points and a CAA-leading 11.2 rebounds a game.  Guards Tyi Skinner (11.2 ppg) and Paris McBride (10.7 ppg) also are scoring in double figures.

"They're going to cause us a lot of problems," Swanson said. "They're athletic, they're long, and they're a terrific rebounding team."

W&M is coming off what nearly was a 2-0 weekend. After a solid performance in Saturday's 63-56 win over Hofstra, the Tribe led the Pride by five points with 3:09 remaining. W&M went scoreless the rest of the way, and Hofstra got the split with a 75-68 win.

The Tribe's calling card this season has been on the defensive end, where it is allowing 58.7 points a game — second in the Colonial. W&M leads the conference in defending the 3-point arc with the opposition shooting 21 percent.

Wagner is averaging 21 points a game on 46-percent shooting. The rest of the league became more aware of her after she scored 79 points and shot 60 percent during a three-game span. Hofstra did a good job denying her the ball and forcing her into 13-of-39 shooting in two games.

The Tribe has needed a second scorer to step forward, and Pollard has. Known primarily as a defensive stopper, Pollard scored 33 points in last weekend's games against Hofstra.

Swanson also believes freshmen Lanni Brown and Rebekah Frisby-Smith can be offensive weapons. Because the freshmen were not allowed on campus until August, the they missed a crucial development period.

"The summer session is when the light goes on and you figure out 'I'm not in high school anymore,'" Swanson said. "I look at it that they're right now coming through their five-week summer session. They're starting to figure things out a little more, and they have to build on that this week."