WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – How exactly do you follow-up a career-best scoring performance? For graduate student Riley Casey, the answer is easy:
 
Score 31 points for the second straight game, shoot 66.7% from behind the arc, matching the third-best single-game performance in W&M history, and, for good measure, drain the go-ahead basket with 32 seconds left to lift the Tribe to a 69-66 victory over Army at Kaplan Arena on Sunday afternoon.
 
"With this game, especially, we got a lot of people going," Casey said. "A lot of people getting o-boards, kicking it out, so that's really helped me. [Opposing teams] have to guard everyone on the court, and that makes it really tough [for them.]"
 
Casey is the first Tribe player to record back-to-back 30-point scoring efforts since Eva Hodgson did in consecutive road games during the 2019-2020 season. Overall, the second-year Tribe star shot 50% from the floor, going 6-of-9 from distance, while also dishing out three assists in over 38 minutes of work.
 
"Our entire team looks forward to Riley and [graduate student Sydney Wagner] both putting the team on their back," W&M coach Erin Dickerson Davis said. "They are, without a doubt, our leaders. I love that there's somebody we can get the ball to when we know we need a bucket.
 
"It's very helpful knowing we have that kind of leadership, that kind of poise more than anything."
 
Trailing three coming out of the half, W&M (3-2) struggled to hit its offensive stride. Shots weren't falling, and Army (1-5) was able to push its lead to nine with 5:28 left in the third.
 
Still, Davis knew the points would come and players would step up when they had to—especially with a Tribe bench that's currently nursing injuries to several key players.
 
Cue freshman guard Alexa Mikeska.
 
With nine seconds remaining in the frame, she grabbed her sole steal of the afternoon, quickly driving toward hoop, and sinking what would turn out to be a momentum-swinging bucket. Suddenly, W&M was down only five entering the fourth quarter, and the Tribe showcased its burgeoning confidence down the stretch.
 
"It's no secret that our best quarters are the third and fourth quarters," Davis said. "I think we just take the first half to feel what's happening on the court. We have very cerebral young ladies, and I think that once they see it, they can react to it. I'm trying to figure out how we can flip that around. But I'm glad that they found a half that they really feel comfortable in and can fight."
 
The Tribe continued to chip away at Army's lead in the early minutes of the fourth and, with 2:49 to play, Wagner took advantage of a Black Knights turnover to put the Green and Gold on top, 58-57. It was the first lead for W&M since the first quarter.
 
As the clock wound down, the Tribe kept things close and answered every Army push with one of its own, particularly at the free throw line. W&M was 7-of-10 from the stripe in the final two-and-a-half minutes and wrapped up the day 18-of-23.  
 
Casey's go-ahead bucket in the waning seconds — a gritty drive down the lane — gave the Tribe a lead it would never again surrender. But even in those final ticks of regulation, there was still room for a few more highlight-worthy plays, including senior Bre Bellamy's strong defense on Army's next possession to force the Black Knights into a one-and-done look.
 
Wagner finished with 14 points, the 11th time in her last 12 games she's hit the double-digit scoring mark. Junior forward/center Caitlin Wingertzahn packed the stat sheet with 10 points, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 25:02 off the bench—all career bests. Bellamy led the way on the boards with a team-high, and season-best, 10 rebounds.  
 
As a team, the Tribe shot 36.1% from the floor, but hit a blistering 61.5% of its shots in the final 10 minutes. The Green and Gold were only slightly edged in rebounding, hauling in 37 to Army's 39, and did have a 13-10 advantage on the offensive glass.  
 
 
Up Next
The Tribe returns to Kaplan Arena for the second in its five-game home stand, squaring off against interstate rival Richmond on Thursday night. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast regionally in the state of Virginia on Cox YurView, as well as on FloHoops.