By Dave Johnson
W&M Athletics
If William & Mary coach
Erin Dickerson Davis could have scripted how the first 16 minutes of Friday's CAA quarterfinal against Hofstra would go, what unfolded wouldn't have been it. In a win-or-go-home situation, the Tribe struggled offensively and was flirting with a double-digit deficit.
As it turned out, W&M was just getting its sea legs back after a five-day break between games. The shots started falling, and the No. 4 Tribe dominated the boards in a 74-64 win over No. 12 Hofstra in Towson, Md.
Sparked by an 11-0 run to finish the second quarter and a 23-12 spurt to begin the third, W&M (18-12) advanced to the CAA semifinals for the first time since 2017. The Tribe will go against Towson, the top seed and tournament host, Saturday at 2 p.m.
"Super proud of our girls," Davis said. "They fought through some fatigue, some runs, and we came out on top. It was completely due to our fight and our senior leadership. They had to settle in.
"There's a lot of nerves and some rust -- we hadn't played since the last time we played Hofstra (on March 4) -- and it was going to take us a second to get into the rhythm. They just had to trust themselves, trust the process, and they did."
After making five of its last six attempts in the first half, W&M shot 45% (7-of-14 from the 3-point arc) in the second half.
Sydney Wagner led the way with 20 points, 13 coming in the second half, while
Riley Casey finished with 19.
Rebekah Frisby-Smith scored all 10 of her points, including a couple of jumpers from behind the arc, in the second half.
Bre Bellamy finished with eight points and 10 rebounds, six on the offensive end. Freshman
Kayla Rolph came off the bench to add nine points, seven in the second half, and five boards.
Three minutes into the second quarter, the Pride (12-20) led 18-10. Jump-started by a pair of free throws and a layup by Casey, W&M outscored Hofstra 16-3 the remainder of the half.
"Everyone just kept saying we needed to settle in and chill out," Casey said. "We knew we were going to get Hofstra's best. We're going to get everyone's best. We hadn't played a game in a week and they've played games the last two days.
"They've been shooting in this gym. So, it was just settling in and getting used to it and knowing they'd start falling."
What kept the Tribe from falling into a deep hole was its work on the boards – which isn't usually the strength of the squad. In its first 29 games, W&M had outrebounded its opponent only three times.
When these teams played in Kaplan on March 4, Hofstra finished plus-4 in rebounding margin. Friday, the Tribe was plus-11 (43-32), including 18-10 on the offensive end.
"That hasn't been what we've done much this season," Davis said. "I'm glad I can go back to the locker room and let them know that stat today.."
Maybe two of the game's biggest rebounds came after Hofstra had cut W&M's lead to 63-56 with 3:37 remaining. Freshman
Alexa Mikeska's 3-pointer didn't drop, but
Bre Bellamy got the rebound.
Wagner then missed a 3 from the right wing, and Bellamy snagged that offensive board. She kicked it back out, and Mikeska ended up with the ball at nearly the same spot she had missed from to start the possession.
She didn't repeat herself. Her step-back 3 made it 66-56 with 2:51 remaining.
"The fact that Alexa made the three was the cherry on top," Davis said. "It sparked our momentum to finish the game."
The Tribe did that by making 6-of-8 free throws.
Now, W&M hopes to prove that old adage -- it's hard to beat a team three times in one season -- correct. Towson defeated the Tribe 75-43 at home on Jan. 13 and 66-59 in Kaplan on Feb. 17.
"No matter who we were playing, (we'd) have to bring toughness," Davis said. "But especially with Towson in their arena as the number one seed. Our two losses left a very bitter taste in our girls' mouths. I know that they want this very badly.
"With that being said, they can't want it too, too much or they'll come out tight again. We have nothing to lose. We're the four seed. We have only something to gain, so have some fun."
