IRVINE, Calif.—Cassidy Geddes' 18 points and four 3-pointers led the way for William & Mary women's basketball on Monday, but the Tribe fell to UC Irvine 72-55 at the Bren Events Center.
Bella Nascimento and
Kayla Beckwith each scored a bucket early to give W&M (0-3, 0-0 CAA) a 4-0 lead against the reigning Big West champs.
The Anteaters responded with a 17-2 run over the next eight minutes and would hold a 17-8 lead after the first quarter.
W&M began to heat up from deep in the second, with California native
Alexa Mikeska dropping in a trey to kick off the frame. Another from
Kayla Rolph and two more from Geddes pulled the Tribe within one, 21-20, with 5:52 to play in the half.
UC Irvine (2-1, 0-0 Big West) had another run up their sleeves however, going on a 13-4 spurt over the following four minutes.
Memphis transfer
Jana Sallman entered the game in the final minute of the half and fought through contact to score in the paint. The bucket was the first of Sallman's career with the Tribe and sent the game to the half with Irvine in front 34-26.
W&M had nine different scorers in the first half, with
Sophia LeGoullon also picking up her first bucket in Green and Gold.
Irvine flexed their defensive muscle to start the second half, allowing the Tribe just one shot attempt over the first three-and-a-half minutes of the third to expand their lead to 42-27.
The two sides traded buckets for the remainder of the frame until Geddes drove the lane and converted a 3-point play with 4 seconds remaining. Her free throw made the score 48-39 after three.
Geddes knocked down a triple before Beckwith added four more points to make it a 55-48 Anteater lead with 6:59 to go in regulation.
Another three-ball from Geddes, her fourth on as many tries, and a fast break score from
Anahi-Lee Cauley cut it to just a five-point game a minute later.
Irvine would use their final run of the afternoon to put the game away immediately after, outscoring the Tribe 14-2 down the stretch to secure a 72-55 win.
Hunter Hernandez led all scorers with a career-high 29 for the Anteaters.
Geddes' 18 came off 6-of-15 shooting including a 4-for-7 effort from deep. Nascimento was the second Tribe player in double figures with 10.
W&M shot 35% from the floor, but 7-of-14 from deep, while the Anteaters shot 44.4% and 11-of-21 from three.
Beckwith's eight rebounds led the Tribe on the boards, with Nascimento and Mikeska each had three assists.
Up Next
The Tribe opens their home schedule against DII Chowan on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Kaplan Arena. The game will be broadcast on FloCollege.
