WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — William & Mary fell to Charleston after a last-second shot came up short, 62-60, on Friday night at Kaplan Arena.
The Tribe (8-6, 1-2 CAA) began the first quarter with strong ball movement, highlighted by
Alexa Mikeska's 3-pointer at 7:46 off a
Monet Dance assist. W&M maintained offensive pressure, with
Natalie Fox scoring a layup at 5:22 to extend their lead. Despite several lead changes and ties, W&M concluded the quarter with a narrow lead, thanks to another 3-pointer by Mikeska at the 55-second mark. The first quarter ended with the Tribe leading 17-16.
In the second quarter, W&M seized momentum with a key sequence starting at 6:44 when
Dynasti Pierce connected on a 3-pointer, assisted by
Cassidy Geddes, to extend their lead. This was followed by
Natalie Fox scoring consecutive layups, with assists from Pierce and
Marley Long, which helped W&M maintain their edge. Despite turnovers, the Green and Gold managed to hold the Cougars (11-3, 3-0) at bay, entering halftime with a 28-25 lead.
Natalie Fox initiated a key moment for the Tribe with an offensive rebound and layup at 9:20, briefly giving them a 30–28 lead in the third quarter. Despite their efforts, including a fast-break layup by Geddes at 3:14 to regain a 39–38 advantage, W&M faced challenges maintaining the lead. The Cougars responded effectively, with Taryn Barbot's 3-pointer at 0:48 contributing to their momentum. The quarter concluded with a last-second layup by Marissa Brown, leaving the score at 47-42 in favor of Charleston.
The Tribe initiated a surge in the fourth quarter with Geddes hitting a three-pointer at 9:00, trimming Charleston's lead to three. Dance further narrowed the gap by converting two free throws, followed by
Sophia LeGoullon's layup after a steal at 8:15, bringing W&M within one point. Dance then scored a layup at 7:27, giving the Green and Gold a brief lead.
Despite efforts from both teams, the Cougars regained control, taking a 59–56 lead after a pair of free throws by Barbot at 4:29. The Tribe continued to fight back, with Fox scoring a layup at 1:48 to cut the deficit to three. After a Charleston free throw at 0:06 extended their lead to two points, W&M's final attempts to equalize fell short.
STAT NUGGETS