WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — William & Mary women's basketball opened the 2026-27 season with an 89-48 victory over Chowan on Monday afternoon at Kaplan Arena, improving to 1-0 behind a balanced offensive effort and a double-double from Natalie Fox.
Senior Cassidy Geddes led the Tribe with 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting, while fellow senior Monet Dance added 17 points, connecting on all three of her 3-point attempts. Fox recorded her fourth career double-double with 11 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.
The 89-point performance marked William & Mary's highest scoring output since an 86-49 victory over Longwood on Dec. 17, 2023. The Tribe's 41-point margin of victory was also its largest since an 83-31 win over Randolph on Nov. 14, 2021.
Freshman Denver Carlton impressed in her collegiate debut, finishing with 11 points, five rebounds and two assists. Fellow freshman Skyla Mastronardi added seven points and a team-high seven assists, while sophomore Jordyn Steindl made her collegiate debut after missing the entire 2025-26 season due to injury, contributing six points, five rebounds and two steals.
Sophomore Ari Mercado chipped in nine points, while junior Marley Long added four points, six rebounds and three assists.
William & Mary shot 47.9% (35-of-73) from the field and held Chowan to just 27.6% shooting. The Tribe dominated the paint, outscoring the Hawks 52-14, and held a 51-33 rebounding advantage.
The Green and Gold also recorded 19 assists and 14 steals while forcing 22 Chowan turnovers, converting those miscues into 25 points. William & Mary received 38 points from its bench and outscored the Hawks 70-28 over the final three quarters.
First Quarter
Chowan came out strong, connecting on three early 3-pointers to take an 11-9 lead midway through the opening quarter. The Hawks extended their advantage to four points late in the period, but William & Mary responded with a three-point play from Mercado in the final 15 seconds to cut the deficit to 20-19 heading into the second quarter.
Second Quarter
William & Mary took control early in the second quarter, opening the period on a 9-0 run to build a 28-20 advantage. Carlton scored four points during the stretch, while Dance knocked down a 3-pointer and Fox added a layup.
The Tribe continued to extend its lead, pushing the advantage to 14 points following a fast-break layup from Geddes with 3:56 remaining. Chowan closed the half with a pair of baskets, but William & Mary carried a 40-30 lead into the break.
Third Quarter
The Tribe pulled away in the third quarter, outscoring Chowan 25-8 while shooting 52.9% from the field.
Dance led the charge with 10 points in the period, including a pair of 3-pointers that helped William & Mary build a 19-point advantage midway through the quarter. Geddes added four points, while Carlton connected on a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Tribe a commanding 65-38 lead entering the final period.
Fourth Quarter
William & Mary continued its offensive momentum in the fourth quarter, shooting 66.7% from the field and outscoring the Hawks 24-10.
Mastronardi scored five points early in the period, including a 3-pointer that extended the Tribe's lead to 36. Steindl added six points in the final four minutes, while Amelia Basit scored four points down the stretch as William & Mary secured the 89-48 victory.
Up Next
William & Mary returns to Kaplan Arena on Thursday, Nov. 5, hosting Tennessee State at 7 p.m. The contest will feature a food drive.
The Tribe will then hit the road for the first time this season, traveling to Charlottesville to face Virginia on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.
