WILLIAMSBURG, Va.– After enjoying a bye on Friday, the William & Mary women’s basketball team gears up to face Northeastern this Sunday. The game is scheduled to tip off at 1 p.m. in Boston and will be broadcasted on FloCollege and NESN, with a complimentary audio stream offered by the Tribe Sports Network.
Tribe Sports Network
For the second year in a row, the Tribe Sports Network is excited to deliver free audio broadcasts for all W&M women’s basketball away games. Commentator Jack Angelucci will be on the mic, beginning with a pregame show at 12:30 p.m. featuring an exclusive interview with Erin Dickerson Davis. Fans can tune in at tribeathletics.com/listenlive.
TRIBE NOTES
The Matchup
The Tribe is coming off their first bye week of the CAA season and are set to take on Northeastern in Boston on Sunday afternoon. This will be the first of two contests between the teams this season. The Tribe aims to break a five-game losing streak in Boston, as the two teams did not meet last year due to a Husky forfeit.
The Opponent
Northeastern enters the weekend with a CAA record of 0-3 and an overall record of 1-11. Following their bye last Friday, the Huskies lost a close match at home to UNCW, 51-48. They will play Towson on Friday before welcoming the Tribe. Northeastern has struggled offensively, failing to score more than 55 points in any CAA game thus far.
Last Time Out
In a thrilling game against Monmouth, Bella Nascimento and Cassidy Geddes led the Tribe to a season-best offensive performance, with career-high scores of 27 and 26 points respectively, resulting in an 83-74 victory. The team’s 83 points marked a season-high by 12 points.
One-Two Punch
Against Monmouth, Nascimento and Geddes showcased their scoring prowess, achieving career-highs of 27 and 26 points, respectively. This notable duo became the first Tribe teammates to score over 25 points in the same game since Victoria Reynolds and Eva Hodgson did so in 2020 during the CAA opener at Towson.
Cass in the Clutch
While Nascimento initiated the Tribe’s offense against Monmouth, Geddes took charge in the final stretch, scoring 15 of her career-high 26 points in the fourth quarter, including a pivotal 3-pointer that secured the Tribe’s lead.
Ballin’ Bella
Nascimento maintained her strong start to the season, setting a new career-high for the second consecutive Sunday with 27 points against Monmouth. She played a dominant role early in the game, with 21 points scored in the first three quarters. The senior guard has reached double figures in 12 of 15 games this season, including four performances with over 20 points, and currently ranks eighth in the CAA in scoring at 14.3 points per game.
Rolph Heating Up
A key player to watch for the Tribe has been Kayla Rolph, who has emerged notably since mid-December. Rolph scored 10 points at Monmouth, marking her fourth double-digit game in the last six contests. During this stretch, she has averaged 13 points per game after beginning the season averaging just 2.1 points per game.
Been a Minute
The Tribe’s performance against Monmouth, scoring 83 points, marked their best offensive display in over a year. The last time they exceeded 80 points was in December 2022 during an 86-49 victory over Longwood, with their last 80-point output in a CAA game occurring in February 2023 against Elon.
Knocking Down the Free Ones
The Tribe excelled at the charity stripe during the game against Monmouth, hitting 14 of 16 free throws—a season-best performance. In the crucial fourth quarter, they demonstrated their poise at the line with a remarkable 12-of-13 success rate.
Injury Bug
After a relatively injury-free previous season, the Tribe has faced a string of injuries this year, with five players missing a total of 19 games. The affected athletes include Natalie Fox (7 games missed), Kayla Beckwith (5), Alexa Mikeska (3), Rebekah Frisby-Smith (2), and Anahi Cauley (2).
Spreading the Wealth
In an impressive display, four Tribe players reached double figures in scoring against Monmouth: Nascimento (27), Geddes (26), Cauley (12), and Rolph (10). This marked the first occurrence of such a feat this season, while the last time it happened was exactly a year ago against Delaware.
Finishing at the Rim
The Tribe attributed a large part of their success against Monmouth to their ability to finish strong at the rim, achieving an impressive 16-of-24 shooting from close range—an optimal 66% performance, their best this season.
Sharing the Rock
An impressive 61.1% of the Tribe’s baskets this season have come through assists, marking the second-highest rate in the CAA and 57th in the nation. Only Drexel boasts a higher assist percentage in the conference, sitting at 71.3%.
All Good Streaks Come to an End
The Tribe’s overtime loss to Elon this past Sunday marked a first for Erin Dickerson Davis, as it was their first-ever loss in extra time under her leadership. Prior to this match, they had a remarkable five-game winning streak in overtime, including four in her inaugural season in 2022-23.
Newfound Height
This season, the Tribe has welcomed six new players to their roster—four freshmen and two transfers—with an impressive average height of over 6 feet 1 inch among the newcomers, compared to 5 feet 9 inches for returning players.
Speaking of Height…
Freshman Natalie Fox stands out as the tallest player on the Tribe at 6 feet 4 inches, a record for the program since Abby Rendle, also standing at 6 feet 4 inches, graduated in 2018.
Coach E Extended
In a recent announcement, Brian Mann, the Director of Athletics at W&M, confirmed that head coach Erin Dickerson Davis has signed a contract extension that will keep her with the program through 2029. Under her guidance, she quickly became the coach with the fastest 20 CAA wins in the program’s history.
60 is the Magic Number
The Tribe has identified 60 points as a critical threshold for success, boasting a 20-6 record under Erin Dickerson Davis when holding opponents below this mark. Conversely, teams scoring over 70 points against the Tribe have achieved a 32-5 winning record since the 2020-21 season.
