HAMPTON — Senior Matteus Case scored six-straight points in the closing 1:07 to lift William & Mary to a 67-64 CAA road win at Hampton on Thursday night.
The Tribe (11-7, 5-0 CAA) led by as much as nine points in the second half, but trailed 62-60 with 1:31 remaining following a George Beale Jr. jumper. Cue Case who converted back-to-back old-fashion 3-point plays to propel the Green and Gold to its sixth-straight victory.
The 6-4 guard hit a floater in the lane with 1:07 left and was hit on the arm. After he completed the 3-point play to give W&M a one-point lead, the Green and Gold generated a turnover near midcourt. The ball ended up in the hands of Keller Boothby who found a cutting Case. The Pickering, Ontario native made the twisting lay-up and was fouled. His second 3-point play in 15 seconds extended the Tribe lead to 66-62 with 52 second left.
The Pirates (9-9, 2-4 CAA) had a chance to tie in the closing seconds, but Trevor Smith’s corner 3-point attempt at the horn was long, and the Tribe celebrated just the program’s fourth 5-0 CAA start.
Case led all scorers with 18 points off the bench. He was a perfect 6-of-6 from the floor, including 6-of-7 from the free throw line. After missing the last seven games due to injury, junior Kyle Pulliam returned in the lineup with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including 3-of-4 from 3, in 12 minutes off the bench. Senior Caleb Dorsey rounded out the double-digit scorers with a nice 10-point, five-rebound, and four-assist stat line.
As a team, W&M finished the game shooting 51.2% (22-of-43) from the floor, including a sizzling 75% (12-of-16) in the second half. The Tribe connected on 15-of-20 (75%) at the free throw line and was 8-of-20 (40%) from 3-point range.
Defensively, the Tribe limited Hampton to 37.5% (21-of-56) shooting, including just 6-of-23 (26.1%) from 3. The Pirates held a 32-29 advantage the glass, including 13 offensive rebounds. Hampton forced W&M into 16 turnovers, converting those into 18 points.
Hampton scored the game’s opening nine points. Beale Jr. scored four during the stretch, and a pair of Richard Goods free throws at the 16:35 mark gave the Pirates a 9-0 cushion.
The Pirates started 3-of-5 from the floor, but W&M turned up the defense, holding the Pirates to just 4-of-22 over the final 17 minutes of the first half.
W&M used a 17-2 run to take its first lead. An eight-point spurt, capped by a Pulliam 3-pointer, drew the Tribe within 18-17 at the 5:09 mark.
After a Xzavier Long lay-up briefly put the home side back on top by three, the Tribe connected on three-straight 3-pointers to open up a six-point advantage. Boothby tied the game at 20, before a Malachi Ndur left wing 3-pointer gave W&M a three-point lead at forced a Hampton timeout with 3:41 left in the half. Pulliam canned his second triple of the opening 20 minutes to stretch the margin to 26-20 just 27 seconds later.
W&M’s lead reached it largest at nine, 34-25, just over four minutes into the second half on an Isaiah Mbeng 3-pointer.
Hampton used a 5-0 run to close back within 34-30 on a Daniel Johnson jumper. The Tribe lead though jumped back to nine, 44-35, on a fastbreak and-1 from Case at the 12:31 mark.
The Pirates finally pulled even behind a 7-0 run sparked by Noah Farrakhan. He knocked down a 3-pointer, before his driving finger roll at the 4:45 mark tied the contest at 54.
Farrakhan, who led the Pirates with 15 points, gave the home team its first lead of the second half, 59-58, on another triple with 2:37 to play.
Smith added 12 points off the bench for Hampton, while Beale had 11. Long just missed a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds.
Mbeng tallied seven points and a game-high five assists, while Ndur notched seven points on 3-of-4 shooting, including a 3-pointer.
Up Next
The Tribe travels to UNCW on Monday, Jan. 20. The contest will be part of a Martin Luther King Jr. Day CAA triple header on CBS Sports Network. Tip-off for the Tribe/Seahawks match-up is set for 1 p.m. with Danny Waugh and Tarik Turner on the call. W&M fans can listen in over the Tribe Sports Network with Jay Colley on the call. The Tide 92.3 FM in Williamsburg is the flagship station of the Tribe Sports Network.
The William & Mary Men’s Basketball team continues to dominate as they extend their winning streak to six games with a road victory against Hampton University. The Tribe showed their resilience and determination as they fought hard for a 76-68 win on the road.
The game was a true test of character for the Tribe as they faced a tough opponent in Hampton. However, the team’s strong defense and efficient offense proved to be the difference maker in this game. With this win, William & Mary improves to 6-1 on the season and continues to make a statement in the college basketball world.
The players showed great teamwork and chemistry on the court, with multiple players stepping up and contributing to the win. Senior guard Luke Loewe led the way with 22 points, while junior forward Connor Kochera added 15 points and 8 rebounds.
The coaching staff should be commended for their game plan and strategy, as they continue to lead the team to success. This win is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved with the program.
The Tribe will look to keep their momentum going as they prepare for their next game. With the way they are playing right now, the sky is the limit for this team. Congratulations to the William & Mary Men’s Basketball team on their impressive win streak and continued success! #GoTribe
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- Road Triumph
- Hampton
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