WILLIAMSBURG — Only the men’s December 1977 upset of No. 2-ranked North Carolina, coached by the legendary Dean Smith, matches the women’s magical run this past March in the annals of William & Mary basketball. It was, if anything, more unexpected.
The Tribe women entered the Coastal Athletic Association Tournament 11-18, seeded ninth and on a run of three consecutive conference losses by 18 points or more. They went on to sweep through the CAA Tournament with four victories and, in the first W&M NCAA appearance in men’s or women’s basketball, beat High Point in the play-in game before falling to top-seeded Texas.
The campus-galvanizing success was so surprising and delightful, the pressure to repeat is minimal.
“It’s really been kind of a seamless transition where (the returners) kind of turned the page when we got here this summer,” said junior point guard Cassidy Geddes, who scored 26 points on 11-for-17 shooting in the Tribe’s CAA quarterfinal upset of top-seeded North Carolina A&T. “We’ve been able to feed into that hunger for (the newcomers) to go and get that.”
CAA coaches are skeptical they will, picking the Tribe to finish sixth. Erin Dickerson Davis, the Tribe’s fourth-year coach, says that’s about right for the preseason but don’t discount the Tribe come March.
“It’s extraordinarily hard to do but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible,” she said. “You never waiver from that goal.”
A key to approaching it will be replacing the output of go-to scorer Bella Nascimento, who averaged 16.6 points as a senior. Geddes (9.7 ppg, 2.2 apg) flashed potential in averaging 12 points to earn a spot on the CAA All-Tournament team.
Geddes’ scoring prospects increase as junior Monet Dance (5.6 ppg, 2.2 apg) and Alexa Mikeska — injured the second half of last year after starting 25 games as a sophomore — share playmaking duties. Kia Smith, a guard who averaged almost 14 points for Navy in Patriot League play two years ago, could also score big for the Tribe.
Sophomore Natalie Fox, a 6-foot-4 forward who notched a double-double (12 points, 12 rebounds) in the NCAA Tournament win over High Point, will certainly increase her minutes (15.1 per game last year), because of her value inside for the guard-oriented Tribe. She’ll get help inside from 6-3 junior Jana Sallman (5.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg), 6-2 sophomore Marley Long (1.4 ppg, 1.4 rpg) and 6-1 sophomore Sophia LeGoullon (1.2 ppg).
A freshman who could help is Dynasti Pierce, a four-year starter at Bay Rivers District schools Smithfield and Lafayette. She averaged 25 points one season in earning BRD Player of the Year honors.
Can the Tribe catch lightning in a bottle and make a run at a second consecutive CAA title? If not it won’t be because Dickerson Davis hasn’t prepared them.
“Every single day before practice starts, I say, `You guys are champions, act like it. Approach the day like champions.
“‘If you can focus on that mindset to win games, you’ll inevitably win games.’”
William & Mary women at a glance
William & Mary coach Erin Dickerson Davis holds the Coastal Athletic Association championship trophy while standing next to CAA commissioner Joe D’Antonio on Sunday in Washington. The Tribe, in its first NCAA bracket, will take on High Point in Austin, Texas.
CAA PHOTO
Last year: 16-19 overall, 8-10 CAA (T-8th)
Coach: Erin Dickerson Davis (49-46 in three seasons)
Season opener: Thursday at Davidson, 7 p.m.
Coastal Athletic Association predicted order of finish, as selected by coaches: 1. Charleston, 2. Drexel, 3. North Carolina A&T, 4. Campbell, 5. Elon, 6. William & Mary, 7. Towson, 8. Monmouth, 9. Hofstra, 10. UNC Wilmington, 11. Hampton, 12. Stony Brook, 13. Northeastern.
Schedule
November: 6: at Davidson, 7 p.m.; 9: vs. Barton, 1 p.m.; 12: vs. Richmond, 7 p.m.; 16: vs. Old Dominion, 1 p.m.; 23: at Howard, 2 p.m.; 29: at Tennessee State, 2 p.m.
December: 3: at Wake Forest, 11:30 a.m.; 7: at American, 2 p.m.; 13: vs. Coppin, 1 p.m.; 19: at *Stetson, 11 a.m.; 20: vs. *Bethune-Cookman, 1:15 p.m.
January: 2: at North Carolina A&T, 7 p.m.; 4: vs. Stony Brook, 1 p.m.; 9: vs. Charleston, 7 p.m.; 11: at Campbell, 2 p.m.; 16: vs. Hampton, 7 p.m.; 23: at Northeastern, 7 p.m.; 25: at Hofstra, 1 p.m; 30: vs. Campbell, 7 p.m.
February: 1: vs. UNC Wilmington, 1 p.m.; 6: at Towson, 7 p.m.; 8: at Elon, 1 p.m.; 15: vs. Towson, 1 p.m.; 20: vs. Monmouth, 7 p.m.; 22: vs. Drexel, 7 p.m.; 27: at Charleston, 7 p.m.
March: 1: at UNCW, 1 p.m.; 5: vs. Elon, 7 p.m.; 7: at Hampton, 2 p.m. 7-12: CAA Championships, Washington, D.C.
* Hatter Classic at Stetson
