Tribe Shoots Past UMBC, 70-58

W&M connected on 21-of-22 from the free throw line and 50 percent from the field.

12/22/06 10:00PM

Williamsburg - William and Mary junior Laimis Kisielius (Vilnius, Lithuania) scored a game-high 19 points, and freshman David Schneider (Phoenix, Ariz.) added 11 to lead the Tribe past UMBC, 70-58, on Dec. 22 at Kaplan Arena. W&M improved to 12-0 under head coach Tony Shaver when it shoots 50 percent or better from the floor. The College also upped its non-conference home winning streak to seven.

W&M (5-4) shot a season-high tying 50 percent from the field (21-of-42) and converted 21-of-22 opportunities at the free throw line to win its second-straight. UMBC (4-8) had three in double-figures, led by Brian Hodge’s 16.

Alex Smith (Greenville, S.C.) scored nine points on 4-of-8 shooting and grabbed a team-high five rebounds in a spirited effort off the bench, and Adam Payton (Burlington, N.J.) added seven points, four boards and a team-high four assists.

Kisielius and Schneider led a near flawless offensive first-half for the Tribe, combining for 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the floor. W&M shot 66.7 percent (14-for-21) from the field in the opening period, including 7-for-12 (58.3 percent) from behind the arc, and committed only four turnovers in taking a 42-25 lead at the break. The Tribe’s 42-point effort was its best in an opening period this season.

W&M connected on three of its first four attempts from distance, getting two from Kislielius, who hit all five of his first-half field goal attempts, and built a 18-10 lead eight minutes in. Hodges knocked down a pair at the line to trim the W&M lead to 24-19 at the 7:04 mark, but Nathan Mann’s (Overland Park, Kan.) runner started a 14-0 spurt that allowed the Tribe to pull away.

Smith contributed consecutive buckets inside during the run, and Schneider drained back-to-back three-pointers to push the advantage to 38-19 at the 3:20 mark. W&M again went up by 19, 42-23, in the closing minutes on two Payton free throws, which also marked the most points UMBC allowed in a half this season.

The Tribe withstood a furious rally by UMBC out of the gates in the second half, as the Retrievers scored 10-straight behind Tom Young and Chris Pugh to cut the W&M lead to 42-35. Young finished with 14 points, and Pugh added 13 and four assists.

While W&M missed its first five field goal attempts in the second half, consecutive lay-ins by Young pulled UMBC within 42-29, before Pugh’s eight-footer off the glass trimmed the deficit to single digits. Another bucket and two free throws from Young pulled UMBC within seven with 16:20 to play, but W&M responded with a 10-0 run to build a comfortable lead.

Smith once again powered his way inside for two, and then completed a three-point play to push the lead back to 12, 47-35. Kisielius, who shot 7-for-8 from the line, added two free throws, and Stephen Hess’ (Charlotte, N.C.) dunk at the 12:17 mark gave the Tribe a commanding 53-35 cushion.

Behind Hodges, UMBC pulled back within 10 in the final eight minutes, but that was as close as it would get the rest of the way. Peter Stein’s (Houston, Texas) turnaround hook-shoot pushed the lead to 59-47 at the 5:23 mark, and another Kisielius free throw made it 60-49 with 3:44 to play.

Adam Trumbower’s (Roanoke, Va.) fall-away jumper extended the lead to 66-54 at the 1:17 mark, before Schneider and Payton iced it with two free throws apiece in the final minute. The Tribe’s effort at line was the program’s best since hitting on a perfect 13-of-13 from the charity stripe at Drexel on Feb. 7, 2004.

W&M has now won four of its last five, and the Tribe returns to action on Dec. 28, hosting local-rival Hampton at Kaplan Arena. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. The contest can be heard live over the Tribe Radio Network and on the Internet at TribeAthletics.com with Jay Colley, Charlie Woollum and Bill McDonald on the call.

Box Score