Tribe Goes to the Paint for Most Lopsided Win in Eight Seasons

W&M shot a season-high 53.2 percent from the floor and outscored Montreat 48-4 in the paint.

12/22/07 6:00PM

Williamsburg - The William and Mary men’s basketball team shot a sizzling 53.2 percent from the field on its way to the program’s most lopsided victory in eight years, downing Montreat College, 87-52, on Saturday afternoon. The College went to the low post early and often, outscoring the Cavaliers, 48-4, in the paint and dominated the glass with a 48-24 advantage. The victory pushed the Tribe’s ledger to 3-6 on the season, while Montreat fell to 5-7.

Junior forward Chris Darnell and sophomore wing Danny Sumner led the way for the Tribe, tallying 16 points apiece in the victory. Sumner finished 6-of-9 from the floor to go along with 4-of-5 from the free throw line, while Darnell was 7-of-11 from the field and added six rebounds and a pair of assists. Eleven different Tribe players scored four or more points in the victory, providing W&M with a balanced attack. Sophomore David Schneider finished with nine points and six rebounds to go along with team-highs in assists (5) and steals (3).

After a slow start, the Tribe jumped out to a pair of eight-point leads midway through the opening half. The second occasions came following an offensive rebound and putback by junior Peter Stein, giving the College a 22-14 lead with 8:31 remaining in the opening stanza.

Montreat clawed its way back into the contest, closing to within three, 24-21, at the 7:09 mark. The gap was four, 28-24, when the Tribe ratcheted up the defense and held the Cavaliers scoreless for the final 4:25 of the first half. Over the stretch, the Tribe scored 13 unanswered points capped by a trey from the left corner by freshman guard John Sexton as the clock expired in opening half. The bucket gave W&M a 41-24 lead heading into the locker room.

The Tribe continued to pick up steam in the opening minutes of the second half, scoring 10 straight points to open the second 20-minute frame. Schneider connected on a 3-pointer just 25 seconds into the second half, before a Nathan Mann steal led to a fast-break dunk for Sumner, giving W&M a 46-24 lead, less than a minute into the second stanza. Stein capped the run with an offensive rebound and lay-up, which put W&M on top 51-24 with 16:58 to play.

The Green and Gold advantage reached 30 for the first time, following two of freshman Marcus Kitts’ eight points on the afternoon. The basket at the 13:17 gave the Tribe a 59-29 cushion. The lead remained at 30 for most of the second half, reaching its largest at 36, 83-47, following a Steven Hess free throw with 3:15 remaining.

Kitts added a team-high seven rebounds to go along with his eight points in 17 minutes of action. Stein contributed eight points and five rebounds on the afternoon. In his first career start, senior guard Marcus Barnett finished with five points, the first of his collegiate career, and three rebounds to go along with two steals.

The Tribe finished 33-of-62 from the field, shooting a season-high 53.2 percent from the floor. The 33 made field goals are the most for W&M since the Tribe had 37 against George Mason on Feb. 12, 2005. It marked the sixth straight game in which the Tribe has outrebounded its opponents, holding a 48-24 cushion on the glass. The rebounding discrepancy led to the Tribe holding a 21-2 advantage in second-chance points. The W&M defense was equally successful, limiting the Cavaliers to just 28.6 percent from the field.

The Tribe will return to action when its heads down I-64 to battled the Pirates of Hampton on Saturday, Dec. 29. The game is slated for a 7 p.m. tip at the Hampton University Convocation Center. The contest can be heard over the Tribe Radio Network with Jay Colley, Bill McDonald and Charlie Woollum on the call. The broadcast will be aired live over the Web at TribeAthletics.com.

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