Tribe to Play at Bank of Hawaii Invitational This Weekend

12/27/07 11:00AM

Honolulu, Hawaii - After an eight-day break for the holidays, the William and Mary women’s basketball team will return to action when it plays at the Bank of Hawaii Invitational in Honolulu on Dec. 28-29. The Tribe (5-5) will open the event against Iona (5-6) on Friday at 5 p.m. (HST) and will then play either Hawaii (5-6) or UC Irvine (4-7) on Saturday evening.

In its last outing prior to the break, W&M rallied back from six points down in the final two minutes but fell to Duquesne, 61-60, in a hard-fought contest. Junior Courtney Portell led the Tribe with a game-high 21 points and equaled a school record with seven three-pointers, going 7-of-12 from long range. It marked the second consecutive game in which Portell has connected on seven long balls. Senior Kyra Kaylor nearly earned a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds, while sophomore Tiffany Benson finished with six points, 12 rebounds, five blocks and four steals.

Kaylor currently leads the team in scoring with 15.3 ppg, while Benson is the squad’s top rebounder with 8.7 rpg. Benson also leads the conference with 2.3 bpg and has played incredibly well during the last five games, averaging 11.4 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 2.8 bpg and 2.6 spg. Portell has also come up big for the College recently and is averaging 19.7 ppg during the last three contests. The Woodbridge, Va., native currently leads the league with 3.10 three-pointers per game and is shooting 41.3 percent from beyond the arc.

As a team, W&M leads the Colonial Athletic Association and ranks among the top 10 nationally with 8.2 three-pointers per game. Additionally, the Tribe is forcing the opposition into 20.7 turnovers per contest.

Iona enters this weekend’s tournament with a 5-6 record and has won three of its last four games. Thazina Cook and Tiara Headen both average in double figures scoring for the Gaels, while three other players average more than 8.0 ppg. W&M and Iona have played just once before, as the Tribe earned a 65-47 triumph during the 2001-02 season.

Hawaii currently has a 5-6 mark and has lost five of its last seven contests. However, the Rainbow Wahine is coming off a 71-53 triumph against Grambling State in its last outing. UH is led by Naismith Trophy Watch List honoree Tanya Smith, who is averaging a double-double with 12.0 ppg and 10.6 rpg. Should the Tribe play Hawaii, it would mark the initial meeting between the schools.

UC Irvine is 4-7 this season and has dropped its last three games. Stephanie Duda is the team’s leading scorer (12.7 ppg) and rebounder (10.8 rpg). The Anteaters defeated the Tribe in the teams’ only previous meeting, earning a 70-61 triumph during the 2002-03 season.

Game Notes