WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — The William & Mary women's basketball team accomplished something it hadn't in exactly 30 years on Friday, start CAA play with a 4-1 mark.
The Tribe accomplished the feat via a 78-72 overtime win against the Delaware Blue Hens, with four players in double figures for the first time all season.
Cassidy Geddes set a career-high in both points and rebounds, putting up 20 and seven, while Anahi-Lee Cauley poured in 17, Nylah Young 11 and Alexa Mikeska 10.
Young and Mikeska both paced the Tribe on the glass, with 10 boards each and earning double-doubles. For Mikeska it was the first of her career.
The Tribe (8-8, 4-1 CAA) started out the game on a heater, scoring the contest's first nine points, capped by a Bella Nascimento three pointer with 6:53 on the clock.
The Hens (6-10, 2-2 CAA) ended a 0-of-5 start with their first bucket a little over a minute later, and picked up the pace offensively, making it a 15-11 game with 1:54 to play in the quarter.
Geddes and Young both converted jumpers as the quarter drew to a close, however, and the Tribe held a 19-13 lead after one.
The second frame belonged to the visitors, who outscored the Tribe 25-17 in the quarter.
Delaware tied the game up three times in the first four minutes of the second quarter, but buckets from Cauley and free throws from Young helped the Tribe hold a slim lead.
Geddes seemed to put the Green and Gold back in the driver's seat after that, scoring six straight to push the lead to 31-23.
The Blue Hens responded with a prompt 10-0 spurt, however, eventually taking their first led at 33-31 with 2:17 to play in the half. Delaware held that lead through the halftime break, taking a 38-36 lead to the locker room.
Nascimento knocked down her second 3-ball of the night just under three minutes into the third to put W&M ahead 43-40, before the Blue Hens tied the game again minutes later at 44-all.
Delaware kept up their offensive momentum from the second quarter as the third wore on, holding their largest lead of the night at 51-46 with 3:15 to go in the stanza.
Cauley and Geddes answered immediately to tie the game at 51, with Cauley converting in the paint and Geddes a 3-pointer.
The freshman guard, wasn't done however, knocking in another from deep to send the Tribe into the fourth quarter with a 57-54 advantage.
Delaware opened the fourth with another run, this time 7-0, to hop ahead 61-57 with 8:14 remaining in regulation.
The Tribe defense buckled down down the stretch however, allowing the visitors just six points the rest of the frame.
Delaware did just enough to hold the lead for most of the fourth, answering buckets from Cauley and Young with scores of their own.
The game was tied for the 10th time when Rebekah Frisby-Smith knocked down her third trifecta of the evening, making it 65-65 with 2:09 to go.
Frisby-Smith finished with nine on the night and impacted the game on the glass with seven rebounds.
The Blue Hens scored in the paint moments later, which was matched by free throws from Geddes to tie it at 67. Those would be the final points of regulation, with both teams having chances to win the game with less than 30 seconds left.
Delaware turned the ball over on their chance, before the Tribe were unable to get a shot off on their possession, and the game was headed to overtime.
W&M took control the extra session with a 3-pointer from Mikeska giving them a 70-69 lead, one they wouldn't relinquish the rest of the game.
Cauley and Geddes both scored in the period's final minute to keep the Tribe's lead at four, before a Mikeska layup with five seconds left put the cherry on top in a 78-72 win.
Friday was the Tribe's first overtime action of the season and pushed them to 5-0 in game's that require extra time under Erin Dickerson Davis. W&M won all four of their OT games last season.
The Tribe dominated the backboards in the win, outrebounding Delaware 50-37, the +13 margin is the largest all year for W&M and helped them overcome a season-high 27 turnovers.
The Green and Gold finished the evening 43% from the field and 9-of-18 from 3-point land. Delaware, who was just 1-for-9 in overtime, shot 41% on the game and just 5-for-31 from deep for 16%.
William & Mary women off to best CAA start in 30 years with win over Delaware
Cassidy Geddes set a career-high in both points and rebounds, putting up 20 and seven, while Anahi-Lee Cauley poured in 17 as they won 78-72 over the Blue Hens.