WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia – Redshirt senior guard GiGi Smith scored a game-high 24 points to lead four UNCW players in double figures as the Seahawks used a strong second half to defeat William & Mary, 72-55, in Colonial Athletic Association women's basketball action at Kaplan Arena on Friday evening.
 
The win elevated the Seahawks' record to 5-9 overall and 2-1 in the CAA while the Tribe dipped to 10-4 and 1-2 in the circuit.
 
Smith, who tallied her fifth 20-point game of the season, made 8 of 15 shots from the floor and was 5-for-8 from the free throw line to lead the Seahawks in the victory. She also grabbed eight rebounds with three assists and two steals.
 
Junior forward Paige Powell chipped in a season-high 14 points with eight rebounds while redshirt senior center Chinyere Bell came off the bench to score 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting from the field along with both of her free throws.
 
Senior guard Lacey Suggs completed the quartet of double-digit scorers with 10 points while grabbing seven rebounds for the Seahawks, who shot 51.0 percent from the field.
 
William & Mary was led by sophomore guard Eva Hodgson's 14 points and six assists while senior forward Victoria Reynolds tallied 13 points. 
 
Key Moment: After William & Mary evened the score at 42-42 with 5:30 left in the third quarter, the Seahawks used an 18-2 run over the next nine minutes to take a 60-44 lead they did not relinquish. Six different players scored during the spurt.
 
Game Notes:

• UNCW earned just its second win at Kaplan Arena in the last eight pairings against William & Mary … The Tribe still holds a slim 38-36 advantage in the all-time series.
• The Seahawks improved to 2-3 in true road games this season … After losing their first three road fixtures, UNCW has authored back-to-back victories in true road contests at Presbyterian and William & Mary.
• UNCW outrebounded the Tribe by a 43-25 margin, marking the fifth time this year the Seahawks have held the advantage on the glass … The Seahawks also grabbed 40 or more rebounds for just the second time this year.
• The Seahawks had four players score in double figures for the fifth time this season, improving to 4-1 in those contests.
• UNCW shot 51.0 percent from the field in the win over William & Mary, marking the third time the Seahawks have made at least half of their shots this season … They shot a season-high 60.3 percent against South Carolina State on Nov. 16 and hit 50.0 percent of their attempts in a Nov. 20 victory over Mount Olive.
• Smith extended her streak of consecutive double-digit scoring efforts to 14 straight games to open the season … The Norfolk, Va., product now has 57 career double-digit games in her career.
• Suggs is averaging 13.0 points per game in her last six contests and has scored in double figures in each of those outings … The White Lake, N.C., product is also averaging 13.0 points per game in her career against William & Mary while making 15 of 27 field goal attempts.
• Powell registered her third double-digit scoring effort this season with her 14-point performance … She had 11 points at Presbyterian on Dec. 4 and 10 points against South Carolina State.
• After her 13-point effort against the Seahawks, Reynolds needs just one point to become the 21st player in William & Mary history to hit the 1,000-point mark in a career.

Up Next: The Seahawks close out their first CAA road weekend of the season on Sunday, Jan. 12, when they visit Elon for a 2 p.m. tip-off against the Phoenix.

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