Tribe gains votes in both national polls

Victory over Maryland The William and Mary men's basketball team's stellar start to the 2009-10 season added another impressive chapter on Wednesday night as the Tribe knocked off its second Atlantic Coast Conference opponent of the season, downing Maryland, 83-77, at the Comcast Center. Photo by Jim Agnew

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by Tribe Athletics | January 5, 2010

For the fifth straight week, the William and Mary men^'s basketball team gained votes in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Top 25 polls, released on Monday. The Tribe was ranked No. 34 in the coaches and No. 37 in the AP polls following its road wins at Maryland and Hofstra last week.

The Tribe gained six more votes in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25 to bring its total to 19. The College was one of 21 schools and the only CAA school to be listed among the also receiving votes category in the coaches^' poll. In the Associated Press standings, W&M garnered 32 more votes to bring its season total 37. The Tribe was one of 25 programs listed in the also receiving votes portion of the poll and was joined by fellow CAA school VCU, who received five votes. Click HERE To view the National Top 25 polls. The hot start has garnered the nation's second-oldest college exposure in national outlets such as the New York Times and ESPN.com.

William & Mary, which entered Monday with a national RPI of No. 2, equaled the school record with its 10th straight win on Saturday at Hofstra. The College trailed nearly the entire game, before a conventional 3-point play by sophomore guard Kendrix Brown gave W&M a 48-47, which it preserved for the victory. Earlier in the week, the Tribe became the first CAA school since the formation of the league in 1985 to defeat two ACC schools on the road in the same season, knocking off Maryland, 83-77, on Dec. 30. William & Mary bounced Wake Forest, 78-68, on Nov. 28. The Tribe is also just one of six non-BCS programs since the establishment of the ACC in 1953 to win two road games against league foes in the same season and the first in three decades. The Tribe's record winning streak came to an end Monday night as UNC-Wilmington pulled out a 62-61 victory on Monday night at Kaplan Arena. The loss brings the Tribe's record to 10-3 on the year and 2-1 in CAA play.

The College returns to action when it travels to Delaware on Wednesday, Jan. 6. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. at the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark, Del. Fans can catch all the action over the Tribe Radio Network with Jay Colley, Bill McDonald and Charlie Woollum on the call. The broadcast will also be available over the Web at TribeAthletics.com.