By Ian Preston
Williamsburg, Va. - William & Mary hosted a big time basketball game against their in-state rival, James Madison University, on Saturday, January 10.
"Any time in-state rival James Madison comes to town, it's a big affair, but with both teams trying to separate themselves in the CAA...it can make for a tight fought ball game...and that's exactly what we had here in Kaplan Arena tonight."
Tribe Nation was looking to shake off a loss to Elon earlier in the week.
Guard Marcus Thornton is one of the top shooters in the nation. And he was seeing dead-red.
Early in the first half, Thornton pulled off a nice pull-up for two, but then he went to work from the outside, off the catch and shoot.
Thornton scored 14 in the first half, but he actually played second fiddle to teammate Terry Tarpey.
James Madison hung tough in the first half, and found themselves down only one at the half. By the second half though, it was more of the same. Tarpey to Thornton, to three points.
Tarpey is a junior from Connecticut: 18 points, 10 assists, 11 boards: the first triple-double in school history.
Marcus Thornton pumped in a game high 27 points. A big home game win for Tribe, 81 to 73.
"For Thornton, that's his fifth 20 point game in the last seven. The senior is now averaging 19 and a half per game."
Up next for the Tribe is UNC-Wilmington at home, on Wednesday night.
