WILLIAMSBURG — Only the men’s December 1977 upset of No. 2-ranked North Carolina, coached by the legendary Dean Smith, matches the women’s magical run this past March in the annals of William & Mary basketball. It was, if anything, more unexpected.

The Tribe women entered the Coastal Athletic Association Tournament 11-18, seeded ninth and on a run of three consecutive conference losses by 18 points or more. They went on to sweep through the CAA Tournament with four victories and, in the first W&M NCAA appearance in men’s or women’s basketball, beat High Point in the play-in game before falling to top-seeded Texas.

The campus-galvanizing success was so surprising and delightful, the pressure to repeat is minimal.

“It’s really been kind of a seamless transition where (the returners) kind

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