WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Senior forward Michelle Holmes finished with 18 points and a career-high 13 rebounds, but the American University women's basketball team was unable to get past William & Mary, dropping a 62-51 decision to the Tribe on Wednesday evening.

Holmes also finished with four assists and a career-best five blocks, while junior Lauren Crisler added 10 points for the Eagles, who fell to 0-5 on the season with the loss. Meanwhile, Marlena Tremba scored 22 points to lead four William & Mary players in double figures.

"I was really happy for Michelle because she gave her heart and soul today," said Gebbia. "It was an incredible statline for our senior, and what made it even better was that her dad was here to see it. She and Lauren really showed up, but we still need more production from our guards."

The Eagles took a 9-8 lead midway through the first period, but the Tribe outscored American 8-2 over the final four minutes to pull ahead. William & Mary continued to grow its advantage in the second period, buoyed by a 12-0 run that put the Tribe ahead 36-18.

Sophomore Kate Bond hit a three-pointer to end the Tribe's run with just over a minute left in the second period, while freshman Cecily Carl added her own three-pointer with 10 seconds remaining to send the Eagles into the locker room with a 36-24 deficit.

In the third period, American got as close as nine points with 4:02 on the clock, but a three-pointer by Tremba pushed William & Mary's lead back to double digits.

After the Eagles entered the final stanza trailing 49-39, Holmes scored four straight points to bring American back within six points. However, the Tribe quickly pushed their lead back to double digits and were able to hold off the Eagles down the stretch.

"We went into the game thinking we could compete with William & Mary," said American head coach Megan Gebbia. "Because our three starting guards were in foul trouble in the second quarter, it forced us to play inexperienced underclassmen, and it really hurt us because we didn't have any fluidity to our offense. It put us in a deficit that remained for the rest of the game.

"We played much better in the second half defensively, but we just couldn't close the gap. William & Mary hit some timely shots when we cut it to six (in the fourth period), and that hurt us, along with the free throws in the first half."

William & Mary (4-1) shot 93.8 percent from the free throw line, converting 15 of its 16 foul shots, including 11-of-12 in the opening half. Meanwhile, American attempted just four free throws in the game.

The Eagles are back at home this Sunday, Nov. 29, when they host Wake Forest in a 2 p.m. contest.

"Sunday's game against Wake is obviously going to be a tough contest for us, but it's a good team for us to prep for because of their athleticism," said Gebbia. "It will challenge our rebounding and our transition defense. But our team will come back and work hard—they always do.

"I think having the Thanksgiving holiday off and spending time with friends and family will help them regroup as we go into the weekend."