It's never easy to graciously walk away from a loss, especially a 106-51 loss to the Texas Longhorns. However, William & Mary head coach Erin Dickerson Davis did just that, as did her team.
For the first time in program history, the William & Mary Tribe had qualified for the NCAA Tournament after securing the CAA conference tournament title and defeating the High Point Panthers in the First Four game. Sadly, that historic run came to an end when the Tribe faced the Horns in the Round of 64.
Davis, who has coached the Tribe for three seasons, was nothing but proud of her team's accomplishments and appreciative of the opportunities they had earned.
"This is Texas, right? This is a national championship contender," Davis said. "To be able to come out here, compete, to see growth in ourselves and our program, I mean, what could they be upset about?"
Her team didn't just compete, it put up 61 points on one of the most suffocating defenses in the country, one that held teams like the Georgia Bulldogs to just 26 points in their regular-season matchup.
During the postgame press conference, Davis brought out a list of people and groups that she wanted to thank – from her husband and her child to the William & Mary president and students. She also highlighted just how phenomenal Austin was to her team, specifically Texas head coach Vic Schaefer.
"And to walk out and there are Texas fans coming up to us and congratulating us, this is -- everyone here has been so kind," Davis said. "Vic Schaefer, his staff, everyone in Austin, in the Moody Center, they've taken us on tours. It's just been literally top of the line."
Two days earlier, in her team's postgame press conference after its matchup with High Point, Davis had said she believed the Longhorns were a team that could (and should) make it to the Final Four. William & Mary's performance on Saturday night only cemented that belief.
"I think they especially will now. I hope they do... To lose to a national champion doesn't sound bad," Davis said. "Their defense, their ability to run the floor, their size, I mean, they have it all... They absolutely have a chance... I wish them the very best in the rest of the tournament."
Texas will continue its postseason campaign at 1 p.m. CT on Monday, March 24, when the Longhorns take on the Illinois Fighting Illini in the Round of 32.