By Pat Dailey (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Priscilla Williams whole-heartedly welcomed the pressure of prime time Wednesday.
For Branson’s rapidly rising star, the fourth quarter couldn’t come soon enough. After having more fouls, 3, than points, 2, in the first half, Williams exploded for 29 second-half points to rally the Lady Pirates past Blue Eye 55-47 at the Pink & White Lady Classic.
Williams finally felt free of the burden of three first-half fouls once the fourth quarter started.
“It was a relief, after picking up my second and third fouls in the first half,” she said.
“We got to the fourth quarter and said to them, ‘We’re out of foul trouble now ladies, so let’s go,’” Branson coach Kip Bough said. “Then, you saw our kids wake up and do their thing.”
Branson (8-1) erased a 41-29 third quarter deficit by outscoring Blue Eye 26-6 down the stretch. The Lady Pirates netted 23 points in the fourth quarter.
Williams enjoyed a spectacular stretch in which she knocked down 11 points in 59 seconds. With 2:16 to play, Blue Eye still held a 43-35 lead and Williams had 17 points, or about half her scoring average of 34 a night. But with 1:17 remaining, Williams suddenly had upped her points total to 28 and the Lady Pirates were on top 48-45.
Williams and Lauren Garrison combined for eight points over the final 1:05 to seal Branson’s triumph.
“The fouls were hard on me,” Williams said. “I had to be smart. The refs aren’t going to change their calls. I was frustrated and when I’m frustrated I’m not the best shooter. So, I stopped back, relaxed and told myself, ‘Hey, I’ve got this.’
“For all of us to come together and rack up the points like that, it was nice.”
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Williams’ fourth-quarter fireworks included 9-of-14 free-throw shooting. She made her final four field-goal attempts to finish 10-of-27 from the field.
“She likes to shoot the 3,” Bough said. “But when teams are loading up on her, she’s learning to stop and pop and raise herself over everybody. Also, getting to the free-throw line is a big part of her game.”
Williams collected a double-double, collecting 13 rebounds.
“She’s flat out good,” Blue Eye coach Ken Elfrink said.
Both teams had moments of brilliance offensively, but mostly endured mighty struggles scoring.
Branson prevailed despite 24 turnovers.
Blue Eye broke loose for 22 points and did not commit a turnover in the third quarter, as Kenedi Larson and Kohnnar Patton teamed to hit four straight 3-pointers in one stretch.
But the Lady Bulldogs ended with 18 turnovers.
Patton scored 18 points and Larson had 16.
“When the shots didn’t fall, it looked ugly out there and when they did fall, we looked pretty good,” Elfrink said. “We did a nice job getting the ball where it needed to go. But we didn’t finish well. We turned it over more than we have all year long.
“We’ll look at this one and know we had a chance. But we didn’t get it done.”
Branson advances to meet Strafford in a semifinal Thursday. The contest will feature possibly the Ozarks’ top two college prospects in Williams and the Lady Indians’ Hayley Frank.
“Everyone wanted to see us play that game,” Williams said. “(Frank) is a really good player, so I’m excited for it. It’s going to be tough. I’m guessing it will be me and her defending each other.”
Frank has given Mizzou a verbal commitment and Williams has also received a scholarship offer from the Lady Tigers. Kansas, Kansas State, Arkansas, Houston and Colorado have also extended offers to the sophomore.
“Maybe we will be teammates, I don’t know, yet,” Williams said. “I like that she’s a very versatile player. She can shoot from the outside and has a strong post-up game.”
Blue Eye 7 12 22 6 – 47
Branson 4 14 14 23 – 55
BLUE EYE (47) – Patton 18, Kenedi Larson 16, Kenzie Hobbs 3, Taylor Arnold 10.
BRANSON (55) – Jaeger 2, Garrison 9, Williams 31, Goodwin 4, Johnson 2, Arnette 4, Ellis 3,
