Batavia`s Corey Williams compiled a highlight film in less than 32 minutes as the 18th-ranked Bulldogs avenged their only Little Seven loss of the season Friday night with a 59-41 victory over Minooka in Batavia.
The Arizona-bound 6-foot-8-inch senior scored 23 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, blocked nine shots and added three steals as the Bulldogs dominated the final three periods.
”It looked like he was putting on a show,” said Minooka coach Bill Wiesbrook, whose team obviously missed injured 6-9 Chris Thornton. ”He did whatever he wanted.”
Williams needed to perform as Batavia was forced to come from behind early. Once Williams got going, he showed a little of everything on offense with dunks, a three-pointer, jump shots and passes. It wasn`t like he was out for revenge, but the honor student has an excellent memory.
”Revenge was not on the agenda,” he said, ”but it was a motivational factor. We came out with something to prove, not to the experts but to ourselves.”
The Bulldogs also got 12 points from Lysle Bower and eight from Chris Connelly.
Batavia (13-2, 8-1) turned the game around in the second quarter. After trailing 17-16 after one period, the Bulldog defense put the pressure on and held the Indians to just four points in the second period.
A 14-0 run took Minooka out of the game. The Indians had four straight turnovers that led to eight Batavia points, six of them from Williams.
”The kids played with a lot of poise when they got down,” said Batavia coach Jim Roberts. ”That showed good senior leadership.”
Defensively, Batavia switched from its usual zone to a man-to-man. That cut down on the opportunity for three-pointers with guards Mike Newman and Connelly applying pressure, and Williams stopped any hopes of scoring inside by repeatedly swatting shots away.
”The kids did it,” said Roberts. ”They said `Let`s go man-to-man, Coach.` They are the ones who are out there and do it.”
Minooka, which had seven threes for the night, was able to get open on the arch in the first quarter and hit three straigt to lead 11-6 at one point. The Indians hit four in the period, two by Corey Robinson, but could only manage a pair of two-pointers in the second quarter.
”We don`t always shoot that well,” Wiesbrook said of the Indians`
first-quarter accuracy. ”They were in that zone for the first quarter and that surprised me. We had the lead then they changed and we never got it again. That was the big difference.”
Robinson and Jeff Friant each had 10 points to lead the Indians (6-10, 2-7), who dropped their fourth straight.
The best thing about the game as far as Minooka was concerned is it won`t have to see Williams again.
”Only on ESPN,” said Wiesbrook.
