Box Score
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Sophomore Jerald Williams tied the Lycoming College men's basketball team's single-season record for assists, posting nine dimes to help head coach Guy Rancourt reach 100 career wins as the Warriors downed Arcadia, 73-59, in Commonwealth Conference action on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 5, at Lamade Gym.
Williams, who posted nine assists, three steals and three rebounds to tie the school record of 154 helpers set by Shaun Morris in 2003-04. Williams also became the fourth player in school history to reach 300 career assists in the game and he moved into fourth in school history in career steals with 140.
"I grew as a player (this year)," Williams, who fell three assists shy of the record as a freshman, said. "I developed a jump shot, so teams are playing on me tougher. It's easier to get to the basket and find open players."
"He did what he had to do," sophomore Ihsaan Davis (Jamaica, N.Y./Christ the King) said of Williams. "He had to push the ball up the floor and find the open guys. He did his job. He's the engine. He keeps us going."
"Jerald's motor is at a level where very few athletes are at," Rancourt said. "He can do things on the court because of his quickness and speed that forces defense to adjust. As he goes on in his career, he's really going to be an outstanding player here."
Rancourt led the Warriors (13-8 overall, 3-7 Commonwealth) to his 100th win in his seventh season as a head coach, as he won 55 games in four years at John Jay College before winning 45 in his first two years at Lycoming. The Warriors also secured their 15th winning season in the last 16 years with the win.
"I'm thankful to be able to be in the business long enough to get 100 wins," Rancourt said. "The way the administration treats our staff, I am thrilled to do it at Lycoming. I'm very happy to be here. I just hope, with the current players we have, we can shoot for another 100."
The win keeps the Warriors' playoff hopes alive with four games remaining, as they sit three games behind Lebanon Valley and Albright, who are tied for third with identical 6-4 league marks. Lycoming will need to win its last four league games to qualify for the league playoffs, as they face the Mid-Atlantic Region's top team, Elizabethtown, conference-leading Alvernia, Messiah and Widener.
"Defensively, I think we did a better job," Rancourt said. "To hold a team under 40 percent for a game, I'm very happy with that. I was happy with their effort. They worked on the defensive end."
Davis posted 17 points, four rebounds and three assists to lead four Warriors in double figures. Senior Will Kelly (Williamsport, Pa./Loyalsock Township) added 15 points and three assists, junior Mike Bradley (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) added 13 points, hitting 6-of-9, shots from the field, and senior Sebastian Sabella (Bayside, N.Y./Episcopal School) added 12 points and two assists.
The Knights (5-15 overall, 0-10 Commonwealth) took an early 14-9 lead with 12 minutes left in the first half before the Warriors got a 3-pointer from Kelly on a dish from Williams and a fastbreak layup from Davis on another assist from Williams. After an Arcadia free throw, a 3-pointer from Davis gave the Warriors the lead for good during a 20-5 run, that was capped by another fastbreak layup from Davis.
A trey from Davis with 34 seconds left in the half helped the Warriors keep a 10-point lead, 37-27, at halftime.
In the second half, the Warriors opened the period on a 16-4 run in the first 5:36 to take a 53-31 lead after a layup from Sabella. The Knights got back within 15 points at the 6:24 mark, but could get no closer than 14 points, leaving the only drama Williams' chasing of the record. With six assists at the start of the half, Williams posted his eighth on a dish to freshman Kevin Anthony (Atlanta, Ga./Bridgton Academy), who drove the lane for the deuce and then he tied the mark with a fastbreak dish to Davis, who converted the layup with 3:38 left.
"We came out hot shooting-wise," Rancourt said. "I firmly believe that if you live by the three, you die by the three, so I wanted to have some balance. We needed to get to the rim and finish and get some easy buckets as well as being able to hit the open jump shot."
The Warriors shot a solid 47.7 percent, including a hot 50 (6-for-12) percent from long range, while holding the Knights to just 35 percent from the field. Darrell Mills posted 11 points and six rebounds and Jason Thompson added 11 points and two boards. Colin McCarthy also posted 10 points and five rebounds. Aaron Benusis notched six points, nine rebounds and three blocks and Lester Owens added four assists.
The Warriors wrap up their three-game homestand on Wednesday, Feb. 9, as they face a stiff test in the Mid-Atlantic Region's top-ranked Elizabethtown in a Commonwealth Conference doubleheader, with the women set to tip at 6 p.m. and the men set to start at 8 p.m.