Charlotte, NC – What do you call a player that steps on the court and does what he wants, when he wants, where he wants? You call him Patrick Williams. The 6’8 forward enforced his will on Ardrey Kell (23-7) all night long, finishing with a game high 31 points. The big man showcased his savvy mid range game, unstoppable post moves and stepped out beyond the arc to drain the three with hands in his face. If NBA broadcaster Mark Jackson was watching the game, he would appropriately scream “Momma, there goes that man!”. Next season, Williams will take the eight hour trip down to Tallahassee, FL to suit up for head coach Leonard Hamilton and the Florida State Seminoles. Williams chose the ‘Noles after receiving offers from nearly every major program in the country including Florida, Maryland, Virginia and Texas. It is easy to see why he was so heavily recruited.
The highly anticipated Elite 8 game, which attracted statewide attention and nearly every local media outlet available, tipped off at 7pm. If you arrived at 6pm, you may have been too late. The Vance High School parking lot had reached maximum capacity and fans began parking at nearby James Martin Middle school. By 7pm, the gym was at max capacity and fans were being turned away.
Despite losing its best player following the use of a racial slur (for more on that story, click here), Ardrey Kell came out ready to play. Trading baskets throughout much of the game, the Knights played well enough defensively to keep it close through three quarters , trailing 46-48 at the start of the fourth. However, things began to fall apart for the Knights late as West Charlotte(24-6) could feel the capacity crowd’s energy and momentum moving in its favor. Down the stretch, the Lions went on its trademark ‘dunk’ spree with seniors Devontez Walker, Quinton Thomas and Patrick Williams all taking turns slamming it down, leading to a 21-7 outscoring of the Knights in the final quarter. Ardrey Kell was not able to find a scorer to counteract with a pivotal basket as it has been able to do so many times this season. The Lions won 69-53 and ‘Dub-C’ students, fans and alumni had a dance party in the Vance gym.
The Lions will next play on the campus of Lenoir Rhyne in Hickory,NC taking on the Demons of RJ Reynolds in the Shuford Gymnasium. Tip off is 6pm and tickets are $10.
