Old nemesis returns to bite Hamilton, Williams lifts Calvary to victory with game-high 34 points

Forward La’Bree Williams, an old Hamilton Christian nemesis, came up big in the fourth quarter to lead Calvary to a 52-50 win over the Warriors Saturday in a consolation semifinal of the Showdown in the Lake tournament.

Williams scored 18 of his game-high 34 points in the fourth quarter, including the final 14 points for Calvary (4-2). His three-point play off an inbound pass with 11 seconds left produced the winning play. He blocked Hamilton’s last-second attempt to preserve the win.

Hamilton (1-2) took a 50-49 lead in the final minute on a runner by Mason Russell. The game featured five lead changes in the final 3 minutes, with Williams countering each Hamilton score with a series of baskets from the post, put-backs and two close-range baskets on inbound plays.

In March of 2020, Williams scored 23 points against Hamilton to lead Calvary to a road win in a Division IV semifinal playoff game.

Hamilton head coach Dexter Washington said he was pleased with his team’s showing in the tournament, which included a win over Franklin Parish and four-point loss to Dunham.

“The blunder in Game 1 was on me for not playing a game before the tournament,” he said. “After that, we got better and better. Today showed the team we are capable of being.

“Deion Ware is going to lead us. He can shoot and pass the ball.

“We lost the game on a couple of inbound passes; that’s not supposed to happen. We had a good look at the end. Williams is a (heck of) a player, I have to give him his due. This was a great opportunity for us to see a team we know is going to be there at the end of the season.”

Ware led Hamilton with 20 points, including six in the fourth quarter.

Williams scored 28 and 26 points in Calvary’s first two games of the tournament, a loss to Wossman and win over Rayville.

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