Comeback for the Ages as Williamson Tops Penn State Lehigh Valley

After facing some unexpected adversity off the court this week, the Williamson basketball team was facing it on the court in tonight's game against USCAA power Penn State Lehigh Valley.  The Mechanics were down by 13 with 5:30 to go, before they came roaring back to upend the Lions with a comeback not seen around Williamson for a long time, as they came away with an incredible 71-64 win on Wednesday night.

After grabbing an early lead in the first half, Williamson would see the Lions pull away as halftime loomed, as they would head into the break with an eight-point lead at 32-24.

PSU Lehigh Valley would increase that lead to 13 with 13:32 to go before Williamson would whittle it down to six at the 11:22 mark.

The Lions then looked like they had the game in hand, as they went back up by 13 with 5:30 left at 61-48.  Senior Rob Wiley, held to four points at half, started getting hot however, and helped lead a run that would see Williamson pull to within 66-62 with 3:20 left.  The Mechanics though, were far from done. 

A Ronald Johnson bucket got Williamson within two at the 3:16 mark before A'Jaad White would tie things at 62-62 with 3:03 left.  Johnson would then give Williamson its first lead since the 11:22 mark of the first half at 64-62 with 2:24. Nadir Ali's bucket with 1:26 to go gave Williamson a four-point cushion and Williamson's defense would do the trick from there, as they would hold the Lions to just two point the rest of the way. 

While Williamson's offense woke up, it was their defense that really led the way over the final 5:30.  Williamson held the Lions to just3 points over that span, outscoring them 23-3 to end the game. 

"It wasn't pretty but what an effort by our guys. Good teams find a way to win even when they are not playing well.  It certainly wasn't our best game for the first 35 minutes tonight, but our effort and resolve and heart over the last five minutes are what team basketball is all about," shared long-time Williamson coach and USCAA Hall of Fame member Bill Michaels. 

"I'm very proud of those guys.  They played their hearts out tonight."

Wiley was an unstoppable force in the second half, as he added 18 second stanza points for a team high 22 on the night.  He also added five assists.  Semaj Cherry had another monster game, as he had 16 points, 14 rebounds and a whopping six blocks!  After a cold first half, Ronald Johnson caught fire in the second half to end with 15 points, five assists and six rebounds. 

Williamson's defense held the Lions to just 35.3% shooting form the floor, while forcing 20 turnovers.

Williamson next faces a humongous challenge, as they take on 2-time USCAA defending national champion Penn State Wiles Barre on the road on Saturday in a 3:00 P.M. start.