Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Williams welcomes 6A challenge
Class 6A basketball doesn’t scare Greenwood’s Lundon Williams.
There’s really no reason for Williams, the Arkansas Democrat-gazette Sophomore of the Year, to be afraid of the Lady Bulldogs’ move to 6A next year. She’s aced every test given to her so far.
Williams, a 5-6 point guard, started as a freshman and helped Greenwood to the 5A semifinals last year. As an encore, she helped guide the Lady Bulldogs to a 27-4 record as a sophomore, capped by a 52-37 victory over Paragould on March 8 in the 5A state championship game.
Greenwood completed its Class 5A stint in style, winning its second state title in three years, and has four starters returning next season. So the way Williams sees it, bring on 6A.
“Moving up is going to be tough, but we have a lot of talent coming back,” Williams said. “If we work as hard as we did this year, we can attain the same goal. We’re not intimidated moving up. We look at it as a challenge.”
Williams averaged 13 points, 5 assists, 2 steals and 2 rebounds a game this season — not overwhelming numbers, but impressive for a sophomore point guard in a balanced lineup.
Senior power forward Endsley Evans led the Lady Bulldogs with 14 points and eight rebounds per game, teaming with Williams to form an inside-outside combination that 5A-west opponents had difficulty handling.
Evans missed the final nine games of conference play with a leg injury, but the Lady Bulldogs responded by winning those games to finish 14-0 in the 5A-west and complete the season with a 21-game winning streak.
“Having the balance we had, it was hard to concentrate on one player,” Greenwood Coach Clay Reeves said. “When Endsley was out, that’s eight rebounds and 14 points we had to make up. Lundon was able to pick up some of the scoring.”
Evans returned in time for the state tournament and gradually worked her way back, although her minutes were limited. Meanwhile, Williams led Greenwood with 16.7 points per game in through the state tournament semifinals.
Williams scored 10 points in the title game, Evans added 9 off the bench and freshman Megan Hartness stepped up with a gamehigh 16 points for the Lady Bulldogs.
As she enters her junior season, Williams already has most of the fundamental tools she’ll need to take the next step as a player.
“She’s a great ballhandler, shooter, decision-maker and passer,” Reeves said. “She’s balanced in all aspects of the game, and she’s a complete point guard.”
Williams said the key to her progress will be developing as a leader. “I have to remind myself not to take anything that’s happened as something I’ve done,” Williams said of her team’s success. “I need to just stay humble and know that I can’t ever be good enough. It’s all about working at the things I can work on to get better and not being content in anything.”
With Williams in the lineup for another two years, Reeves knows point guard is one spot he doesn’t have to worry about.
“She’s still young and she will continue to get stronger,” Reeves said. “I just see her improving all the time in everything she does. She’s not, by any means, at the top of her game yet.”