DRAMATIC CONCLUSION
Brother Rice finds a way to upend top-ranked St. Mary’s
ORCHARD LAKE » The head fake to get free for an open shot was a thing of beauty. The game-winner was a masterpiece of marks- manship.
Birmingham Brother Rice junior small forward Curtis Williams swished an 18-foot jumper from the top of the key as time expired to lift the visiting Warriors to a dramatic 45-43 win over the No. 1 team in the state, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, Friday night at Dombrowski Field House in another instant classic from the Catholic League Central Division.
The smooth-stroking 6-foot-5 Williams is the top wing prospect in the state’s Class of 2023 and finished Friday’s intense affair with a clutch-as-can-be double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds.
“This was a team win, a signature win,” he said. “We defended, we believed in ourselves and each other and we gutted out a big one.”
Williams never had any doubt after he let it fly on his game-winner.
“In that final few seconds, I saw my defender go past me on the hesitation and I just saw a wide open basket,” he said. “I knew it was going in the moment it left my hand.”
St. Mary’s (6-1) entered the contest undefeated, coming off a double-overtime victory at the horn against Warren De La Salle on the road back on Tuesday night to open league action, thanks to senior point guard Kareem Rozier’s double-pump layup in traffic that just beat the buzzer.
Rozier (Duquesne) canned a pair of free throws Friday to knot the game 43-43 with 47 seconds left.
Brother Rice (7-1) held the ball for the last shot. Williams got his defender to overplay the sequence with a head pump and freed himself to drain the shot from straightaway.
On defense, Williams limited St. Mary’s star Javaughn Hannah (Western Michigan) to eight points on the evening and showed why he’s considered an elite stopper on the perimeter by national scouts.
Friday’s game was tied 20-20 at the half. Brother Rice had a 34-32 lead after three quarters.
Rozier dotted the stat sheet for 12 points, six assists, six rebounds and three steals. Both Rozier and Hannah received McDonald’s All-American nominations this week.
St. Mary’s fab freshman Trey McKenney totaled 17 points and eight boards versus Brother Rice. The loss snaps a 29-game regular season win streak dating back to 2020.
Brother Rice absorbed its first defeat of the season in a lopsided loss to defending CHSL Central champs Detroit UD-Jesuit Tuesday night. UD-Jesuit nipped Brother Rice at the horn in last year’s CHSL Championship Game.
St. Mary’s head coach Todd Covert is far from shocked at the caliber of competition his club faces night-in, night-out in league play.
“Every game is going to be like this,” he said. “This league is as tough as they come. These players in the Central are tough as nails.”