Williamsville edges Mount Pulaski 37-36

[February 08, 2021] 

The Mount Pulaski Hilltoppers hosted Williamsville on Saturday afternoon and it was a barnburner inside the Ed Butkovich Gymnasium.

After the Bullets shot out to an 8-2 lead early, Lane Murphy cut the lead in half on a couple free throws just under the three minute mark. Josh Lawson's basket at the 1:42 mark set the first quarter scoring, as Williamsville held onto an 8-6 lead.

In the second quarter, Murphy tied the game on a nice reverse move under the basket. Murphy's kiss off the glass for two made the score 8-8.

Lawson would give Mount Pulaski their first lead of the game at the 5:05 mark as he swished two free throws, 10-8 the score. Williamsville would go on a 6-0 run the rest of the quarter and take the lead from the Hilltoppers. The score at the half favored the visiting Bullets 14-10.

Lucas Kuhlman led off the third quarter scoring for Mount Pulaski. His basket drew the Hilltoppers closer, 14-12 the score.

Williamsville continued to be a handful for the Hilltoppers, but sophomore Evan Cooper proved to be a one-man wrecking crew. Cooper liked the wing and he rattled off eight straight points from there for Mount Pulaski, allowing the Hilltoppers to earn a 21-20 lead with 3:56 showing on the clock.

The Bullets stole the lead back, as they went on an 8-0 run next. The Bullets lead was 28-21 with just over a minute left to play in the quarter. After Davis made a couple free throws with 59.2 showing, the third quarter score was settled at 28-23, Bullets on top.

The Bullets took a 33-23 lead in the fourth quarter, but the Hilltoppers came climbing back in a big way.

First Davis hit a long three at the 5:25 mark.

Then it was Aidan Schneider connecting from long distance for a three to close the gap to 33-29.

Finally, it was Kuhlman collecting a nice pass from Davis and tossing the ball in for two points. The crowd went wild with the score 33-31.

The Hilltoppers kept it close after a soft jumper by Schneider hit nothing but net, 35-33 now the score with just under two minutes to play in the game. But a sweet alley-oop pass into Williamsville's Sam McCoy extended the lead to 37-33.

Davis kept the Hilltoppers alive on their next possession. He sent a three sailing through the air and it was good the minute it left his hands. Mount Pulaski trailed 37-36 with 1:11 left to play. Sadly for Mount Pulaski, turnovers and fouls would take over the rest of the game and as a result no one scored a basket. Williamsville escaped Mount Pulaski with a 37-36 victory.

Grant Davis and Evan Cooper led Mount Pulaski with 8 points apiece.

Sam McCoy led Williamsville with 13 points. Colvin Fleck had 10 points for the Bullets.

In the JV contest, Williamsville defeated Mount Pulaski 47-28.

The Hilltoppers will host Illini Bluffs Tuesday night. The JV game will start at 6:00 p.m. The Varsity will follow at 7:30 p.m.

The Hilltoppers record is 1-1 on the season.

Varsity scoring

Mount Pulaski 36

Davis 8
Cooper 8
Murphy 7
Schneider 5
Lawson 4
Kuhlman 4

Williamsville 37

McCoy 13
Fleck 10
Riley 5
Seman 4
Beck 3
Vaughn 2

JV scoring

Mount Pulaski 28

Martin 6
L. Smith 6
Halsey 4
G. Smith 3
Aylesworth 3
Tyson 2
Fricke 2
McCormick 2

Williamsville 47

Lyttaker 10
Wagoner 9
Reynolds 8
Finley 8
T. Carter 7
Ratliff 2
Cates 2
K. Carter 1

[Teena Lowery]