Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2008
by John Y. Wehmueller | Staff Writer
Magruder junior Brian Henderson had just knocked down a game-tying 3-pointer with 1 minute, 39 seconds to play and the ‘‘Colonel Crazies” were going, well, crazy. The Springbrook boys basketball team answered by doing the expected: putting the ball in the hands of senior C.J. Garner as time wound down.
But Garner did the somewhat unexpected: he passed. He kicked the ball to senior Mounda Williams at the top of the key, and Williams buried an answering 3-pointer. Magruder didn’t score again, and Springbrook took the bus home from Rockville to Silver Spring Friday night as 56-52 winners.
‘‘He may not put up huge numbers in as many games, but whenever he scores, he scores at major times,” Garner said of Williams. ‘‘Like tonight, when he hit that 3 to put us up. He’s a clutch performer.”
Garner was the team’s high scorer, with 17 points. But Williams’ 14 were difference-makers for Springbrook (16-1 overall, 9-1 in the Montgomery 4A East Division). The DeMatha transfer missed his first three 3-point attempts and was 1 for 6 at one stage. But he knocked down his final three long-range shots, making Magruder (14-4, 7-3 in the 4A East) pay for overplaying Garner.
The win was Springbrook’s first against the Colonels since Dec. 20, 2004, snapping a streak of six consecutive losses. It also clinched the Blue Devils’ first outright division championship since 2002-03. Springbrook shared last year’s 4A East title with Magruder and Sherwood.
‘‘This is the biggest win we’ve had in three years,” Springbrook coach Tom Crowell said. ‘‘We did clinch the 4A East championship tonight, and that means something. We have our three goals. ... Division, Region, State. Those are our three goals, and we got one tonight.”
The additions of Williams and younger brother Jeremy have been a huge lift. Mounda Williams played freshman and junior-varsity basketball at DeMatha, but couldn’t crack the Stags’ loaded varsity as a junior. Wanting to boost their chances of playing college ball, he and his brother transferred to Springbrook, and both were in the starting lineup Friday.
Mounda Williams’ outside shooting is a natural complement to Garner’s slashing and the post scoring of 6-foot-4 junior Jamal Olasewere (13 points, 12 rebounds). Friday was the third time Williams has hit four 3s in a game this season.
‘‘I’m definitely the third option; C.J. and Jamal are the key options,” he said. ‘‘They’re both great scorers, so when teams double them, I just need to be ready to shoot the ball.”
Springbrook led for most of the game, including by eight points at the end of the third quarter. Magruder started the fourth on a 7-0 run that Williams ended with a 3-pointer. The Colonels came back again, finally tying it at 52 on Henderson’s three.
Stefan Fields (18 points) and Henderson (12) led Magruder, and each added eight rebounds.
‘‘I thought Williams was the difference in the game,” Magruder coach Dan Harwood said. ‘‘They have a lot of great athletes. When the kid Williams shoots like he has been lately, it’s going to make them very difficult to beat, with him, C.J. and Jamal.”
Note: Garner said he would decide where to play in college after the season, but his current top two choices are George Mason and Tulane, both Division I programs. But, he does not have any official offers yet.
