Hank Williams scores 25 points to help Lawrence Woodmere Academy earn PSAA title
Lawrence Woodmere Academy guard Hank Williams hits the three-point shot over Stony Brook School guard Dylan Kopp during the PSAA boys basketball championship Friday at Stony Brook University. Credit: George A Faella
If you give Hank Williams an inch, he will take three. Three points, that is.
The freshman guard scored 25 points and went 6-for-9 from behind the arc to lead top-seeded Lawrence Woodmere Academy to a 66-54 win over No. 2 Stony Brook School in the PSAA boys basketball final on Friday at Stony Brook University.
With 2:45 left in the fourth quarter, Williams sank a three-pointer from NBA range to extend the Tigers’ lead to 19.
“I knew it was a deep shot, but I had a big man on me, so I felt like I had the advantage and I just let it fly,” said Williams, who was named the PSAA playoff MVP. “It’s an amazing feeling. The rims felt wide today.”
The victory gave the Tigers their first PSAA title since 2018. Lawrence Woodmere (21-5) advanced to the NYSAIS tournament, scheduled to begin on Monday. The exact time, location and opponent are to be determined.
The Tigers entered the fourth quarter with a 24-point lead, but Stony Brook opened the quarter with an 11-0 run. With just over four minutes left, Lawrence Woodmere captain Christopher Clark (15 points) ended the drought with a putback tip-in and a strong drive to the hoop for a layup on consecutive possessions to put the Tigers up 17.
“As the captain, I have to do what’s necessary to close out the game in those moments,” the senior said. “Taking it to the rack was working, so that’s what I did.”
Lawrence Woodmere used its size to gain the lead through three quarters. Sophomores Caleb Ourigou (6-9) and Sylvanus Tabe (6-8) provided protection at the rim. Even if they didn’t block a shot, their presence affected Stony Brook’s guards on drives to the basket.
“They’re so God-gifted with their height,” Clark said. “They’re the backbone of our defense.”
Ourigou and Tabe also helped create space for Williams to operate.
“Last year my son won the league MVP because he was such a good shooter,” said coach Hank Williams, the freshman’s father. “But we lost to Stony Brook in the semifinals because they ran a box-and-one defense to stop him and we didn’t have any bigs. Now that I have two bigs inside, that helps us stretch the offense with shooters.”
Dylan Kopp scored 16 points and Orlando Morris had 15 for Stony Brook (15-8).
Just two years ago, Lawrence Woodmere finished 2-9 in Williams’ first year as head coach.
“A lot of work went into that big jump,” he said. “We decided to do three-hour practices instead of two-hour practices. They got to learn each other in those practices.”
