MAC ON SPORTS: CHRISTIAN WILLIAMS NAMED MVC ‘PLAYER OF THE WEEK’

J. Thomas McNamara

     For the week that ended Sunday, Feb. 23, Indiana’s State’s Christian Williams, the former Decatur St. Teresa standout and Iowa transfer, paced the Sycamores by averaging 15.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game as ISU took down league-leading UNI and won on the road against Evansville. Williams hit 9-of-14 shots for the week (64.3 percent), 2-of-4 from distance (50 percent) and was 10-of-11 from the free throw line (90.0 percent).

     He added three assists and a steal over the course of the two-game stretch. Williams scored 14 points and hit 4-of-7 from the field, with a pair of 3-pointers vs. UNI. He hit all four of his free throw attempts in the final 1:14 to help seal the victory, but also drew the defensive assignment on AJ Green on the final two possessions in which he forced Green to drive in for a two-point jumper instead of trying to the try the game with 7.7 seconds left and also guarded Green as he looked at a 3-pointer which would have knotted the contest.

     At Evansville, he led the way with 16 points and was 5-of-7 from the field and an impressive 6-of-7 from the free throw line. Trailing by a point with 1:07 remaining, Williams converted a conventional 3-point play which gave the Sycamores a 58-56 lead. He was perfect at the line (4-of-4) in the final seconds to seal the victory.