This time, Mike Williams would get the attention he deserved.
He should have been the focus after his game-winning shot lifted No. 8 Massachusetts to a 56-55 win over Temple on Feb. 13. But Owl coach John Chaney stole the show with his post-game threat against his counterpart, John Calipari.Not this time.
The junior guard reclaimed the spotlight in a rematch between the two Atlantic 10 rivals Thursday night. He banked in a 25-foot 3-pointer with eight seconds to play to give the Minutemen a 51-50 win and its third straight conference title.
"I was sitting around this afternoon hoping it wouldn't come down to a last shot. I was hoping we'd be up 10," said Williams, who finished with 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting from 3-point range.
Williams wasn't the only player to shine Thursday night.
In Nashville, Tenn., John Pierce of Lipscomb became college basketball's all-time leading scorer with 33 points in his regular-season finale, a 119-102 win over Cumberland.
Pierce's 4,110 total career points broke former roommate Phil Hutcheson's record of 4,106.