The Hawk

Issue date: 12/1/06 Section: Sports

Williamson earned his first career double-double vs. BU.

The Hawks' Monday night 55-39 win over Boston University should have been billed as the Garrett Williamson coming out party.

The freshman guard posted his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, and used lockdown defense to change the tide after a first half in which the Hawks and Terriers combined for 30 turnovers.

Following Williamson's queue, the Hawks put a stop to their turnover troubles while forcing Boston into 11 more, as well as limiting their opponent to 2-20 shooting in the second half.

"I thought Garrett Williamson's defense really turned the game," said Head Coach Phil Martelli. "When you give up two field goals in a half in a Division I game, you're doing something right."

Before BU could score its first points of the second half, Williamson forced the Terrier backcourt into two five second closely-guarded violations.

Classmate Darrin Govens, who broke a bone in his right hand in the season opener but was cleared to play hours before the game, snapped a 32-32 tie with three pointer eight minutes into the second half. Govens connected on all three of his three-point attempts and finished with 11 points.

"I wanted to play bad," said Govens, who underwent surgery just ten days earlier. "They were giving me a guess of six to eight weeks, but that was going in one ear and out the other. I pretty much thought around four to six weeks, but it healed pretty fast. It was good enough to go."

Ahmad Nivins, the Hawk's leading scorer on the season, was held to just two points in the first half but finished with a game-high 12 points, eight of which came from the free throw line.

The Hawks scored 29 points off BU's 26 turnovers and gave the ball away just four times in the second half. St. Joe's also beat Boston 13-0 on second chance points, most notably on a heady Williamson put-back of a Rob Ferguson miss.

Williamson found an open Ferguson from across the court and then broke toward the basket to tip in the rebound. Ferguson, usually the Hawks' best shooter, shot just 2 of 10 from the field.

Fortunately, Williamson was everywhere his team needed him to be.

Boston University's Corey Lowe, who was named American East Rookie of the Week earlier in the day, also registered double digits in two categories, though his performance was no cause for celebration. Following a 28-point outburst in the Terriers' win over Manhattan, Lowe matched his 11 points against the Hawks with 11 turnovers. He scored both of BU's field goals in the second half, both three pointers, before fouling out.

Continued...

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