Jylisa Williams, teammates reflect on record-setting performance

Jylisa Williams made history last Friday night – and had no idea until after the fact.

Williams, the dynamic guard who has helped turn around the Lakehead Thunderwolves women’s basketball program, lit up the Toronto Varsity Blues for an OUA single-game record 50 points, erasing a 32-year-old record set by Brock’s Candi Lohr.

The 26-year-old, a shoe-in for the OUA player of the year award, said she simply took what was given to her, in a game that wasn’t out of reach until late in the fourth quarter.

“They weren’t defending ball screens well, so I took advantage of the opportunity,” said the Atlanta native, who led the Wolves to an 86-79 triumph that night.

“The fast break was the same thing. My teammates got me the ball. They saw I was hot and they gave me the ball.”

Second-year forward Katelyn Andrea had a front-row seat for Williams’ latest spectacular performance, coming on the heels of two 40-plus-point performances earlier this season.

But as incredible as the 50-point night was, Andrea said the players had no clue just how well their teammate – the leading scorer in Canada – was actually doing.

“There was two minutes left in the game and I looked at the scoreboard and I saw 48, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh,’” Andrea said Monday at practice, the Wolves preparing for their regular season home-court finale on Saturday against the Western Mustangs.

“We just kind of got her in her groove. She was finding the ball really easily that game. When she has the ball, she knows what to do with it.”

Williams, who had 26 points at the half, said she found out she’d set a new OUA standard after the game, when a U of T staff member informed her.

“I was like, wow, that’s pretty exciting,” she said.

Coach Jon Kreiner, who let Williams keep going late in the fourth, despite a double-digit lead, said he had no idea what the OUA record was and was just trying to preserve the lead against a team that had battled back time and time again.

“It’s a special accomplishment,” he said.

“I didn’t realize that she was on pace until I got the box score at halftime and realized she had 26. The first thing that crossed my mind then was she was on pace for 50. But I said they’ll shut her down, but maybe she can get a new school record, or at least 40.”

Played a little tougher the next night by the No. 7 Ryerson Rams, Williams was held to just 24 points as the Rams snapped LU’s eight-game winning streak.

In spite of the loss, Lakehead maintained its No. 3 spot in the RPI rankings, which will determine first-round byes and overall playoff seeding.

But it could be a costly loss nonetheless. Corina Bruni, the Wolves versatile point guard, went down with a right ankle injury and played sparingly after that. Kreiner said she’ll test her ankle at Wednesday’s practice and take it from there.

The Wolves women tip off against Western at 6 p.m. on Saturday. The men’s game follows at 8 p.m. Both LU teams will honour graduating seniors that night.