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| | |  | Dothan Progress, April 3, 2008 - 'Northview's Williams Finishes Second...' |
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| Posted By: Haley Williams on 2008-09-28 19:18:29 EST | Email Story | Flag As Spam | Comments (0) |
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Dothan Progress, April 3, 2008
Headline: "Northview's Williams finishes second in state three-point contest"
by Robby Smith
Northview senior guard Haley Williams put together a classic outside shooting demonstration on high school basketball's biggest stage.
Williams finished in second place at the annual Alabama High School Athletic Association Three-Point Shot Contest.
The contest was held at the AHSAA Final Four on February 28-29 at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center.
Williams finished just one point behind eventual champion Paige Parker from Cold Springs.
Parker was also named the MVP in the girls state championship game.
Williams was one of just four girls selected by coaches from around the state to participate in the three-point shooting contest.
She was the lone representative from the Wiregrass.
Williams hit 43 percent of her shots from the three-point range and averaged 15 points per game for the Lady Cougars during the 2007-2008 campaign.
She led Northview in a berth to the 6A sub-regionals for the second consecutive year.
During the three-point contest, Williams had one minute to shoot 25 balls from five different racks at various spots on the floor.
The first four balls from each rack counted one point. The final ball in all five racks was worth two points.
The contest was similar to the event held every year at the NBA All-Start Game.
Williams qualified for the title round by finishing second on the first day of the event by one point.
Williams said the biggest key to her success was maintaining proper fundamentals.
"In the first round I was nervous," Williams said.
"But I didn't let it get to me too much. I just imagined that I was shooting at Northview."
"With all of the practice I put into it, the contest came down to muscle memory."
"I just had to remember how to adjust my shot and mechanics of shooting it."
"It's about your form and your mind. When you get tired, you need to have good form. You always have to keep your feet set and everything consistent. The elbow always has to be under the wrist all of the time."
Williams said she wasn't worried about the pressure of performing well in such a big arena.
"I wanted to have fun," Williams said.
"If I had won, that would have been something good. But, if I lost, I knew I tried my best."
"I think everyone was proud. I told some of my friends and family that I had lost by one point. But they were still proud of me. There were also some Eufaula fans that cheered for me."
Head coach Janasky Fleming said Williams' appearance has helped the NHS girls basketball program earn some statewide attention.
"With Haley making it, this shows everyone that we can play with these girls from northern Alabama." Fleming said.
"The tournament at Spain Park in Birmingham (in December) was a boost for her notoriety, not just for our program, but the entire Wiregrass." |
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| Posted in basketball, high school sports, women's athletics |
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