Manchester's Royce Williams contributing at SNHU
Dec. 1—MANCHESTER — If you attended the Southern New Hampshire University men's basketball game on Wednesday night, then you probably saw more of Manchester's Royce Williams than you expected.
Williams, a sophomore guard, had five points, two steals and a blocked shot in 12 minutes, six seconds of playing time during SNHU's 63-62 loss to Saint Michael's. It was a step forward for Williams, who entered the game with nine minutes of playing time in SNHU's first five games this season.
"I've been waiting for a year to get my shot and it came (Wednesday) and I tried to take full advantage," Williams said. "I was happy with how I played, with how my team played while I was in there. I felt comfortable. Unfortunately we came up a little short."
SNHU coach Jack Perri said the increased playing time for Williams was the result of Williams showing improvement in practice, the absence of guard/forward Preston Santos (illness) and the decision to use four guards against Saint Michael's for significant stretches of the game.
Williams scored all five of his points during a 9-1 spurt that helped SNHU take a 29-21 lead with 3:57 remaining in the first half. He started that run with a 3-pointer that broke a 20-20 tie.
"I've always been looking to get my shots up to try and score," Williams said. "Tonight it came in a good flow. I took the open ones that came to me and luckily they dropped."
Williams was also on the floor during a 7-0 run that helped the Penmen take a 46-40 lead with 11:47 remaining in the second half.
"I stuck with him because he played so well that first stint," Perri said. "This was the most comfortable I've seen him. I played him the opening weekend and he looked a little nervous, shell-shocked, but (Wednesday) there was none of that.
"Last game, I gave him a touch in the first half. He was solid. Didn't hurt us, and I felt good about that. We have four guards who are really talented and Santos is 6-4, 6-5 who's a great wing and athlete. You can only play so many guys."
Williams attended Manchester Central for his first two years of high school, and spent his final two years at Trinity. He led Division I in scoring during his junior and senior seasons.
Williams averaged 21.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game as a senior, when he scored the 1,000th point of his high school career in a victory over Central. He spent a post-graduate year at Springfield Commerce Academy in Springfield, Mass., before joining the SNHU program.
Williams had 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists in 11 games (39 minutes) as a freshman at SNHU. He played off the ball last season, but is being used at point guard this season.
"He's done a really good job this year," Perri said. "Last year he came in and maybe he expected it to be a little bit easier. He transformed his body. He came in in great shape. He's shooting much more consistently and he's been very competitive in practice.
"He's a talented offensive player. He has the ability to pass, dribble and shoot, so that's a pretty unique skill set. Now that he's making more 3s at a more consistent clip — in practice, at least, he is — that makes him more of a threat. He has the ability to play off the bounce. If he can continue to make strides on getting guys some shots as well and then just taking the open ones, then I think he'll really be able to contribute even more."
