STARKVILLE — The look is an attempt to disguise the emotions that are whirling around inside her head.
Last season, Sherise Williams had that expression about as often as you would expect a freshman battling through the ups and downs of her first season to wear it.
If you needed a reminder, Williams offered a glimpse of the impassive countenance Sunday in the Mississippi State women’s basketball team’s 111-38 victory against New Orleans at Humphrey Coliseum. Williams had just turned the ball over on offense and was hustling back in an effort to prevent Danielle Davis from converting a layup. With Davis setting herself up to lay the ball up on the right side of the rim, Williams trailed the action and measured an angled path that took her right into Davis’ path as she attempted her shot. The resounding “SWAT” of the blocked shot and the ball rolling out of bounds elicited smiles from the Bulldogs, but Williams was non-plussed. She kept a straight face and her lips pursed and tried to stand up as tall as possible in an attempt to forget the play.
After the game, Williams’ teammates talked about the play and the look Williams gets when she goes into “beast” mode.
“She has an alter ego in practice,” MSU junior guard Savannah Carter said. “It is like Sherise isn’t even there. It is Sharon. We were just talking about that yesterday. She doesn’t even speak. We’re like, ‘Where is Sherise?’ ”
Said Williams, “I just try to listen and not say too much. Whatever the guards tell me to do, I try to do it without too much backtalk.”
MSU (3-0) hopes Williams can spend more time in “beast” mode and avoid having to track back to correct mistakes at 7 tonight when it plays host to Tennessee Tech (1-1) at Humphrey Coliseum. With freshman forward Ketara Chapel being the only other front-court player to have played a key role in the rotation, Williams is providing a nice lift off the bench. The 6-foot-1 sophomore from St. Louis, Mo., is averaging 10.6 points and 6.3 rebounds in a little less than 15 minutes a game. Last season, Williams averaged 5.1 points and 4.5 rebounds a game in 19.1 minutes. While still raw, she showed flashes of the athleticism and potential MSU coach Vic Schaefer and his staff saw in her at the beginning of the season. Unfortunately, Williams’ exuberance and inexperience played a role in her committing 66 turnovers and handing out only two assists.
Schaefer said Williams committed a lot of those turnovers on offensive moves because she was in too much of a hurry to make a play. This season, he said Williams has worked with associate head coach Johnnie Harris and is trying to slow down so she can have controlled aggression going toward the basket.
“Johnnie does a great job with her in making her feel good about her game,” Schaefer said. “She feels good about her game because her game has gotten better. Last year, you’re right. A lot of times, she would catch the ball in the high post and travel. She has worked hard with coach in keeping that foot down and being able to attack from the high post. Gosh, she has gone in there a couple of times and she is going in there and her hands are up there about even with the rim when she is laying it in.
“She is ultra-athletic, so it is just a matter of getting her to play within herself.”
Schaefer believes Williams can be an impact a game if she stays within herself. He feels that will be possible because Williams’ confidence has increased since last season.
Williams said she feels more confident and hopes she can continue to be a productive contributor off the bench. After scoring 11 points and grabbing six rebounds Sunday, Williams said she is just “taking what the defense gives her” when she is on offense. The answer was succinct and caused teammates Kendra Grant and Savannah Carter to smile at their teammate’s brevity. Grant then elaborated when asked about Williams’ maturity from last season.
“Last year, she was a freshman getting thrown into the fire,” Grant said. “This year, I feel she is more relaxed. You can tell in certain moves. It just looks natural when she does it. She will feel the defense and go the other way. I am proud of the way she is playing.”
Williams said she always has been “fidgety” and “is always jumping” when she is on the court. She feels she and her game have matured because she is completely healthy after missing time last season with a broken foot. The injury set her back and forced her to miss five games. This season, though, she is trying not to celebrate her progression, even when she makes a play like the blocked shot that pumps everyone up.
“My teammates say I don’t celebrate,” Williams said. “They say I am just like, ‘Ummm.’ ”
As much as Williams said the Bulldogs enjoy having a “pest” like freshman Dominique Dillingham on their team, Carter said the team feels the same way about Williams.
“Sharon is the sniper. She is quiet and she will block a shot like she just did quietly,” Carter said. “She snuck up on that player quietly, I don’t think she even knew she was behind her.”
Williams said she wasn’t sure if she was going to get the blocked shot, but her look after she did suggested she knew she had saved herself a talk with Schaefer at the next stop in play. Sure enough, Williams was one of the first players Schaefer said something to when the Bulldogs went to the sideline.
“He was like, ‘Good hustle,'” Williams said. “He was like, ‘That was a flat-footed pass.’ ”
Said Grant, “But you made up for it.”
With that, Williams — Sherise and Sharon — left the room with a smile on her face.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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