By Jeff Odom
Another one of the Freedom High girls basketball team’s key contributors during its run to the Class 7A state final four is moving on to the next level, coach Laurie Pacholke announced.
Point guard Monet Williams signed with Broward College in Fort Lauderdale on July 18 after averaging 2.4 points, 3.7 assists and 1.7 rebounds per game for the Patriots last season.
Williams, who transferred to Freedom from Riverview prior to the start of the 2012-13 school year, overcame two major knee injuries in 2012 with the Sharks when she tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during a game in January, and again five months later while rehabbing the injury.
For her comeback and contributions to Freedom’s region title, Williams was awarded with second-team honors on The Laker/Lutz News’ 2013 Girls Basketball All-Star Team.
Pacholke praised Williams for her hard work and said the team would not have made it as far without her.
“Mo was vital to our success. Not just on the court, but off the court as well,” Pacholke said. “The girls saw her drive and passion first-hand, watching her go through rehab and how hard she worked to get back on the court.
“Mo’s best basketball still lies ahead of her, and she is going to do great things at Broward and beyond. I’m so happy for her and extremely proud of her. Not many kids could or would do what she did.”
Broward College competes in the Southern Conference of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). The Seahawks finished with an overall record of 9-18 last season.
