She was Hotter than August!

Yes, basketball is a team sport. However, Saturday in the deep South Louisiana swampland, Anna Cate Williams put on a individual shooting show that won't soon be forgotten.

The 5'8 senior guard from Many, Louisiana, was hotter than August on a chilly January afternoon. She scored a career-high 27 points--including a astounding 7 of 8 from three-point range--to lead the Lady Demons to a 30-point win in their Southland Conference opener against Nicholls.

As I said on the radio, someone needed to call 9-1-1, because Anna Cate Williams was on fire!

All of the Lady Demons have their own special quality. Anna Cate's is her tremendous work ethic. Sure, she has talent. After all, she is playing NCAA Division-1 basketball. However, Anna Cate is as good as she is because of her desire to get better. And she isn't afraid to work--and work hard--to achieve her success.

At most home games, I arrive at Prather Coliseum before the team hits the hardwood for their pre-game warm-ups. I can't rememer a time the past year and a half when Anna Cate wasn't the first Lady Demon on the court.

Until Saturday, Anna was having what might be considered a "off" year. She was shooting 27 percent from the field, and had lost her spot in the starting line-up. I spoke with Anna Cate earlier this year, and she was disappointed with her performance. She has a lot of pride, and it was clear Anna Cate was not happy with how she was playing.

That's one of several reasons why I was so happy to see her have a game to remember Saturday. Smiling, fist-pumping, high-fiving. AC was in the zone. The basket must have looked as big as the nearby Gulf of Mexico. She couldn't miss. Anna Cate ended up just two three-pointers shy of tying the school record.

During a commercial break on the radio post-game show, (thanks to Associate Sports Information and color analyst Matt Bonnette for coaxing Anna Cate to come on-air), I asked Anna Cate if she knew how many points she had scored, and/or how many three's she had drained. She knew neither. Typical Anna Cate. Oblivious to individual numbers. All she cared about was that her team won.

Sunday, I ran into Anna Cate and Lyndzee at lunch in Shreveport. Anna Cate was wearing a coat--as well as a beautiful engagement ring. I told she didn't need the coat--she was probably still hot from Saturday! She said she still couldn't believe her performance.

Believe it, Anna Cate. And believe it can happen again, because good things happen to good people.

Tony Taglavore
Voice of the Lady Demons