Wi-Hi foursome helps lead South stars past North

Last season, the Indians defeated Hollis’ Lions in the Bayside Conference championship and Class 2A East Region final. This season Wi-Hi saddled Queen Anne’s with its only three losses, winning in the regular season, then again in the conference and regional finals.

As coach of the North all-stars, Hollis got one last eyeful of Wicomico’s standouts Tuesday night, as Antwan Wilson scored a game-high 27 points and Malique Leatherbury added another 10 to help the South to a 90-83 victory in the 37th edition of the Bayside Conference Cliff Mister Senior All-Star basketball game at Chesapeake College.

“I just told them, ‘I’m glad I don’t have to see you again. And I don’t have to see you again,’” said Hollis with a laugh of Wilson, Leatherbury and their teammates Jaylin Dashiell Andrews and Jayden Handy. “They seem like a great group of kids.”

Wilson and Washington’s CJ Dickerson (17 points) each scored six points in the first quarter as the South built a 30-23 lead. That lead grew to 37-27, before North Dorchester’s Franchise Friend (14 points), Cambridge-South Dorchester’s Jazheer Smith (12 points) and Queen Anne’s Nate Ford (12 points) combined for six straight points to draw the North within 37-33 midway through the second quarter.

But the South went on a 17-5 tear, with Dickerson and Wilson accounting for all 17 South points. Dickerson hit a 3-pointer and two consecutive field goals. Wilson, the South Bayside Player of the Year, then slammed back-to-back dunks, made a three-point play, before punctuating the half with his only 3-pointer of the game for a 54-38 South lead.

“Yes, right now,” a smiling Hollis answered when asked if he’d like to help Wilson pack for college.

The South maintained its double-digit lead through the first half of the third quarter, leading by as many as 16. But North Dorchester’s Nasir Polk (team-high 15 points), selected the North Bayside’s Player of the Year, scored eight points to help the North close the third quarter on a modest 15-7 run, whittling its deficit to 66-61 with one quarter remaining.

The South opened the fourth quarter with a 9-2 run, extending its lead to 75-63 with 7:23 left. But the North answered. Smith canned a 3-pointer, North Caroline’s Markeil Chestnut scored on a floater and Ford muscled his way through the paint for a bucket that pulled the North withing 75-70 with 4:54 left.

The Wicomico contingent promptly took control from there, scoring the South’s last 15 points. After a pair of free throws from Andrews, Wilson dunked. Polk scored to keep the North in contact at 79-72. The North’s next possession ended with Wilson blocking shot, leading to a Handy jumper. Leatherbury tacked on two free throws, nudging the South’s lead to 83-72.

Chestnut scored a lay-in, but Wilson came back with a three-point play before Leatherbury made a steal and sprinted in for a layup to make it 88-74 South with under 2 minutes left. Andrews made a free throw and Wilson added yet another dunk to make it 90-80 with under a minute left.

“It’s a great experience, when you have a group of guys that all have a skill level where you can just sit back and just throw the ball out there,” said South head coach Shawn Johnson, who coaches Snow Hill.

“I told everyone I see why (Wicomico head) coach (Butch) Waller can sit back and stay calm,” Johnson said referring to the Wi-Hi foursome. “Antwan just makes the game so easy. Malique, all of them play hard. They play together as a unit. And you see I finished the game up with them on the floor. It’s definitely a pleasure having those guys.”