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All-Star Basketball: Hillsborough Cruises To Win

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By NICK WILLIAMS

nwilliams@tampatrib.com

Published: March 21, 2009

ST PETERSBURG - The first day of practice, Hillsborough High boys basketball coach Andre Lewis told the county All-Star team to treat Friday's Hillsborough-Pinellas County Senior All-Star Game as if it was a regular-season game.

"I told them to look at it as if it were an opportunity game," Lewis said.

Hillsborough County's approach was the difference in the game, as stifling defense and rebounding led to a 109-89 dismantling of Pinellas.

Berkeley Prep sharp-shooter Johnathan Gray led the team with 20 points, while two of the county's all-time leading scorers, Plant's Sheldon Cooley and King's Toarlyn Fitzpatrick, added 17 and 16 points, respectively. Cooley and Fitzpatrick will each graduate with more than 2,000 career points.

"It was fun playing with all of the top players in our county," said Fitzpatrick, who this past season led King to the Class 5A state final four.

"It was different from my high school team," said Cooley, who is seventh on the county's all-time scoring list with 2,076 points. "Anybody could produce on this team."

The play of the game went to Armwood's Rashad Davis, who in the second half took off just outside the key for a one-handed dunk on a Pinellas player that sent the crowd into a frenzy.

"I just saw him coming and I jumped up with him," said Davis, who had 12 points. "I was going to dunk no matter what."

Hillsborough's bench erupted after the slam.

"It was one of those game-breakers," Lewis said. "It was very exciting for the crowd."

Hillsborough High guard Juan Washington won the 3-point shooting contest, and Lakewood's Brandon Lilavious won the slam-dunk trophy.

Tampa Catholic senior Annie Dziagwa led the Hillsborough girls with 11 points in a 58-50 loss to Pinellas.

Reporter Nick Williams can be reached at (813) 259-7851.

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