Charise Wilson heating up

Charise Wilson’s breakout season continues and a milestone was reached along the way.

The St. Anthony’s senior has assumed a leadership role, upped her scoring average by six points and, earlier this season, notched her 1,000th career point against rival St. Mary’s.

“She put a lot of time into it and worked hard to improve, so the accomplishment is very much deserved,” Friars coach Ken Parham said of Wilson, a 5-5 point guard headed to Northeastern.

Wilson reached the milestone on Jan. 14, though it was somewhat overshadowed because St. Mary’s came from behind to win, 58-56. Wilson got it with a put-back layup in the second quarter, and finished with 16 points.

She is averaging 17.6 points per game, second most among private school players in Long Island. She has totaled 117 points in the six games since reaching the benchmark, including a career-high 37 points against Shipley (Pa.) on Feb. 1.

Teammate Chastity Taylor also scored her 1,000th point earlier this season.

“Charise’s basketball IQ is good and that’s her best attribute,” Parham said, describing her shot selection and decision-making in the Friars’ two-point guard lineup. “She’s gonna play the point at Northeastern and I think she’s got a bright future.”

As for St. Mary's: The Friars will face them again on Feb. 11 in a possible prelude to the CHSAA league championship game. The Gaels beat St. Anthony's twice in the regular season last year, but the Friars topped them in the league final. Now St. Anthony's seeks to avenge last month's defeat.

"We just have to score one more basket than them," Parham said. "We're fortunate that we don't lose many games, so when we do lose and have a chance to play that team again, there's definitely motivation."