Anthony's leadership sparks Esperanza to quarterfinal upset win

BRIHEAM ANTHONY scored 26 points and led an injury-depleted Nueva Esperanza High to a 58-55 Public League Class AAA quarterfinal upset of Boys' Latin yesterday, and has delivered the Toros two playoff wins in one season for the first time school history.

However, the story behind the 6-4 senior guard's performance began nearly a month ago, when Anthony was disciplined for not handling his academic responsibilities. The Toros were stomped by John Bartram High, 68-46, on Jan. 14 with Anthony helpless on the bench.

"When we lost," Anthony said, "we came in the locker room and my guys told me, 'Hey, you gotta get it together; you gotta get it together, because nothing is easy, life isn't easy; it's not gonna be easy when you get to college.'

"And sitting there and watching my guys lose like that; I couldn't deal with it. So, I went home and went to work after that. All the schoolwork; I'm not late to class, I'm not late to school - none of that."

Anthony was a role player for now-closed Communications Tech last season. For the Toros (13-9, 8-6), especially without injured 6-8 senior center Mohamed Sherif (shoulder), Anthony is No. 1.

"In the beginning, it was kind of rough," he said. "But as the season went on, I got mentally and emotionally tougher."

Yesterday, as a packed crowd at the Shepard Recreation Center (57th & Haverford) filed out, Anthony credited his coaching staff and teammates for holding him to a higher standard.

"Well, if all I am is the basketball coach, then I need to leave," Toros coach Steve Kikendall said. "I need to teach life skills. You can't bring bad habits to the school academically and then expect when you have a job to not have that issue. He let down himself, he let down his teammates, and he let down his coaches, but I had to sit him to teach him."

Anthony (7-for-19, 5-for-12 from three, 7-for-8 from line) started quickly yesterday, scoring nine of the Toros' first 12 points (all threes, three by Anthony). But he cooled considerably after logging excess minutes with Sherif absent from the lineup.

The Warriors (19-4, 11-3) used the lull to jump ahead, 35-30, in the fourth after trailing, 21-20, at the half. The Boys' Latin student section pooled behind the Toros' second-half basket and showered the Toros with nonstop chants ("No. 4 wears a sock on his head!" to one headband-clad Toro).

Eventually, an Anthony triple from the right wing gave the Toros a 42-40 edge with 4:18 left in the final frame, and they never looked back. The Kingsessing resident let loose a loud, guttural growl after the shot.

"It's about time," he said of his thoughts at the time. "It's about time. I missed, like, three threes before that, but my teammates told me it's win or go home. It's my last year, so how do you want to go out?! And I want to go out strong."

Senior forward Hyking Brisbon added 15 points, 13 boards and three blocks for the Toros, who beat Mastbaum (11) in the preliminaries last week. Robert Edwards, another senior forward, added 12 off the glass.

Junior Pasquale Dimascio was the only Warrior in double figures, with 14. Senior Jamar Brisbon (2-for-15, 11 boards, five assists), Gus Sephes (sophomore) and Leo Gardner (junior) tallied eight points each.

Anthony sidestepped questions about college ball for now. He's still focused on the next playoff round, which should include Sherif, who is cleared to play. However, package Anthony's size and herky-jerky ballhandling with a more consistent jump shot, and he could turn collegiate heads.

For now, though, he still has work to do.

"These guys will follow me, because I'm a leader," he said, "If I look like I'm down or emotionally down, they'll think, 'Oh, man, we're out.' But if I'm in it and I fight to the end - then they'll fight to the end with me."