HAMPTON - Whenever her brother's name comes up, Ashley Williamson can't help but brag about him.

She mentions Andre's imposing 6-7 frame - an asset that helped him earn a full ride from Appalachian State to play basketball after playing for Prince George High School. Ashley describes his humble demeanor despite earning such accolades.

Ashley, a junior at Campbell University and a former player at Colonial Heights, also talks about her competitive one-on-one battles with Andre in the backyard. And she doesn't forget to explain what catapulted them to collegiate basketball in the first place.

"He says I'm one of the reasons why he's good," Ashley said. "I say he's one of the reasons why I'm good."

Both Andre and Ashley also cite God's blessing and their mom, Patricia Plump, for enforcing accountability in the household, ranging from checking homework to making sure they practiced on a regular basis. Andre said it wasn't common when his mom woke him up to lift at 4 a.m.

But there's a good reason why Ashley made the three-hour trip from Campbell in Buies Creek, N.C. to the Hampton Coliseum, where Andre and six other area basketball players competed in the 37th annual VHSCA All-Star basketball game. That list also included Lee Davis' Antonio Fuller, George Wythe's Tennis Simon, James River's Corey Ware, Petersburg's Ibn Rassoull and Colonial Heights' Beth Ann Boyce.

The West won, 97-53, against the East in the girls' all-star game. The West defeated the East, 92-90, on the boys side.

Ashley's willingness to see brother Andre play yesterday (he scored 10 points) illustrates their enduring friendship that strengthened from basketball. She stood by her brother's side with Prince George coach Billy Russell when the announcer introduced this year's all-star lineup.

"I love her, man," Andre said. "She is one of the only ones who support me. We always support each other."

Ashley's persistence in including Andre in backyard practices eventually enticed him to start playing the sport in middle school. He spent most of his childhood on the soccer field.

"She got me into it," Andre Williamson said. "She got me tougher."

At first, Andre saw it as intimidation. He believes to this day Ashley is the toughest opponent he's ever faced, thanks to her 6'0" frame at a young age. But that all changed when Ashley reached her junior year at Colonial High.

Both say Andre began dominating on the floor after going through a growth spurt. Both say Andre could've won more but backed off at times for not wanting to be to beat up on his sister. But both say the intensity always stood strong.

"We challenged each other," Ashley Williamson said. "We told each other what we both need to work on, congratulate each other and were supportive of each other with the things we accomplished."

And it hasn't stopped. Andre Williamson plans to leave for Appalachian State on Sunday for summer classes and weight training. Ashley Williamson left for school as soon as the all-star game ended last night. But that won't stop each other from trading college visits, ensuring a strong friendship that won't fizzle.

"We're the closest," Andre Williamson said. "That's one of the only things I got - my sister, man."