Chris Simmons of Next Up loses control of the ball as he's fouled by BIG's Antonio Wright, with Daon Riley (12) also in on the playAnnapolis Summer League basketball championship game at Truxtun Park on Tuesday, August 9, 2022. (Brian Krista/Capital Gazette)

In the end, the young guys from Next Up were dancing, while the old guard from B.I.G. was arguing.

Camari Wilkerson sparked a strong push down the stretch as Next Up steadily pulled away to beat B.I.G., 56-42 in the Annapolis Summer League championship game Tuesday night at Truxtun Park.

With his team trailing by nine points with just over a minute remaining, B.I.G. guard Daon Riley took out his frustrations on an official and was hit with two technical fouls. Point guard Avion Robinson jumped in, said something and was immediately ejected

Wilkerson sank six straight free throws awarded for the three technicals and the head referee ended the game with 45 seconds remaining to prevent further hostilities.

Next Up's Chris Simmons tries to cut between B.I.G. defenders on his way to the hoop during the Annapolis Summer Basketball League basketball championship game Tuesday at Truxtun Park. (Brian Krista/Capital Gazette)

Wilkerson finished with 30 points to lead Next Up (13-1), which made history as the only first-year franchise to be crowned Annapolis Summer League champs. Forward Kris Peet (North County High) scored six points, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked three shots.

“I know this league from having played in it in the past and I knew my squad could come down here and win it,” Next Up player-coach Chris Simmons said. “This is a tight-knit group that plays together all the time. We have great chemistry, great athleticism and great depth.”

Robinson and forward Antonio Wright scored 11 points apiece to lead B.I.G. (11-3), which was unable to defend its title. Coach Tyrone “Stixx” Jones has led his club to eight championships, but none have come in consecutive seasons.

“For some reason, we just cannot go back-to-back,” Jones said. “Congratulations to Next Up. That was the better team tonight. We’ll be back better than ever next season.”

B.I.G.'s Antonio Wright and Next Up's Tre Dunn battle for a rebouond during the Annapolis Summer Basketball League basketball championship game. (Brian Krista/Capital Gazette)

It was a battle between teams consisting almost entirely of players from northern Anne Arundel County.

Jones was an All-County forward at Meade and built the franchise with fellow alums such as Wright and Eric Brown. Another core member has been 7-foot center Travis Hyman, who starred at Old Mill and Bowie State before enjoying a lengthy professional career.

Riley and Robinson are also Old Mill products, while Bruce Spruell is another Meade grad. B.I.G. was without its leading scorer from the regular season as Mahzi Thames (Meade) started school at Virginia Union. Elijah Davis, a Severn resident and spark plug off the bench, was wearing a soft cast after suffering a broken foot in the semifinals.

Despite being short-handed, B.I.G. was the aggressor throughout the first half and had Next Up on its heels. Wright took the ball strong to the basket in the open court, while Brown came off the bench and scored six straight points off impressive post-up moves as the defending champs took a 31-27 halftime lead.

Next Up increased the defensive intensity and made it harder for B.I.G. to score inside. Peet and 6-foot-5 forward Tre Dunn are both outstanding leapers who contest every shot and get their hands on many.

B.I.G. got away from the game plan and started settling for perimeter jumpers too often in the second half. Dylin Borden (Indian Creek, Millersville) found Chris Simmons for an easy layup to cap a run that gave Next Up the lead for good, 37-36. Hyman got hit with a technical and Wilkerson made both foul shots.

Mekhi Simmons of Next Up, left, looks to dish the ball off to a teammate, as B.I.G.'s Bryce Spruell defends. (Brian Krista/Capital Gazette)

Following yet another defensive stop, Wilkerson banked in a tough runner to increase the advantage to 41-36. The lightning-quick left-hander, who possesses a vast array of open-court moves, made a series of acrobatic shots off determined drives during the decisive stretch.

“My teammates told me to attack the rim so that’s what I did,” said Wilkerson, a former Capital Gazette Male Athlete of the Year while at Old Mill.

While Wilkerson carried the offense in the championship, Next Up boasted a balanced attack throughout the season.

“This is a very talented team with a lot of pieces. Kris and Tre can jump out of the gym, while Dylin is a great shooter,” said Wilkerson, who was named Annapolis Summer League Most Valuable Player. “What everybody does really well is play defense.”

Dunn was a somewhat surprising choice as championship game MVP, although he spearheaded the interior defense that turned the tide in Next Up’s favor. The Meade graduate who played last season at Marymount, snared eight rebounds and had two blocks as Next Up avenged its lone loss.

“We strategized how we wanted to play that team and were able to put it all together when it mattered most,” Dunn said. “Nobody believed we could take down the champs. We had to prove the doubters wrong.”