Exeter Ends 49-Year Wait, Upsets Gov. Mifflin to Reach BCIAA Title Game
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The last time Exeter made it to the Berks County girls basketball championship was 1977. Nearly five decades later, the Eagles are finally headed back.
Lillie Keperling scored 15 points and Addison Harper had 14 to lead the third-seeded Eagles past No. 2 Gov. Mifflin 46-40 Wednesday afternoon in a BCIAA semifinal at Santander Arena in Reading.
The Mustangs had defeated the Eagles 65-43 in league play a month ago. Wednesday was a different story.
The Eagles (15-9) used relentless defense and timely offense to upset the Mustangs, holding them well below their season scoring average.
Harper, a sophomore, burst onto the Berks girls basketball scene this season and was calm, cool, and collected handling Gov. Mifflin's pressure Wednesday. The bright lights of the Santander Arena were not too bright.
Keperling, a senior, always seemed to come up with a bucket when it was needed. Senior Chayse Flood played stellar defense on Berks' top scorer in Gov. Mifflin junior Bella Super.
It all culminated in the Eagles advancing to face either No. 1 Wilson or No. 4 Reading High in the BCIAA championship Friday at 6:00 back at the Santander Arena.
“We've been saying in all these practices leading up to today that this is a very winnable game and that we're made for this,” Keperling said. “They beat us by a good amount in the beginning of the season, but we're a different team now.”
Exeter controlled the tempo early and never allowed Mifflin to find an offensive rhythm. The Eagles led 8-7 after the first quarter and 22-16 at halftime after holding the Mustangs scoreless for nearly four minutes late in the second quarter.
"Defense is our identity as a team, honestly," Keperling said. "So we said, 'Come out and and play good defense, and offense will come.'"
Exeter played man-to-man throughout, flooding the paint and cutting off driving lanes. Flood drew the assignment on Berks’ leading scorer Super and limited her to a difficult night.
“Chayse Flood stepped up as a senior and played great defense,” Exeter head coach Derek Wolfe said. “And when [Super] got by her there were other people there. They were walling off the basket, and they did a great job.”
Mifflin, which played only five players, began to wear down late. The Mustangs missed several open looks in the fourth quarter and committed costly turnovers as Exeter maintained its composure.
Harper, despite being only a sophomore, handled Mifflin’s pressure with poise and confidence.
“She's crazy as a sophomore,” Keperling said. “I mean, she's brought us here and is just leading us as a young kid.”
Exeter pushed its lead to nine midway through the fourth quarter, but Mifflin made one last run behind a three-pointer from Martin to cut the deficit to 43-40 with just over a minute remaining.
Harper knocked down three of four free throws in the final 34 seconds to seal the win.
“We accomplished it because we really know each other,” Harper said. “So I feel like just chemistry really helped us out.”
The victory capped a steady rebuild for Exeter, which finished 7-15 last season after graduating all-time leading scorer Grace Reedy. The Eagles were 14-10 two years ago and 11-12 three years ago.
“I think the pieces are finally coming together,” Keperling said. “We have a lot of variety in our players and everyone knows their role.”
“We have a blend of veterans, and we have a young, hungry kids that don't know any better,” Wolfe said.
Exeter girls basketball has won three Berks titles in program history, all coming in the '70s (1977, 1976, 1973); Gov. Mifflin has won the most in county history with 14. Yet the Eagles still believed they could win, even after the 22-point loss to the Mustangs earlier in the season.
It had been over 20 years since the Eagles had won a BCIAA playoff game. Now they'll be playing for county gold.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
Exeter | 8 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 46 |
Gov. Mifflin | 7 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 40 |
Eagles (15-9): Flood 2, Turman 3, Dolan 6, Dauble 6, Harper 14, Keperling 15, Hassler 0, Freese 0.
Mustangs (17-6): George 11, Martin 9, Super 11, Case 6, Renninger 3.