Top-Seeded Wilson and No. 3 Exeter Ready for Berks Girls League Championship Showdown
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Can Exeter continue its Cinderella run to a BCIAA title by beating dominant, top-seeded Wilson? Time will tell.
One thing is for certain. By the end of tomorrow's Berks Girls League championship, one team will have won its first title in a long time.
One much longer than the other.
Exeter is seeking its first county title since 1977; Wilson is aiming for its first since 2014.
The rhombus-shaped trophy signifying the Berks Girls League champion will either call West Lawn or Reiffton its new home.
The top-seeded Bulldogs (22-2) and third-seeded Eagles (15-9) will battle it out Friday in the championship starting at 6:00 p.m. at Santander Arena in Reading.
Senior guard and Kutztown commit Laura Crocona scored a team-high 15 points to lead the Bulldogs to a 51-39 victory over defending champion Reading High Thursday in the semifinals, a game in which they never trailed.
For Wilson, junior guards Ryan Leaman (12 points) and Kailani Hardy (11 points) also scored in double figures.
Senior forward Lillie Keperling had 15 points to lead the Eagles to a 46-40 upset victory over Gov. Mifflin, which finished as runner-up last season, in the semifinals Thursday.
Precocious sophomore guard Addison Harper tacked on 14 for the Eagles.
Senior guard Laila Jones and sophomore forward Jade Lee each had 12 points for Wilson in its 53-19 quarterfinal victory over Kutztown.
Harper led the way with 20 points in Exeter's 47-36 victory over Twin Valley in its quarterfinal win.
Wilson has won the third-most BCIAA titles in history with nine, last completing a threepeat in the 2014 season. The Bulldogs' other six titles have come in 2008, 2006, 2000, 1998, 1989, and 1986.
They've appeared in the title game a league-high 22 times.
Exeter has won three BCIAA titles in 1977, 1976, and 1973. The Eagles defeated Schuylkill Valley in '77 and '76 and Gov. Mifflin in '73. Those are the only appearances in the title game the Eagles have had.
The Eagles were the first team to win back-to-back titles and won the first girls championship game, which was played in 1973. Dee Kantner, a longtime professional referee and current ESPN rules analyst, led the Eagles to those back-to-back titles with legendary head coach Jean Frey.
Wilson defeated Exeter 67-36 on Jan. 22 in a league crossover game this season. Wilson won 59-39 last season.
Here's a breakdown of the Wilson and Exeter's statistics this season.
Harper, a 5-9 guard, leads the Eagles with an 18.0 scoring average, the second-highest in Berks. She has hit 32 3s and has made 84 foul shots at an 82.4-percent rate.
Keperling is No. 2 on the team at scoring with 8.8 points per game, followed by sophomore guard Chloe Dauble (5.8 ppg), senior guard Chayse Flood (5.3 ppg), senior guard Ayana Freese (3.4 ppg), junior forward Mairead Dolan (3.4 ppg), and freshman guard Avrie Hassler (3.3 ppg).
Exeter head coach Derek Wolfe has played nine players in 18 or more games this season.
The Eagles have the No. 3 scoring offense in Berks at 51.0 ppg. They've made 68 3s, the seventh-most in Berks. They've allowed 45.8 ppg, the sixth-most in Berks. Exeter has the second-best free-throw percentage in the league at 65.6 percent.
Wilson head coach Matt Raquet and Exeter head coach Derek Wolfe (PhilMarPhoto).
Hardy leads the Bulldogs in scoring at 11.9 ppg and has made 27 3s. She is followed by Jones (11.8 ppg, 52 3s), Crocona (8.1 ppg, 31 3s), Lee (7.3 ppg), senior Violet Houck (7.1 ppg), and Leaman (6.9 ppg, 23 3s).
Second-year head coach Matt Raquet has played eight players in 20 or more games ths season.
The Bulldogs have the top scoring offense in Berks at 58.3 ppg and can let it fly from deep. They've hit a league-high 150 3-pointers. They are the No. 7 free throw shooting team in the league at 56.4 percent. They have the third-best defense, allowing only 33.6 ppg.