Up next for Wyomissing: Neumann-Goretti
2024 Berks basketball coverage presented by
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Wyomissing (29-0) vs. Neumann-Goretti (19-6)
What: PIAA Class 4A Tournament, second round
When: Wednesday, 6:00
Where: Pottstown High School
About the Saints
Secured the third seed out of District 12 after falling in the Philadelphia Catholic League quarterfinals to Nazareth and defeating Prep Charter in the Class 4A third-place game.
Neumann-Goretti defeated District 11 runner-up Blue Mountain 65-43 in the first round of the state tournament. Wyomissing (29-0) eased past Carver 43-22.
Neumann-Goretti gets a second shot at the District 3 champion Spartans, who defeated the Saints 40-33 in this same round last season.
“I’ll be honest, you take that loss last year and you remember that feeling in the locker room,” said Neumann-Goretti head coach Andrea Peterson, who is 5-0 in state title games and 31-3 in state playoff games. “It really doesn’t matter who the loss is to. It hits the most when it’s the last game of the season, win or loss.”
That loss ended Goretti’s season with a 12-14 record but the addition of freshman guard Reginna Baker, a Division I prospect, has helped the Saints reload.
Baker, a 5-8 all-league guard, averages 17.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. She picked up an offer from Delaware before stepping on the court for the Saints and received a Temple offer during the season.
Junior 5-5 guard Carryn Easley averages 14.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists and was also an first-team All-Catholic pick.
Junior 5-5 guard Amya Scott was a second-team all-league selection and puts up 12.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game.
Easley and Scott’s leadership has grown after the Saints graduated two seniors; there are no seniors on the roster.
“The maturity from our juniors has grown tremendously,” Peterson said. “We picked up a really good freshman. That’s added to the depth of our lineup. We’ve matured a lot in the gym as a team and cleaned up a lot of things to become better both offensively and defensively.”
Sophomore 5-7 guard Kamora Berry is an outside threat and averages 11.2 points.
Either 5-7 guard Tori Richardson (4.0 points, 3.8 rebounds) or 5-7 sophomore guard Zion Coston (3.1 points, 4.4 rebounds) will join the Big 3 in the starting lineup. Peterson said she likes to let the girls battle in practice before making her final decision on the starting five.
Junior 5-8 forward Ikera Ellison (3.3 points, 3.1 rebounds) is ineligible for postseason play due to transfer rules; she transferred in from Archbishop Ryan.
Goretti doesn’t have a player taller than 5-8 and Peterson realizes the Saints can’t afford to have an off shooting night when it comes to facing Wyomissing’s 6-1 junior center Amaya Stewart.
“Amaya is going to score her points,” Peterson said. “She’s the type of kid where you’re not going to stop her too often. But they also have four other girls around her that can hit shots at any time, so we have to be prepared for anything.
“We’re going to defend and play every game the same. Defense wins championships, you have to defend teams to win, and you have to put the ball in more than the other team. This game is going to come down to defense and, when we’re open, what percentage do we shoot? We have to get in the lab, get shots up, and defend.”
The Spartans are one win away from matching the best start in Berks girls basketball history – Daniel Boone won its first 30 games in 1990 – and from joining the Blazers and the 1991 Gov. Mifflin Mustangs as the county’s only 30-game winners.
The winner advances to play either (10-2) Warren or (7-1) North Catholic in the quarterfinals Saturday.
