Top-seeded Wilson looking for clean sweep against Berks Catholic in semifinals

By Sean McBryan Last updated Feb 14, 2024

2024 Berks basketball coverage presented by

Utilities Employees Credit Union

By Sean McBryan — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent

Top-seeded Wilson goes for a three-game sweep of No. 4 Berks Catholic when they meet Wednesday at 5:30 in a BCIAA semifinal at Santander Arena.

The winner moves on to face No. 2 Wyomissing or No. 3 Gov. Mifflin, which play in the first game of the quadruple header. The championship game is Friday at 6.

Despite school closings Tuesday due to the weather, both teams were able to practice.

Wilson sophomore guard Laila Jones scored a game-high 24 points in a 43-31 victory Dec. 15 and a game-high 13 points in a 39-26 victory Jan. 22.

The Berks I champion Bulldogs (21-2) have won 15 games in a row after its only loss, to 21-2 Dallastown two days after Christmas.

The Bulldogs allow the third-fewest points (31.7) in the Berks Girls League, trailing only Brandywine Heights (29.7) and Wyomissing (25.8). They have the third-highest scoring average at 50.8, trailing Gov. Mifflin (52.3) and Wyomissing (50.9).

Wilson’s winning margin of 19.1 is second-highest, behind Wyomissing (25.2).

The Bulldogs have hit 91 3’s on the season and make 60.4 percent of their free throws.

The 5-7 Jones leads the Bulldogs with a 16.7 scoring average, followed by sophomore 5-11 center Violet Houck (10.8), sophomore 5-8 guard Laura Crocona (6.0), and freshman 5-9 guard Kailani Hardy (5.9).

Jones has the fourth-highest scoring average in the league behind Exeter’s Grace Reedy, Wyomissing’s Amaya Stewart, and Berks Catholic’s Madison Langdon.

Senior guard Jasilyn Moncada is a steadying leader, defensive ace, and capable 3-point shooter; she has 15 treys, third on the team behind Jones (45) and Crocona (16).

Freshman 5-6 guard Ryan Leaman received quality minutes when 5-5 sophomore guard Janai Tisdale went out with an injury earlier in the season. Leaman has hit 11 3’s and tied Jones with a game-high 13 points in a 66-20 quarterfinal victory over Schuylkill Valley.

Tisdale’s return, sophomore 5-11 center Emma Williams, and upperclassmen bench pieces in McKenna Peacock and Kylee Evans gives head coach Chris Gallo a deep, skilled roster to tinker with.

Berks Catholic (12-10) has won 5-of-6 and three straight after defeating Exeter 54-35 in the quarterfinals.

The Saints have played top out-of-league competition in Delone Catholic, Palmyra, Lancaster Catholic, York Catholic and teams from Tennessee, Kentucky, and Florida at the KSA Classic in Orlando.

Wilson’s Laila Jones goes to the basket against Berks Catholic’s Madison Langdon earlier this season. (Tim Macrina photo)

Berks Catholic allows the seventh-least points (40.9) and scores the seventh-highest points (44.0) in the league. It has 96 3’s and shoots 64.5 percent at the foul line, second-best in the league.

Langdon, a 5-4 junior guard, leads the Saints with a 16.8 scoring average, followed by 6-foot junior forward Sydney Corado (9.9), 5-9 junior wing Giana Mirenda (5.4), 5-9 junior wing Molly McFadden (4.2), and 5-3 senior guard Gianna Roberts (3.9).

Langdon had team-highs of 15 points and 12 points in the Saints’ two losses to Wilson this season.

Langdon has hit the fourth-most 3’s in the league with 40 behind Gov. Mifflin’s Taylor Koenig (61), Twin Valley’s Hailey Kilgore (47), and Jones. Corado has hit 27 3’s and Roberts 17.

Junior 5-6 wing Emma Linderman has played in all 22 games and provides toughness, defense, and rebounding. Her cousin, freshman 5-7 guard Katy Linderman, cracked the varsity lineup in late January and has appeared in the Saints’ last seven games.

Katy is the daughter of Central Catholic and Drexel great Joe Linderman, so her role in Berks Catholic head coach Bob Birmingham’s lineup is something to watch.

Birmingham is the winningest coach in Berks girls basketball history with 649 wins. He has a 250-108 record in 13 seasons at Berks Catholic after going 399-206 in 22 seasons at Holy Name.

The Saints will be motivated to put some BCIAA semifinal ghosts behind them. As the top seed they were upset by No. 4 Reading High in last season’s semis; again as the No. 1 seed they lost to No. 4 Gov. Mifflin on Shakyla Mayo’s buzzer-beater two seasons ago.

Wilson was also defeated in the semifinals last season falling as the No. 3 seed to No. 2 Wyomissing, which went on to win its first county title.

Wilson last appeared in the BCIAA championship in 2022 and lost 47-34 to Gov. Mifflin. The Bulldogs last won a title in 2014, which completed a three-peat. Overall, Wilson has won nine titles — tied for second with Reading High and trailing Gov. Mifflin (14) — and appeared in the championship 21 times — the most of any Berks team.

Berks Catholic last appeared and won a title in 2021 when it defeated Wyomissing 55-45. The Saints have won three titles and appeared in six championship games. Birmingham won two league titles with Holy Name in its only appearances in 2001 and 1994.