Bulldogs extend season with late rally in District 3 opener against Cedar Crest
(This story will be updated later tonight with additional details, postgame reaction.)
Seniors Cam Jones and Seamus Breslin made big plays down the stretch Tuesday in West Lawn as Wilson ran off 14 straight points to beat Cedar Crest 48-40 and advance to the District 3 Class 6A quarterfinals.
The seventh-seeded Bulldogs (18-7) trailed by as many as eight points in the second half before changing the tempo of the game with a halfcourt trap that ignited a 14-0 run.
Wilson went from trailing 35-27 with two minutes left in the third quarter to leading 41-35 with four minutes left in the game. The 10th-seeded Falcons (14-10) went over seven minutes without scoring and more than nine minutes without a field goal.Wilson advances to play a quarterfinal Friday at second-seeded Cumberland Valley, which earned a first-round bye.
Breslin scored a career-high 15 points to lead the Bulldogs. Jones had five assists, three rebounds and several steals in the second half, when Wilson forced 10 turnovers.
Fernando Marquez scored a game-high 17 points for Cedar Crest, which was eliminated.
Madyx Gruber and Ofure Odiale each scored eight points for Wilson. Odiale also had eight rebounds and five blocked shots. Gruber hit four straight free throws over the final two minutes to help Wilson pull away.
Wilson saw last season come to an end at Cumberland Valley, in a 44-41 loss in the seventh-place game. The Eagles qualified for the PIAA Tournament with that win.
The winner Friday at Cumberland Valley clinches a PIAA Tournament berth; the loser will head to the playback round to bid for one seven District 3 berths into the state tournament.
Three of Wilson’s losses this season have come to Reading High, the No. 1 seed in Class 6A. The Bulldogs also lost to Berks Catholic, the No. 1 seed in 4A, Exeter, and Spring-Ford, the No. 1 seed in the District 1 Class 6A Tournament.
Wilson defeated Cedar Crest 59-40 at West Lawn on Jan. 14. Aidan Melograna scored 16 points and Cleveland Harding 14 for the Bulldogs, who knocked down 10 3-pointers. Melograna had five 3’s. The Bulldogs made just three 3-pointers Tuesday.
The Falcons turned things around in the second half and won eight straight games down the stretch before losing to Manheim Central in the Lancaster-Lebanon League semifinals. Cedar Crest finished second in Section 1 behind Hempfield.
The Falcons lost twice this season to Exeter, and once to Berks Catholic, each by 14 or more points.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Cedar Crest | 10 | 14 | 11 | 5 | 40 |
| Wilson | 12 | 8 | 13 | 15 | 48 |
| Falcons (14-10) | FG | FT | 3’s | A | R | Points |
| Tirado | 0-6 | 2-2 | 0-3 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Marquez | 7-13 | 0-0 | 3-4 | 0 | 8 | 17 |
| Chernich | 2-8 | 0-0 | 2-3 | 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Vega-Reyes | 2-10 | 0-0 | 0-6 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Schomp | 1-5 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Young | 0-1 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Groff | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Custer | 1-2 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Speaks | 1-1 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Waranavage | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 14-46 | 5-6 | 7-18 | 3 | 28-29 | 40 |
| Bulldogs (18-7) | FG | FT | 3’s | A | R | Points |
| Gruber | f1-6 | 5-6 | 1-4 | 1 | 4 | 8 |
| Harding | 3-5 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Melograna | 1-5 | 1-4 | 1-4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Odiale | 4-8 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Breslin | 5-6 | 5-6 | 0-0 | 2 | 2 | 15 |
| Aikings | 2-6 | 0-1 | 1-5 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| McFadden | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 17-38 | 11-19 | 3-14 | 15 | 29-32 | 48 |
Turnovers: Cedar Crest 14, Wilson 12.