Spartans remain on unbeaten path, steamroll Berks IV-leading Lynx
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Amaya Stewart scored 22 first-half points as Wyomissing continued on its unbeaten journey Saturday, beating Oley Valley 67-39 in a Berks Girls League crossover battle of division leaders at Oley.
The Berks IV-leading Lynx had been unbeaten in league play but had no answer for the 6-1 Stewart, who scored 10 first-quarter points and added 12 more before halftime on the way to a game-high 27 points. She did not score in the final quarter, which the Spartans (7-0, 17-0) entered with a 57-32 lead.
Stewart’s career-high of 30 points came against Antietam earlier this season; the 27 points is her second-highest output. Her season-high last year as a sophomore was 26.
Stewart is averaging 19.7 points per game, second in the league to Exeter’s Grace Reedy.
Wyomissing is one win, or one Schuylkill Valley loss, away from clinching another Berks III title. The Spartans play at Hamburg (6-11) Tuesday; Schuylkill Valley plays Kutztown (2-13) that night.
Wyomissing is battling it out with Berks I leader Wilson for the No. 1 seed in the upcoming BCIAA Tournament. That will be determined by power rating. Entering play Saturday the Bulldogs (17-1) were at .789, the Spartans at .748. Wilson has four games remaining and likely would need to drop at least two to give Wyomissing a chance at that top spot.
Either way the teams will be seeded No. 1 and No. 2 when the tournament begins next month and expected to meet in the championship game.
The Spartans, led by Stewart, the Berks Player of the Year, won their first league championship last year and went on to capture their first district title. They’re ahead of last year’s pace, when they lost a pair of regular season games after a 14-0 start.
Saturday’s outcome was never in doubt as the Spartans bolted to a 20-9 lead after one period and 42-19 advantage at the half.
Annie McCaffrey and Abigail Noey each scored eight points for Wyomissing; Kacey Maggs had seven.
Morgan Snyder led Oley Valley with 17 points.
The Lynx (8-1, 15-4) can take a big step toward the Berks IV title Tuesday when they face Brandywine Heights (6-2, 10-7), which is in second place in the division. A win would give the Lynx a two-game cushion with three games to play; a loss would tie the teams in the loss column.
If they end up tied for first place, as they did last season, power rating will determine the division champ. Oley Valley entered play Saturday with a 47-point lead over Brandywine; much of that would disappear if the Bullets win Tuesday.
Oley Valley won the first meeting 43-32 at Mertztown in mid-December.
