Unbeaten Wyo to open PIAA Tournament at home; Wilson plays at Conestoga
2024 Berks basketball coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
By Sean McBryan — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
Just like last year, Wyomissing’s girls basketball team heads into the PIAA Class 4A Tournament as the District 3 champion and gets a home-opener against the fifth-place finisher out of District 12, which encompasses the Philadelphia Public and Catholic leagues.
The Spartans will bring a spotless 28-0 record into Saturday’s 1 o’clock tip against Carver Engineering & Sciences (8-10), which finished third in the Public League.
Wilson is the Berks Girls League’s other state qualifier; the Bulldogs (24-4) finished fourth in District 3 Class 6A and will play at District 1 third-place finisher Conestoga Friday at 7.
Wyomissing routed Parkway Center City, District 12’s fifth-place finisher, building a 25-3 first quarter lead en route to a 69-24 victory last season.
The Spartans advanced to the PIAA quarterfinals where they lost 60-27 to WPIAL champ North Catholic.
The quarterfinal appearance was the deepest state run for the Spartans since 2004 when they advanced to the semifinals before losing 57-44 to eventual champion Delone Catholic.
They’re aiming higher this season.
If they beat Engineering & Sciences they’ll advance to face either District 11 runner-up Blue Mountain or District 12 third seed Neumann-Goretti to get back to the quarterfinals.
In the third round they could face WPIAL champ North Catholic, WPIAL third-place Elizabeth Forward, District 10 runner-up Warren, or District 10 fourth-place Conneaut.
Defending 4A champion Lansdale Catholic did not qualify this season. It defeated Blackhawk, which qualified this season as WPIAL’s runner-up, 53-45 for the title a year ago.
(Tim Macrina photo)
Wilson last qualified for the state playoffs in 2018, when it lost in the first round to Abington. The Bulldogs last won a state playoff game in 2014 over Methacton before losing to Abington in the second round.
The Bulldogs lost in the Berks Girls League championship to Wyomissing, in the district semifinals to eventual champ Central Dauphin, and in the district third-place game to Lebanon.
The Pioneers (24-4) fell to Haverford in the Central League championship and Spring-Ford in the District 1 Class 6A semifinals before defeating North Penn for third in the district.
District 12 and defending state champ Archbishop Carroll or District 1 11th-place finisher West Chester Henderson awaits the winner in the second round.
