Bulldogs see season end as wild comeback bid falls short in District 3 opener
2024 Berks basketball coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
(This story will be updated later tonight with additional details and postgame reaction.)
By Mike Drago — MikeDragoSports.com Managing Editor
SOUTH LEBANON — Wilson trimmed a 13-point second-half deficit to two points in the final minute but couldn’t complete the comeback in seeing its season end with a 55-50 loss to Cedar Crest Tuesday in a District 3 Class 6A opener at South Lebanon.
The 10th-seeded Bulldogs (17-9) pulled within 52-50 on Correll Akings’ three-point play with 1:05 remaining but missed their final four shots over their next three possessions.
The seventh-seeded Falcons (20-5) got free throws from Fernando Marquez and Leo Tirado in the final minute to extend their lead.
Wilson sees its season end just four days after celebrating a Berks Conference championship at Santander Arena against long-time rival Reading High.
Cedar Crest, the Lancaster-Lebanon League champion, heads to the quarterfinals Friday at Cumberland Valley; they need one win in their next two games to clinch a trip to the PIAA Tournament.
Wilson trailed 45-33 after three quarters but got back into it with an 11-2 run to open the final quarter, the comeback fueled by a fullcourt zone trap that led to most of Cedar Crest’s seven fourth-quarter turnover.
Cam Zullinger’s steal out of the press led to an Akings layup that made it 47-44 with 3:27 left. Another steal by Zullinger set up Akings’ three-point play.
Akings, a sophomore, finished with a game-high 18 points, 10 coming in that furious fourth quarter. All-Berks pick Madyx Gruber scored 15 points and Luke Levan had 10.
Aiden Schomp and Fernando Marquez of Cedar Crest each finished with 15 points. Junior Danny Speaks came off the bench to knock down three 3-pointers for the Falcons. Overall, Cedar Crest was good on 7-of-12 shots from beyond the arc.
The Falcons shot 60 percent from the field and made 8-of-11 free throws; the Bulldogs got to the foul line just five times.
A first-round match-up between league champs is an incredible way to open the district playoffs – or to see your season end. Seven teams from District 3 will go on to the play in the Class 6A state tournament. Wilson won’t be one of them.
Cedar Crest won the first meeting 70-61 on Jan. 13 at The Cage in South Lebanon.
“We played one of our most complete games that afternoon,” Falcons coach Tommy Smith said prior to the game. “We beat ’em on a day when they made 10 3’s, which is tough to do.”
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Wilson | 13 | 9 | 11 | 17 | 50 |
| Cedar Crest | 14 | 10 | 21 | 10 | 55 |
| Bulldogs (17-9) | FG | FT | 3s | A | R | Points |
| Gruber | 6-16 | 2-2 | 1-5 | 0 | 3 | 15 |
| T. Hunsicker | 1-2 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| McFadden | 1-5 | 1-2 | 1-3 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Akings | 7-16 | 1-1 | 3-7 | 1 | 1 | 18 |
| Levan | 5-8 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 4 | 10 |
| Etim | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Zullinger | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Twiford | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C. Hunsicker | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 20-48 | 4-5 | 6-16 | 7 | 18/21 | 60 |
| Falcons (20-5) | FG | FT | 3s | A | R | Points |
| Tirado | 1-1 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Marquez | 6-10 | 1-1 | 2-3 | 0 | 4 | 15 |
| Chernich | 2-5 | 0-0 | 1-3 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Young | 2-4 | 1-2 | 0-1 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
| Schomp | 5-6 | 4-4 | 1-1 | 2 | 6 | 15 |
| Speaks | 3-5 | 0-0 | 3-3 | 0 | 2 | 9 |
| Custer | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Waranavage | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Groff | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 20-33 | 8-11 | 7-12 | 5 | 21/23 | 55 |
Turnovers: Wilson 13, Cedar Crest 17. Team rebounds: Wilson 3, Cedar Crest 2.