Wilson fades in fourth, sees season end against Conestoga
2024 Berks basketball coverage presented by
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The Wilson Bulldogs could only contain Ryann Jennings and her Conestoga teammates for so long.
The Bulldogs led by as many as five points in the second half before Jennings heated up, hitting a pair of fourth-quarter 3-pointers that carried the Pioneers to a 45-29 win in a PIAA Tournament Class 6A opener at Berwyn.
Wilson (24-5), the fourth-place finisher in District 3, was outscored 18-2 in the final quarter. The game was tied 27-27 entering the fourth.
Sophomore Laila Jones scored a team-high 13 points but otherwise the points were tough to come by for the Bulldogs, who were held below 30 points for the only time this season.
The District 1 third-place Pioneers (25-3) have done that to a lot of teams. They entered the game having allowed an average of just 29.6 points per game.
The Bulldogs put up 15 second-quarter points and led 19-15 at the half. They were up 27-22 in the third quarter when Conestoga’s Ruth Lanouette hit a 3-pointer that turned the tide. The Pioneers ended the game on a 23-2 run to end Wilson’s season.
Jennings, 5-11 sophomore wing named Central League MVP, scored a game-high 19 points, eight in the fourth quarter. She has several Division I offers, most recently picking one up from Drexel.
Janie Preston scored 10 for Conestoga. Wilson freshman Kailana Hardy came off the bench to score eight points. Teammate Violet Houck was held to a season-low two points before fouling out.
The Bulldogs got to the foul line just twice; the Pioneers were 12-of-16.
Conestoga advances to face Archbishop Carroll, a first-round winner over West Chester Henderson, in Tuesday’s second round.
Conestoga finished third in District 1 after losing to Spring-Ford in the semifinals and beating North Penn in the third-place game. It was their first trip to the district semifinals since 1979.
Conestoga has allowed 40 or more points to opponents only five times.
Wilson opened the season 23-1 before losses to Wyomissing in the Berks League championship game, to Central Dauphin in a District 3 semifinal and to Lebanon in the district third-place game.
