Wyomissing turns back North Catholic, continues unbeaten journey
2024 Berks basketball coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
By Joseph B. Lister — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
BELLFONTE – Annie McCaffrey and Amaya Stewart admitted they thought back to last year’s final game when they entered the gym at Bald Eagle High School Saturday afternoon.
That’s where the Spartans’ season ended.
Those negative flashbacks didn’t get in the way Saturday as Wyomissing continued its perfect journey, defeating Pittsburgh North Catholic 61-46 in a PIAA Class 4A quarterfinal to improve to 31-0.
“They did a great job today,” said Wyomissing coach Aaron Anders, who saw his team surpass Daniel Boone’s Berks Girls League record start of 30-0, set in 1990.
Wyomissing will play District 7 runner-up Blackhawk Tuesday in a semifinal, site, and time to be determined. Blackhawk defeated Fairview 43-19 Saturday. Wyomissing is the lone unbeaten girls basketball team in the state.
The Spartans lost to North Catholic 60-27 in this round last year. Lots has changed since then, obviously.
“We’re returning the exact same team,” said McCaffrey, a senior, “so just coming back here and playing the same game, we’ve gotten so much better in the past year. It’s just amazing.”
Despite falling behind early against the team that knocked them out last season the Spartans used an 18-point second quarter to take charge. They got their usual big boost from their All-Berks due, as Stewart and McCaffery combined for 37 points.
“It’s a phenomenal feeling knowing that you just beat a team that crushed you last year,” said Stewart, who scored a game-high 24 points, 11 in the final quarter. “That shows so much growth and development that we had throughout the year. And we lost a couple of people, we gained a few more people. So that means we just stick together and we work hard every single day.”
Wyomissing’s greatest challenge came against North Catholic’s Alayna Rocco, who shot them to pieces last season with 15 points and three 3-pointers in the first quarter alone.
Rocco, an All-State pick and a Harvard commit who averages 19.1 points, was still on her game. She made five 3-pointers and scored 20 points Saturday, holding the Trojanettes together.
“We knew she was an amazing player,” Stewart said. “We knew she could shoot. It was just about marking her and slowing down her offensive play and getting those boards and
rebounds.”
Rocco stole the show in the early minutes, scoring twice and recording a nifty assist to
give Brady Wehner her first score from beyond the arc.
Wyomissing’s Kacey Maggs earned her first points with a steal and score off Rocco soon after.
Karly Hyde got her shot to fall on the next possession, tying it 10-10 with three
minutes left in the first quarter.
Stewart got a rebound and putback to give Wyomissing a 13-11 lead at the start of the second quarter. Hurleman earned two more points off a steal from Rocco.
Catholic’s Lauren Reitz drew a foul near the basket, hitting both of her free throws. Rocco picked up a steal on the next possession but missed her jump shot.
Down seven, Reitz traded points with McCaffery. After a personal scoring drought, Rocco hit her
second 3 to cut Wyomissing’s lead to 22-18 halfway through the second quarter. Soon after, Rocco and Mary Anders traded 3-pointers.
The first half wound down with both sides trading blows. Behind points from Mary Anders and
Stewart, Wyomissing went into the locker room leading 29-22.
With scoring by McCaffery, Reitz and Steward early in the third Wyomissing moved out to a double-digit deficit.
After a scuffle on the ground near halfcourt, Stewart came away with the ball and drew two
defenders to her under the rim before moving the ball to Hyde, who finished her layup.
McCaffery hit two free throws before North Catholic got the last possession of the third quarter,
though Loughrey’s shot rimmed out as Wyomissing led 43-30 with eight minutes left.
After nearly two minutes scoreless in the fourth quarter, Wehner hit a 3 from the corner. She
followed up with another 3-pointer cut her team’s deficit to six points.
Rocco hit a 3-pointer before Stewart responded with another layup. Rocco hit another 3 on the
next possession for her 20th point. That’s as close as her team got.
As the final seconds ticked off the Spartans held the ball near halfcourt as their gave
them a standing ovation.
Anders is confident as the Spartans have moved within two wins of their first state title.
“They are going to continue to keep doing what they’ve been doing, which is just work hard every single day at practice and work on our craft,” Anders said, “and that’s what they’re doing.”
