Wyomissing puts unbeaten record on the line against Mifflin in Berks semifinal
2024 Berks basketball coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
Second-seeded and defending Berks champ Wyomissing faces No. 3 Gov. Mifflin at 4:00 Wednesday in a BCIAA semifinal at Santander Arena.
The winner moves on to face either No. 1 Wilson or No. 4 Berks Catholic, which will meet in the second game of the quadruple header. The championship game is Friday at 6:00.
The Spartans were unable to practice Tuesday due to the inclement weather; the Mustangs practiced.
It’ll be the first meeting between the teams since Wyomissing defeated Gov. Mifflin 50-48 on Abby Doyle’s free throws with 2.4 seconds left in the 2021 league semifinals.
It’s also a matchup between the two schools that have won the past two Berks girls basketball titles.
The Spartans (23-0) are led by junior 6-1 forward Amaya Stewart, who is the league’s No. 2 scorer at 18.7 points per game and the reigning Berks Player of the Year and All-State selection.
Wyomissing returned three additional starters — Annie McCaffrey, Alexis Hardy, and Audrey Hurleman — from last year’s team that won 28 games, won its first BCIAA and District 3 titles, and advanced to the PIAA quarterfinals.
The Spartans have been even better this season. They again allow the fewest points in the league going from 29.4 points per game last year to 25.8 this year. They have the league’s second-highest scoring offense with a 50.9 average, a slight uptick from the league-best 49.8 they scored last year.
Wyomissing has hit 95 3’s and converts at a 55.9 rate from the foul line.
Hardy, a 5-5 junior guard, averages 7.0 points per game and has made 19 3’s, tied for the most on the team with Stewart. McCaffrey, a 5-9 senior forward, scores 6.7 and Hurleman, a 5-8 junior forward, averages 4.6.
A big development for the Spartans has been the emergence of underclassmen in sophomore 5-5 guard Kacey Maggs (4.3 points, 15 3’s), who is the fifth starter, and freshman guard Karly Hyde (4.0, 12 3’s), who has played in all 23 games.
Sophomore guard Ella Anders, junior wing Abby Noey and freshman guard Addy Loeb (15 3’s) have each played in 18 games or more.
Wyomissing head coach Aaron Anders has gone 76-20 through four seasons with the Spartans.
Gov. Mifflin has gone 9-2 in the last half of the season after dropping to 6-6 with a loss to Wilson Jan. 8.
The Mustangs (15-8) have a high-octane offense which leads the league at 52.3 points per game and 153 3’s made, nearly 50 more than the next closest team. Mifflin converts free throws at a 62.1-percent clip.
Gov. Mifflin has experience in 5-8 senior forward Taylor Koenig and 5-5 senior guard Keira Estrada, who won a BCIAA title as sophomores. Koenig scores 14.5 points per game and has made a league-high 61 3’s. Estrada averages 7.0, has made 27 3’s, and is the primary ballhandler.
Three freshmen round out the starting lineup: 5-7 guard Bella Super (11.8, 29 3’s), 5-8 guard Brooklyn George (7.0, 15 3’s), and 5-6 guard Bridget Martin (6.8). The trio has played in all 23 of Mifflin’s games.
Freshman 5-7 wing Hanna West has come on as of late, scoring five or more points in five straight games. West has hit nine of her 12 3’s on the year in that span.
Junior 5-9 forward Mia Vazquez and senior 5-10 post Aniya Gonzalez are the Mustangs’ best options to match up with Wyomissing’s Stewart. Vazquez averaged 6.0 points in 10 games, but hasn’t played since Jan. 23 due to personal issues. Gov. Mifflin head coach Mike Clark said Vazquez’s availability will be a game-time decision.
Clark has gone 206-104 in 12 seasons at Mifflin and 299-122 overall, including four seasons at Oley Valley.
How the Mustangs fare in defending Wyomissing will be key: They have allowed 43.5 points per game.
Gov. Mifflin fell as the No. 6 seed to No. 3 Wilson in the quarterfinals last season. The Mustangs have won a Berks-record 14 Berks titles and appeared in 18 championship games.
The Spartans appeared in the final in 2021 and 2001 before winning last season.
The Spartans and Mustangs have played six common opponents this season: Boyertown, Conrad Weiser, Daniel Boone, Muhlenberg, Oley Valley, and Reading High. Wyomissing defeated Boyertown 59-20; Gov. Mifflin defeated the Bears 58-19. Wyomissing defeated Conrad Weiser 47-20; Gov. Mifflin defeated the Scouts 53-35. Wyomissing defeated Daniel Boone 57-22; Gov. Mifflin defeated the Blazers 53-15. Wyomissing defeated Muhlenberg 60-34; Gov. Mifflin defeated the Muhls twice 54-28 and 48-24.
Gov. Mifflin defeated Oley Valley 59-54 in the quarterfinals Saturday; Wyomissing defeated Oley Valley 67-39 in a league crossover earlier this season.
Wyomissing defeated Reading High 46-36 in the BCIAA quarterfinals Saturday; Gov. Mifflin lost to Reading High twice in league play 62-42 and 53-49.
