(READING, Pa.) – Jewels Torres (Jr., York, Pa. / West York) scored 12 of her game-high 18 points in the third quarter as she helped Wilson pull away and defeat Penn State Berks after being tied at halftime. The Phoenix used a 10-0 run with eight alone from Torres to open the second half and kept the foot on the gas the rest of the way for their fourth win in their last six games.
The Basics
Score: Wilson 77, Penn State Berks 61
Venue: Beaver Community Center
Records: Wilson 7-13, 6-5 UE; Penn State Berks 1-16, 1-10 UE
How It Happened
- The Phoenix benefitted from a fast start in the first quarter as well with a 12-0 run to open the game. Allie Cullison (Sr., Westminster, Md. / Winters Mill / Kean) set the tone with a pair of 3-pointers to open the game before Lae Black (Jr., Laurel, Md. / Meade) added a layup followed by a pair of inside buckets from Chelcie Forrester (Jr., Shippensburg, Pa. / Shippensburg / WVU Potomac). Berks was able to slowly chop away at the deficit and left the Phoenix with a 21-18 lead headed to the second.
- The Nittany Lions eventually took the lead with a 3-pointer just past the midway point of the period, but the Phoenix were able to tie the game back up on their return trip down the court. That was the trend for the rest of the first half as Berks able to go ahead three more times only to see Wilson answer. The final such time was a result of Torres making a steal which transitioned into a Leah Laubach (FY, Marietta, Pa. / Lancaster Catholic) layup at the buzzer.
- Torres sparked the Phoenix in the second half right off the start as she intercepted a pass and went three-fourths of the court to coast in for a layup. A minute later Black got into the mix with a steal of her own that led to another Torres bunny. A third Berks miscue resulted in a Forrester layup, and after Torres' third layup of the quarter, Laela Robinson (Sr., Lancaster, Pa. / Conestoga Valley) made a steal that sent Torres on her way for a fourth just 3:23 into the half. Kailee Soto (FY, Lancaster, Pa. / Columbia) gave the Phoenix some diversity with a pair of treys before Wilson closed the third in familiar fashion to the start with Mackenzie Caldwell-Degnon (So., Rockville, Md. / Richard Montgomery) making a steal that created a layup by – you guessed it – Torres.
- The left Wilson with a 19-point lead headed to the fourth. Berks was able to trim the deficit to 15, but the Phoenix were never threatened the rest of the way and led by as many as 23 following buckets from Black and Robinson later in the frame.
Inside The Numbers
- Torres easily had her best game of the season as she matched her season-high of 18 points by going 8-for-13 from the field. She distributed the wealth just as much with a season-high eight assists.
- Cullison was also hot from the field where she made 6-of-9 on the evening.
- Forrester recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. She was 5-for-7 from the field.
- Wilson shot 43.7% (31-of-71) for the game. The third quarter was one of its finest of the season as the Blue and White shot 60% (12-of-20) from the field.
- The Phoenix were highly effective at taking advantage of Berks' miscues. Of the 24 Nittany Lions' turnovers, 19 of them were because of steals for a new season-high. The 24 turnovers also led to 40 points while Berks only scored 17 off of 17 Wilson turnovers.
- Torres, Robinson and Soto were the catalysts for the Phoenix defense with five steals each.
Up Next
Wilson will prep for a trip down the Maryland peninsula to take on St. Mary's this Saturday. Tip-off with the Seahawks is set for 1 p.m.
