(CHAMBERSBURG, Pa.) – Home court was defended as No. 8 Wilson outlasted No. 9 Penn State Berks in the United East Championship First Round game on Wednesday evening.
Jalen Bowie (Sr., Frederick, Md. / Frederick / Shippensburg) and
Armani Jones (Sr., Chicago, Ill. / Christ The King Prep / Bryant & Stratton) provided double-doubles for the Phoenix who opened up the second half with a 10-0 run and held off a last run by the Lions to move on to Saturday's quarterfinal round at top seed Lancaster Bible.
The Basics
Score: No. 8 Wilson 92, No. 9 Penn State Berks 80
Venue: Gannett Field House
Records: Wilson 10-16, Penn State Berks 6-19
How It Happened
- Berks had the hot hands at the start as Jaedon Mast drained a pair of 3-pointers in the opening two minutes for a quick lead. Wilson soon caught fire, however, and took control by way of a 20-5 run to vault into the lead. Jaylin Davis (Sr., Hampton, Va. / Kecoughtan / Lynchburg) eventually tied the game on a layup on a dish from Jones. Tobias Reese (So., Mansfield, Texas / St. Elizabeth (Del.)) then fed Bowie for a go-ahead layup after pulling in a rebound on Berks' return trip. Wilson led by as many as 11 in the opening half and went into the halftime break up 10 following a Jones jumper in the final minute of the first.
- Momentum built for the Phoenix at the start of the second. Bowie scored back-to-back buckets on a layup and a tip-in putback while Jalen Pierce (Sr., Richmond, Va. / Collegiate / Millersville) added a layup and a pair of free throws to bring Wilson's lead to 20 at 55-35. Berks was able to respond with an 11-1 run to get back within 10, but an inside jumper by Pierce followed by a pivotal triple by Winston Raford (Jr., Woodbridge, Va. / Forest Park) to make the score 61-46 help swing momentum back in favor of the Phoenix.
- Midway through the second the Phoenix took their largest lead of the night following a dunk by Jones, a Travis Blake Jr. (FY, Baltimore, Md. / North County) layup after a steal and assist by Pierce, and another Raford trey to make the score 70-47. The Phoenix led by at least 20 as late as 4:45 before the Lions started to make a late run. Over the next four minutes, outside shooting helped the visitors cut the deficit to single digits thanks to back-to-back treys from Peter Cavacini and Mast, respectively in the final minute. Cameron Rothstein-Epp (FY, Bethesda, Md. / Chevy Chase), Ethan Salvatierra (FY, Woodbridge, Va. / Forest Park), and Richard Chase (FY, Harrisburg, Va.) helped get Wilson back on track down the stretch by combining for the next six points to secure the win.
Inside The Numbers
- Bowie finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds while going 8-for-18 from the field. Jones wasn't far behind with his double-double on 19 points and 14 boards while going 6-for-11 from the field.
- Pierce had another solid night with 16 points and seven assists. Defensively he paced the team with three steals.
- In addition to hitting a pair of timely three-balls, Reese was a main fixture on the glass with 10 rebounds.
- Mast led Berks with 21 points after going 8-for-20 from the field. He was 5-for-10 from deep.
- Berks benefited from the long ball as it made 13 treys on the night.
For The Record
- Wednesday's win marks Wilson's seventh-straight over the Berks Lions.
- Wilson leads the all-time series with Berks 8-4. This was the first time the two teams have met in the postseason.
- Wilson moved to 8-2 all-time at home in postseason games.
Up Next
The Phoenix advance to Saturday's quarterfinal round where they will take on top-seed Lancaster Bible who is currently ranked No. 5 in Region IV.
