Amaya Stewart scored 27 points and Alexis Hardy added 18 as the Wyomissing Spartans rolled to a 59-43 victory over Nazareth Academy in the first round of the PIAA Class 4A girls basketball playoffs on Saturday.
Wyomissing (22-2) plays the winner of Neumann Goretti and Northwestern Lehigh in the second round on Wednesday at a time and site to be determined.
The Spartans came out on top in their final game at home, bringing up some emotions for the senior class of Alexis Hardy, Liliana Marshall, Audrey Hurleman, and Amaya Stewart.
“It was a great win,” Hardy said. “Wyomissing has been so good to me, and to have that final game at home, was really a special feeling, especially to have everyone around me.”
The senior class has won two BCIAA titles and completed a three-peat as District 3 Class 4A champions to etch their names into Wyomissing history forever.
The final score does not quite indicate how close the game between the District 3 champions and District 12 fifth-place finishers was.
After such a historic accomplishment, the Spartans may have experienced a slight championship hangover to start the first quarter.
“It was a long week of practice, but we knew what we were working towards,” Hardy said on preparing for the state playoffs. “So every practice we’re just challenging each other, knowing we’re working towards something bigger. Honestly, the win (District title) was amazing, but all that’s behind us. This is a whole new bracket. Our wins in the past don’t mean anything, so we’re coming in starting with like a clean slate, and we have to prove ourselves in order to get where we want to be.”
Hardy put the Spartans ahead 4-2 with two layups to get things rolling.
But the Pandas (11-14) responded loudly.
Natalie D’Alfonso, a senior point guard, got hot from deep quickly with three straight 3-pointers to silence the Wyomissing crowd.
However, Kacey Maggs knocked down a 3-pointer from the right wing, assisted by Karly Hyde to end the run.
Trailing 13-7 in the first, it was the Spartans to go on their own scoring outburst.
Hardy made her third basket before Stewart scored her first four points of the game, tying it up.
But the Spartans weren’t finished in the quarter. Hardy gave them a two-point lead heading into the second, a lead they maintained for the rest of the game.
“They’re an amazing team. They shot the ball really well, but basketball, as my coach always says, ‘It’s a game of runs’, where we can’t let them get up affect how we play,” Hardy said. “We can only control when we have the ball. So, staying together and composed when they hit those shots led us to the victory.”
In the second quarter, the Spartans built their biggest lead of the game, up by six points. However, baskets from Reese Power and Maddie Brazukas kept the deficit at 25-23 heading into halftime.
Stewart knocked down a 3-pointer from the left wing to kick off the second half.
But Rileigh Donohoe answered back with a trey ball of her own.
The Spartans were active on the offensive boards in the quarter converting six second-chance points. They outrebounded the Pandas 29-21 for the game.
Hardy and Stewart combined for 16 points in the quarter, the only Spartans to score.
Wyomissing held a 41-33 lead heading into the fourth quarter, only eight minutes away from advancing to the second round.
Immediately in the fourth, D’Alfonso knocked down her fifth 3-pointer from the right corner to stay within striking distance.
Stewart responded with back-to-back baskets in the paint.
Every time the Spartans started to separate themselves, the Pandas hit a 3-pointer to stay in the game.
This time, Donohoe hit a deep shot off an assist from Abby Rock. A few possessions later, trailing 47-39, Donohoe nailed her team’s eighth 3-pointer of the game.
The Spartans held a five-point lead with under three minutes left in the game as it began to get chippy on both sides.
Spartans coach Aaron Anders received a sideline warning, Stewart was given a technical foul, and Nazareth Academy’s Reese Power fouled out of the game in the final minutes of the game.
Down the stretch, the Spartans attempted 13 free throws, converting 10 to seal the win.
“Before every game, we know any of our mistakes can make it end up being our last,” Hardy said reflecting on the season. “So we all are giving everything we have. This could be many of our last time playing with Wyomissing in general, or even just playing basketball. So we’re giving everything on the court for each other to keep our season going.”
For the Spartans, Stewart added 14 rebounds and three blocks to her 27-point game. Hardy had three steals on the defensive end.
For the Pandas, D’Alfonso had a team-high 17 points. Power and Donohoe each had 11.
Last season the Spartans reached the semifinals before falling 47-31 to the eventual champion, Blackhawk High School.
Source: Berkshire mont