PHILADELPHIA — Wyomissing’s boys and girls basketball teams each had an experience they will never forget on Monday.
The Spartans took on Elco in a pair of non-league basketball games at Wells Fargo Center, home of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Wyomissing boys coach Garrett Etzel and girls coach Aaron Anders both expressed how excited their teams were to play at an NBA arena.
“They’ve been excited since I told them about the opportunity two weeks ago,” Etzel said. “They’ve been jacked.”
“When this was presented to us it was very difficult for me not to share it (immediately),” Anders said. “Once I could share it with them, it was very special,” Anders said.
The Spartans and Raiders were originally scheduled to play Monday, with the girls game at Wyomissing and the boys game at Myerstown.
That changed when Elco officials worked to have the games in Philadelphia through the Sixers’ Court of Dreams experience, a switch that was announced late last month.
“You grow up watching this and you come down and watch games as a kid and for these kids to be able to do this, it’s fantastic,” Anders said. “It’s an awesome thing and an unbelievable feeling. For these kids to check this off the list, it’s pretty special. Very blessed for the opportunity.”
The girls tipped things off at 1:10 p.m.
After three quarters, the Spartans led by four, but flipped a switch on the defensive end to pull away for a 43-27 win.
The Spartans (7-0) did not allow the Raiders (4-1) to score a point in the final quarter.
“Amazing,” Wyomissing junior Amaya Stewart said about playing on the Sixers’ court. “Everything was so much more spaced out so we had a lot of room to work. But we stayed poised, stayed within ourselves and we got the ‘W.’ ”
Stewart led the Spartans with a game-high 15 points. Audrey Hurleman had 12.
“It was great,” Stewart said of the experience. “Shout out to Elco and their administration and staff for making this happen. It was a cool experience. I would love to do it again next year, but we loved it.”
The boys took the court shortly after the conclusion of the first game and quickly warmed up.
Elco got a split of the doubleheader with a 60-47 victory.
The Raiders (4-2) jumped to a 17-10 lead after quarter and did not look back.
For the Spartans 0-3), freshman Justice Hardy scored a team-high 15 points. Logan Hyde had nine.
Aside from the loss, the Spartans boys had a great experience playing in an NBA arena.
“It felt great,” Hardy said of playing on the same court that Joel Embiid was to take shortly after. “It felt like we were, at least, in college. The lights were super bright, the court was better and it was just a fun experience. It was like a field trip. We got out of school early to play basketball, which we all love. It was great even though we didn’t come out with a ‘W.’ It was a great experience.”
Etzel, who is in his first season as Wyomissing coach, also had similar feelings about leading a team on the same floor as the pros.
“It was awesome,” Etzel said. “Obviously, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Very exciting for our boys. Great opportunity for the boys and girls teams. It was just something really cool to do and we appreciate Elco being able to set that up.”
After the games, the Wyomissing and Elco contingents were able to grab some food before heading back to the arena to watch Embiid and the Sixers take on Demar Derozan and the Chicago Bulls for a at 7 p.m.
Source: Berkshire mont