Chris Gallo-Wilson

Chris Gallo won 203 games and seven Division championships over 15 years with the Schuylkill Valley boys basketball team. That resume makes his statement about sophomore guard Laila Jones even more noteworthy. “She’s as good as any guy I’ve ever coached on my Schuylkill Valley teams; the way she sees the floor and the way she handles the ball,” said Gallo. Jones had 18 points in a 44-33 victory over tenth-seeded York High in the District 3-6A quarterfinals. The second-seeded Bulldogs led 9-3 after the first eight minutes. The (15-9) Bearcats opened the second quarter with a 7-to-1 run. Kailani Hardy provided a spark off Wilson’s bench. The promising 5’8 freshman had five points, including a 3-pointer, as the Bulldogs scored the last nine points of the first half. “She goes hard, she listens, and she’s a really nice young lady,” replied Gallo. Wilson was on top 19-10 at the break despite committing eleven turnovers. York came out of the locker room strong. The Bearcats scored ten straight points to take a 20-19 edge. A’Shyia Smith banked in a pair of treys. The 5’5 senior hit four triples to finish with twelve points. Smith entered the night with just seven 3-pointers all season. Jones responded in the third period with eight points, including two shots from beyond the arc. The (24-2) Bulldogs held a 32-25 cushion after three quarters. York pulled within 38-33 on Smith’s trey with two minutes remaining. Jones made two free throws and Hardy followed with a steal. She went 1-for-2 from the foul line with one minute left. Wilson got the offensive rebound and Hardy split two more free throw attempts. Once again, the Bulldogs grabbed the offensive board. Violet Houck sank two foul shots to seal the deal. The 5’11 sophomore provided eight points and seven rebounds. Hardy piled up 14 points and eight boards. She had a season-high 18 points against Muhlenberg in late January and 10 points in the BCIAA semifinals versus Berks Catholic last week. The Bearcats had a rough shooting night. They were 1-of-14 from the free throw line and 6-of-22 from long distance. Ciarra Gibbs, a 5’11 senior, was limited to six points. The Albright commit is a 1,000-point scorer. York travels to Manheim Township on Monday night for a consolation game. Meanwhile, Wilson hosts third-seeded Central Dauphin at 7pm on Monday. Top-seeded Lebanon entertains Dallastown in the other semifinal. Gallo knows that making it through the Class 6A bracket is extremely challenging. “It is really good. It’s always good. The top is excellent…It’s gonna be a tough task,” he said.