Amaya Stewart-Wyomissing

The 3-pointer has completely changed the game of basketball at the college and professional levels. Many teams are launching more shots from beyond the arc than ever before. Wyomissing, however, is more than happy to pound the ball inside. When you have a talent like Amaya Stewart, give her the ball and let her “go to work” as head coach Aaron Anders often says from the sideline. Stewart erupted for a career-high 33 points and 11 rebounds in a thrilling 62-52 win over Neumann-Goretti on Wednesday at Pottstown. “It’s a blessing. We worked so hard to get here and it’s paying off,” remarked Stewart. The Spartans improved to (30-0) and advanced to the PIAA-4A quarterfinals. They led the (19-7) Saints 9-0 and 18-5 after the first quarter. Their advantage expanded to 24-8 in the second quarter. Neumann-Goretti, a five-time state champion, didn’t go away easily. The Saints ended the first half on a 17-to-4 run to pull within 28-25 at the break. They have five guards in their starting lineup including 5’4 junior Carryn Easley and highly touted 5’8 freshman Regina Baker. “They are really tough. They’re probably the best [guards] in the state,” stated Stewart. Easley finished with 22 points and Baker added 11. They were both first team selections in the Philadelphia Catholic League. Stewart fed Audrey Hurleman for two layups to open the third quarter. Neumann Goretti, the #3 seed from District 12, went on another run. Easley jammed nine points into that period and Wyomissing trailed 41-39 entering the final quarter. Annie McCaffrey hit a triple from the left corner with five minutes remaining. Her ninth trey of the season put the Spartans in front 46-44. The lone senior in their starting lineup provided 13 points. McCaffrey is committed to UMass for soccer. Stewart followed with a three-point play for a 51-47 cushion midway through the fourth quarter. The 6’1 junior grabbed a missed free throw and turned it into another three-point play with three minutes left. The first team All-State pick had a dozen points in the last eight minutes. “Take over, take over. I’m gonna step up. I’m built for that,” replied Stewart when asked about her mentality. Hurleman, a 5’8 junior, made a pair of foul shots with 1:15 to go for a 58-52 edge. The North Carolina lacrosse commit contributed 12 points. McCaffrey went 2-for-2 from the charity stripe with 47 seconds remaining. She gave Wyomissing a 60-52 lead. The Spartans ended up 11-of-19 from the free throw line, while the Saints were 8-of-14. Sophomore Kamora Berry made half of Neumann-Goretti’s six 3-pointers. The Saints fell to the Spartans in the second round for the second straight year. Wyomissing will meet District 7 champ North Catholic at 2pm on Saturday at Bald Eagle High School. Stewart is grateful for the fan support during this undefeated streak. “It’s beautiful. We love our community. We know we have a huge community behind our back,” she said.