Berks Sports Report Paul Roberts
Despite all of its success, Wilson’s girls basketball program has had its struggles in the BCIAA playoffs over the past decade. The Bulldogs haven’t captured a county championship since 2014. “We look at the banner pretty much every day when we stretch at practice. We’ve had some heartbreaking losses here,” acknowledged Laura Crocona. The 5’8 senior guard scored a team-high 15 points as the top-seeded Bulldogs ran past fourth-seeded Reading 51-39 at Santander Arena on Wednesday. Wilson extended its winning streak to 14 games. The (22-2) Bulldogs will square off against Exeter in the Berks League Final on Friday at 6pm.
Crocona, who’s headed to Kutztown University, helped Wilson get off to a fast start. Two of her three 3-pointers came in the opening quarter. “I’ve obviously had some ups and downs with shooting this year, but tonight my shot felt really good. It felt good to see them go in,” said Crocona. The (13-11) Red Knights fell behind 19-10 after eight minutes. The Bulldogs began the second quarter with six straight points. The defending county champions were limited to five points in that period when they committed eight turnovers. Wilson was on top 29-15 at halftime and 42-25 entering the fourth quarter.
JilliAnn Laws, a 5’11 senior forward, made a layup with 2:23 left to pull Reading within 46-34. Following a bucket by Wilson’s Violet Houck, Xiani Beatty nailed a triple to make it 48-37 with 1:15 remaining. Junior guard Ryan Leaman converted three of four foul shots to seal it. The North Carolina lacrosse commit finished with a dozen points. Kailani Hardy added eleven points and Houck had six. Hardy, a 5’10 junior guard, picked up an offer from La Salle late last month. Houck is committed to Jacksonville University for track and field. “We’re a really close group. We hang out all the time. It’s so nice to know that if someone is not having their best day, other people have each other to pick each other up,” remarked Crocona.
The Bulldogs are back at full strength this season with the return of Laila Jones. The 5’8 point guard missed the 2024-25 campaign due to a torn ACL. Jones is a two-time All-County selection and a 1,000-point scorer. “She’s so talented, she’s a great teammate. Having her back has been so big this year. We really missed her last year,” said Crocona. Jones recently committed to Penn State Harrisburg. She’s averaging 12 ppg. this season as part of a balanced attack.
Wilson went 9-of-16 from the stripe, while the Red Knights were just 1-for-6. Each team connected four times from beyond the arc. Crocona is second on her squad with 31 3-pointers. She was an all-division field hockey player in the fall. Crocona also excels in the classroom with a lofty 4.25 GPA. Her older brother, Nick, played football, baseball and basketball during his high school days in West Lawn.
The talented Bulldogs spent very little time celebrating after beating Reading. Their focus is on winning their first county title in twelve years. “We know that our job is not done…We know that Exeter is gonna come to play,” stated Crocona.