Amaya Stewart-Wyomissing

Amaya Stewart got to play at Santander Arena for the first time on Tuesday and she made the most of it. The 6’1 sophomore had a game-high 19 points in Wyomissing’s 43-35 victory over Wilson in the Berks League semifinals. Stewart and Annie McCaffrey dominated in the paint all night long. McCaffrey scored eight of her 16 points in the first quarter. “I love that girl. She did her absolute best when they were locking up me. Now that she’s coming out of her shell, it feels great,” said Stewart. McCaffrey, a 5’9 junior, is committed to UMass for soccer. She averages eight points per game. The second-seeded Spartans and third-seeded Bulldogs were even at 12-12 after eight minutes. Stewart came to life in the second period with nine points. Wyomissing began that quarter with a 10-2 run. Wilson trailed 25-18 at halftime. The (15-9) Bulldogs outscored the (22-2) Spartans 11-8 in the third frame. Laila Jones drilled a 3-pointer to get Wilson within 35-32 with five and a-half minutes remaining. She’s one of three freshmen in the starting lineup. The 5’6 point guard hit a shot with 90 seconds left to make it 37-35, but the Bulldogs wouldn’t score again. Maddie Campbell sank a pair of free throws with one minute to go. The 5’4 guard was the only senior who started for Wyomissing. McCaffrey added two more foul shots with 47 seconds to play. A layup by Stewart sealed the deal. The Spartans ended up 11-22 from the free throw line, while Wilson went 3-5. Jones (13) and Violet Houck (12) combined for 25 points. Houck is a promising 5’11 freshman center. She grabbed eight rebounds. Wilson’s 6-game winning streak came to a halt. The Bulldogs, who were limited to six points in the fourth quarter, didn’t qualify for the District 3 playoffs this season. The top twelve teams get in the Class 6A tournament. Wilson was #13 in the power rankings. I asked Stewart how it feels to have the opportunity to compete for a county championship. She replied, “Oh my gosh, a dream come true. To push through now, it feels amazing.” Wyomissing has never won a Berks League title in girls basketball. Reading stands in their way. The fourth-seeded Red Knights upset top-seeded Berks Catholic 39-33 in the semifinals. Reading outscored the Saints 17-5 in the last quarter. Stewart had a message for the (14-10) Red Knights. “I love them to death because I played with every single one of them. But when it comes to Friday, we’re on your necks. No mercy,” she stated.