Madison Langdon-Berks Catholic

Berks Catholic entered the BCIAA girls basketball playoffs with a modest record of (11-10). Bob Birmingham has always challenged his teams with a daunting schedule and this year was no different. Playing top-notch competition has prepared the Saints for the postseason. “It definitely helps a lot. When you get to playoffs, it takes a lot of that pressure off because we know we’ve been in this situation before,” said Madison Langdon. The 5’5 junior scored 22 points in a 54-35 quarterfinal victory over fifth-seeded Exeter. The (14-9) Eagles led 13-4 early in the second quarter. They were outscored 50-22 the rest of the way. Langdon gave Berks Catholic its first lead at 21-19 with a 3-pointer in the final minute of the first half. The fourth-seeded Saints hit eight triples, while Exeter connected just once from beyond the arc. “It plays a big role. We all work on our 3’s in the offseason,” noted Langdon. She jammed eleven points into the third quarter including a 4-point play that put the Saints in front 38-29. Langdon finished with four treys. She splashed one from the left wing midway through the fourth period for a 46-35 cushion. Sydney Corado, a 6’ junior, and Gianna Roberts each sank a pair of 3-pointers. Roberts is the lone senior in their starting lineup. She added nine points. Corado and Molly McFadden, a 5’10 junior, chipped in with eight points apiece. Giana Mirenda provided all seven of her points in the fourth quarter. Berks Catholic outscored the Eagles 16-to-4 over the final eight minutes. Exeter was held eleven points under its season average. Grace Reedy had a team-high eleven points, all in the first half. The 5’9 senior is up to 1,382 career points. Cortney Crockett, a 2006 graduate, holds the school record with 1,389 points. The Eagles went 12-20 from the free throw line. The Saints were just 8-19 from the stripe. They advanced to the Berks County semifinals despite committing 23 turnovers. Berks Catholic will meet top-seeded Wilson on Wednesday at Santander Arena. The (22-1) Bulldogs cruised past Schuylkill Valley 66-20 on Saturday. “We’re so excited. This was our goal in the beginning of the season to get to Santander [Arena]. We’re gonna continue to work really hard,” stated Langdon.